Looking ahead to 2026 with Ric Martin, Pinnacle Systems

As part of an online miniseries, Ric Martin, CEO of Pinnacle Systems discusses his industry predictions for 2026.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself, your job role and how long you have been at the company?

Ric Martin, CEO Pinnacle Systems.

I have been with the company since 2022, based on a passion and knowledge of creating a centralised platform solution for integration and monitoring; working and learning closely with customers to tailor security to individual requirements.

What are some of the key trends and predictions you think we will see in the security industry in 2026?

The security industry is moving through a period of steady but meaningful change, shaped as much by operational pressures as by technological possibilities.

As organisations look for ways to manage increasingly complex estates on tight time, budget and cost restrictions, one of the clearest trends is a shift toward simplification.

Rather than adding more standalone systems, there is a growing emphasis on bringing existing technologies together in a way that reduces duplication, improves situational awareness and supports day to day decision making.

Data is becoming more central to how security teams operate. With most environments now generating continuous streams of information from alarms and access events to environmental and IoT inputs, the focus is turning to how this data can be interpreted, prioritised and acted upon in real time.

The growing importance of resilience and adaptability is highlighting how organisations are looking for technology platforms that do not require wholesale replacement each time a building is refurbished or a new site comes online.

Approaches that allow different systems to coexist, integrate and scale are gaining traction, especially where teams need the freedom to choose equipment based on suitability rather than vendor alignment.

Security, fire safety and building management are increasingly viewed as connected disciplines rather than separate functions.

This is leading to closer collaboration between departments and a more holistic view of how incidents are monitored, managed and learned from.

As these boundaries continue to soften, security technology that supports unified oversight without imposing unnecessary complexity looks set to play a growing role throughout 2026 and beyond.

What is one piece of advice you would give organisations and professionals as they head into 2026?

One of the most constructive steps organisations can take is to involve both technical and sales teams in shaping a clearer plan for how centralised security can support their operations.

Many teams are already facing rising expectations around visibility, response and reporting. Bringing these groups together helps ensure decisions are grounded in day to day realities rather than abstract goals.

Technical teams can offer straightforward guidance on what is achievable with current infrastructure, which systems are ready for integration and which areas may need attention before centralisation becomes viable.

Their input helps organisations understand the practical implications of unifying alarms, monitoring or building information into a single view.

This approach avoids surprises later in the process and ensures any move toward centralisation is paced sensibly.

Sales teams can highlight where centralised security is becoming increasingly standard across the industry.

Their experience with different customer environments and solution options provides insight into the approaches that are proving most effective and scalable.

This helps organisations benchmark their own progress and identify opportunities they may not have previously considered.

By encouraging regular interaction between these teams, organisations can build a more accurate picture of what centralisation would deliver for them specifically, rather than relying on general assumptions.

It also supports clearer budgeting, realistic timelines and a shared understanding of what tailored security solutions looks like.

To keep centralisation aligned with operational priorities rather than treating it as a purely technical project means using real scenarios such as incident handling, maintenance workflows or multisite coordination as reference points ensures the benefits remain tangible.

Taking these steps enables organisations to move into 2026 with a practical direction, clearer expectations and a structure that supports steady progress toward more unified and manageable security operations.