Welcome to Secured Presents: XPod from The Security Event.

In Episode 3, Lee Odess closes out the series with a bigger question: is physical security having its mainstream moment?

The answer from the show floor was not simple. Across 12 different voices, the “moment” looked different depending on where each person sat in the industry. Some pointed to AI and agents changing integration economics. Others pointed to cloud, software modernization, legacy infrastructure, regulation, ecosystems, user experience, and security becoming foundational infrastructure instead of a bolt-on.

That is the point of the episode.

This is not one shift. It is multiple shifts happening at the same time, and the convergence is what makes this moment feel different.

Featuring perspectives from:

Steve Van Till | Brivo
Steve Humphreys | Hirsch
Karen | Rhombus
Ross Bennett | Genetec
Trevor Ball | Keri Systems
Maximilien | Macnica
Aaron Eastwood | Solo Secure
Kevin Sherwood | CIE Group
Roman | CoreWillSoft
Wayne Pierce | March Networks
Sam Griffiths | Ajax Systems
Servaas | Honeywell Security and Access Solutions / LenelS2

This episode closes the three-part XPod series from The Security Event with one final thesis: identity is the new center, regulation is the forcing discipline, and the mainstream moment is real, plural, and foundational.

Let us know in the comments:
Do you think physical security is having its mainstream moment?

Physical access control is no longer just a door hardware problem. It has evolved into a critical identity infrastructure challenge that connects physical and digital operations across every major industry. In this episode of Secured, we break down the findings from a comprehensive new report published in partnership with Acre Security.

We dive deep into three critical verticals: education, healthcare, and financial institutions to see how procurement patterns and security needs are changing. You will learn why the conversation in K-12 schools is shifting from pure lockdown scenarios to daily operational safety and the true ROI of mobile credentials.

In the healthcare section, we discuss how workplace violence is driving capital allocation and why platform consolidation is the only way to manage fragmented systems following mergers and acquisitions. We also explore the financial sector's move toward global standardization and the increasing importance of audit-ready compliance in an era of insider threats.

Chapters
0:00 Intro and Research Methodology
1:35 Education: Safety vs Operations
4:10 Healthcare: Workplace Violence and Consolidation
6:45 Financial Institutions: Governance and Audit
9:20 The Shift to Identity Infrastructure
10:45 Industry News and European Regulation

Download the full State of the Verticals benchmark report to go deeper into the data. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Access Control Executive Brief and join the Physec Collective community to stay updated on the latest in security tech.

Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations.

In this episode, we’re joined by Darren Bain, VP of Strategy at RightCrowd.

In this episode, we dive into:

This conversation looks at how identity is shaping workforce behavior and access control.

This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion.

Let us know in the comments: Is workforce identity the next major focus in security?

Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations.

In this episode, we’re joined by Lucas Mason, Marketing Manager at Centrios.

In this episode, we dive into:

This conversation highlights how communication shapes how technology is understood.

This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion.

Let us know in the comments: Does better messaging actually drive adoption?

Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations.

In this episode, we’re joined by Matt Kopel, CEO and President of SwiftConnect.

In this episode, we dive into:

This conversation explores how access is becoming more seamless and invisible.

This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion.

Let us know in the comments:

Is frictionless access the future of security?

Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations.

In this episode, we're joined by Joelle Hushen, Founder & President of the NICP and the US CPTED Association.

In this episode, we dive into:

This conversation will change the way you think about the spaces you build, secure, and operate in.

This series is about more than trends. It's about capturing an industry in motion.

Let us know in the comments: Are we designing our environments to prevent crime — or just reacting after the fact?

In Part 2 of our XPod series from The Security Event, we look at one of the most repeated assumptions in physical security: that regulation is a tax on innovation.

The voices in this episode push back on that idea. When regulation is done right, it can force better product discipline, stronger architecture, cleaner data practices, and trust with buyers who cannot afford to get security, privacy, or liability wrong.

This conversation brings together perspectives from Gareth Robinson of 2N, Michael Lee of Nedap, Roman Bratishko of CoreWillSoft, Spencer Marshall of Gallagher Security, Nick Venuti of BraXos, Stephen Oliva of Altronix, Pete Jones of Third Millennium / HID, Thomas Bertaux of XPR, Ian Law of Alarm.com, Heikki Hiltunen of iLOQ, and Dick Clark of Telaeris.

The takeaway is not that all regulation is good. Too much regulation can become a wall, especially for smaller innovators. But the right amount can become a moat.

Regulation is not a tax. It is the moat.

This is Secured, live from The Security Event.

Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations.

In this episode, we’re joined by David W Fuller from Dormakaba.

In this episode, we dive into:

This conversation highlights the importance of aligning physical and digital systems.

This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion.

Let us know in the comments: Is legacy hardware the biggest barrier to innovation in security?

Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations.

In this episode, we take a look at the HID Access Fellowship and what it represents for the future of the industry.

In this episode, we dive into:

This conversation explores how the industry can build a stronger foundation through talent and community.

This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion.

Let us know in the comments:

Is the industry doing enough to invest in its future talent?

The physical security industry is currently debating credential formats while the rest of the world is busy redefining what identity means and who owns it. In this episode of Secured, Lee Odess explores the structural gap between security perception and operational reality, and why the industry must move upstream to survive.

Chapters
0:00 Intro and the Identity Gap
1:08 Hivewatch Report: Perception vs Reality
3:15 Mobile Wallets and Identity Governance
4:55 ASSA ABLOY Acquisition News
6:18 Microsoft Project Solera: Reimagining the Badge
8:42 Allegion Vertical Strategy
10:10 IAM Market vs Physical Security
11:55 Hybrid Work and Future Access Control
13:25 AI Agents and Machine Identity
14:40 Security Industry Transition and Marketing Relief
15:50 Final Thoughts and Community Wrap Up

If you found this breakdown valuable, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Join over 1,600 industry leaders in the PhySec Collective by clicking the link in our show notes to continue the conversation.