There were an estimated 112,000 security services businesses in the United States in 2025 with a revenue of around $49 billion, according to IBIS World. Between 2019 and 2024, the industry saw an average annual growth rate of 2.7%, and that growth is only expected to increase in 2026.
For safety and security professionals tasked with protecting K-12 and higher education campuses, selecting security solutions that best fit their campus’ unique needs can be overwhelming. To help narrow down their options, many attend tradeshows or conferences where they can speak face-to-face with vendors, physically see and touch their products, and converse with other campus protection professionals to share their experiences with security products.
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To foster conversations regarding technology purchases, this summer’s Campus Safety Conference offered the Scholars Program, a specialized initiative designed for qualified attendees who are responsible for purchasing safety and security services or products and are planning to do so within the next 18-24 months. The event also featured dozens of vendors. Some of the most in-demand safety solutions were on display, including access control, AI, incident management, emergency notification, video surveillance and more.
Here’s a look at some of the solutions.
Access Control Solutions
1. Deister Electronics USA: doorLoxx™ Wireless Access Control System and Intelligent Key Management
Photo courtesy Deister Electronics
Deister Electronics‘ doorLoxx platform is a fully wireless solution for both new builds and retrofits. From dormitories to data centers, it integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure — controlling access to server racks, elevators, turnstiles, garage doors, and more.
Key features include:
- Wireless Locksets & Cylinders: Modular, privacy-ready, and compatible with US mortise & tubular locks.
- Flexible Credential Support: Mobile access, MIFARE DESFire, cipherCards & more.
- Multiple Operating Modes: Choose from online, offline, or hybrid—whatever your policy requires.
- Integrated Alarm Disarm: Disarm intrusions upon authorized entry.
- Pushbar Compatibility: Secure any door or cabinet—even with custom hardware.
Learn more about Deister Electronics’ doorLoxx™.
2. Eastman: Saflex™ and Vanceva™ PVB Interlayers
Image courtesy Eastman
Eastman’s Saflex PVB interlayers can help windows and door systems containing laminated glass meet ASTM F3561 forced-entry resistance standard. When combined with glass, these interlayers help hold broken glass together, which can help delay and deter intrusion and provide school staff with more time to respond.* This makes them ideal for a wide range of school glazing applications.
Vanceva color PVB interlayers give schools the ability to customize laminated glass with up to 69,000 transparent, translucent, or solid color combinations — making it easier to reflect school spirit, support wayfinding, or simply brighten learning spaces without compromising on protection. Vanceva is qualified as safety glazing in accordance with national requirements and can be combined with Saflex products for even greater performance enhancement.
*These tests are often performed by Eastman on glass only in a fixed or neutral frame. To achieve appropriate protection, the selection of the glass, glazing details and framing system are important. Glass specifiers should consider all risks, threats, vulnerabilities, and facility designs to ensure optimal safety.
Learn more about Eastman’s Saflex™ and Vanceva™ PVB Interlayers.
3. Meridian Rapid Defense Group: Archer 1200 Barrier
Image Courtesy of Meridian Rapid Defense Group
Whether it is protecting football crowds at the University of Alabama or at Texas A&M, closing cross streets at the University of Southern California for homecoming or blocking vehicle access for graduation events at the University of Maryland, Meridian Rapid Defense Group is there securing perimeters while still providing flexible access in critical moments.
Meridian’s Archer 1200 barrier is 700lbs of American made steel and because of the unique design it can be wheeled into place in a matter of minutes by one person. Years of crash testing involving trucks and cars have resulted in Meridian barriers and gates being awarded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s highest rating, making them Safety Act certified. The act provides Federal Government full liability protection for all users, in the case of an act of terrorism, domestic or foreign.
Meridian Archer 1200 Barriers are “SAFETY Act Certified” by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) providing the ultimate standard in keeping people, communities and places safer.
Learn more about Meridian’s Archer 1200 Barriers.
Emergency Response Solutions
4. Carousel Digital Signage Integrates with CrisisGo
Image courtesy Carousel Digital Signage
Carousel Digital Signage announces a new technology partnership with CrisisGo that enables K-12 schools and businesses to deliver emergency alerts and other safety messages to digital displays with immediacy. The integration is enabled through an open API that triggers visual alerts, interactive maps and more to Carousel Cloud digital signage networks via the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), a global standard that supports the digital exchange of emergency alerts and public warnings over multiple networks.
CrisisGo’s Safety iResponse platform offers a comprehensive suite of advanced alerting software and tools that empower school districts to create safer and more secure learning environments. Its features include real-time alerting, incident management and parent notification, all of which combine to help schools respond to emergencies in an efficient and effective manner. The platform also immediately shares emergency alerts with local law enforcement when police assistance is needed.
The CrisisGo partnership represents the latest technology integration between Carousel Digital Signage and emergency alerting platforms aimed at strengthening school safety in K-12 environments. Lewis says that while K-12 remains the top priority for CrisisGo’s integrated solution with Carousel, he anticipates potential expansion into other verticals including corporate enterprise and manufacturing.
Learn more about Carousel Digital Signage’s and CrisisGo’s partnership.
5. Idea Pioneers: ShieldForce App
Photo courtesy ShieldForce
ShieldForce, developed by Idea Pioneers, an award-winning, globally recognized technology company with more than a decade of innovation experience, is a custom-branded mobile safety and emergency response app. It’s a fully customizable platform that empowers institutions to respond faster, engage more effectively, and manage risk with greater success.
Here’s how ShieldForce works:
- Alert: ShieldForce allows users to trigger an alert from their mobile device instantly, notifying designated emergency contacts and control rooms with the user’s precise location—accurate to within 10 meters.
- Track: An optional “Track Me” function enables live, non-invasive tracking during incidents, giving responders a real-time view of the unfolding situation.
- Communicate: The app supports multiple communication channels, including SMS, WhatsApp, email, and in-app push notifications—essential for distributing timely updates during emergencies.
ShieldForce isn’t just reactive. Its browser-based admin console—hosted on hyper-secure AWS infrastructure—provides administrators with powerful tools to manage safety operations, including:
- Real-time incident dashboards
- Live tracking of guards and facilities teams
- Customizable guard and manager modes
- Advanced analytics for compliance, performance and incident trends
- Monitoring of false positives and incident severity
- User satisfaction metrics such as CSAT, CES, and NPS
Learn more about Idea Pioneers’ ShieldForce.
Integrated Solutions
6. Hero Safety: The Hero Platform
Image courtesy Hero Safety
Hero Safety has built the foundation of the first end-to-end, AI-powered platform for public safety, as a direct response to the needs and frustrations of safety leaders, admins, officers, and dispatchers.
Hero Safety brings a new approach to solving a decades-old problem. Departments across the country are limited by systems that are siloed, complicated to learn, and don’t leverage the best in technology. Hero Safety is pairing their technical expertise with the experience of multiple agency leaders to bring an integrated, user-friendly, and AI-powered platform to communities of all sizes and budgets.
The Hero Platform for campuses includes:
- Core applications that are natively integrated, including CAD, Clery-tailored RMS, a data-powered map, and an officer mobile app. Each core product is feature-rich, intuitive to learn, and seamlessly connected.
- Next generation features throughout the platform, including AI-driven weapons detection, license plate recognition, and video search built directly into the CAD, RMS, GIS map, and officer mobile app.
- Hero AI to enhance abilities for all roles, creating the capacity for proactive alerts for critical events, predictive analytics, timely SOP reminders and assistance, and always-on QA. These features create force multiplication by eliminating administrative burden while empowering users across a department.
Learn more about Hero Safety’s Hero Platform.
7. SWC: neXus
SWC’s neXus, an integration platform, works with the systems a school already has in place. neXus connects them, bringing together video cameras, intercoms, mass notification systems, access control, wireless duress, and more into one easy-to-use interface. The result is unified school safety with faster emergency response.
At the core of neXus is a 3D map of the school or campus. This visual interface gives administrators and first responders a real-time view of building layouts, integrated systems, and live camera feeds. From a single screen, users can initiate lockdowns, send alerts, control doors, and monitor conditions across the facility.
The platform is fully scalable, meaning you can deploy it at a single school, a multi-building campus, or an entire school district. All sites can be managed from one dashboard, offering district-level visibility and control in emergencies.
8. Talkaphone: Emergency Phone + Autonomous Drone Integration
Photo courtesy Talkaphone
Designed to elevate emergency response capabilities across educational, medical, and corporate campuses, Talkaphone‘s integrated emergency phone and autonomous drone system combines its trusted emergency blue light phones with autonomous drone technology from Sunflower Labs, delivering real-time situational awareness and faster response during critical incidents.
The integration enables Talkaphone’s blue light emergency phones to integrate seamlessly with Sunflower Labs’ AI-powered drone technology. When the call button is pressed on the Talkaphone blue light phone, the “Bee” drone can be deployed to surveil the area while help is on the way or provide a safety escort to enhance personal safety. A single Bee drone can support a network of emergency phones, covering up to a 600-meter radius from the “Hive” rapid recharging and docking station – over 250 acres. This integration creates a proactive security solution that delivers real-time situational awareness and rapid response capabilities.
Learn more about Talkaphone’s Emergency Phone + Autonomous Drone Integration.
9. Gallagher Security: High Sec C7000
Photo courtesy Gallagher Security
US General Services Administration (GSA) compliant, the High Sec C7000 provides customers with the confidence that Gallagher Security will continue to meet the highest standards of countries in the Five Eyes Alliance and ensure they’re meeting their compliances with confidence and a future-proofed vision.
The High Sec C7000 has been designed with all the features of the recently released C7000 Enhanced, a FIPs approved micro, and cybersecurity at the heart. It also incorporates all the core functions of the award-winning C7000 Standard variant released 18 months ago, while expanding capabilities in key areas to deliver customers enhanced reliability, resilience, redundancy, and cybersecurity.
The release of the High Sec C7000 brings Gallagher’s controller product range to a total of four, including the C7000 Single Door, C7000 Standard, and C7000 Enhanced variants.
Learn more about Gallagher Security’s High Sec C7000.
AI-Powered Solutions
10. Hidonix: SafeSchool Platform
Photo courtesy Hidonix
More than a monitoring system, Hidonix‘s SafeSchool is a proactive safety platform designed to detect risks, accelerate response, and help neutralize threats before they escalate. From real-time geolocation to autonomous alerts and drone support, SafeSchool gives security teams and first responders the tools they need to act decisively — protecting the lives of students, staff, and emergency personnel alike.
Key SafeSchool features include:
- AI-powered recognition of faces, weapons, behaviors, and unusual activity
- Real-time indoor/outdoor positioning for people and incidents
- Automated alerts, emergency communication, and mass notifications
- Student reporting tools for anonymous tips and early intervention
- Integration with IoT sensors, robotics, and central dispatch systems
Learn more about Hidonix’s SafeSchool Platform.
11. LINEV Systems: BV 5030 Baggage Scanner with AI
LINEV Systems‘ BV 5030 is a high-resolution, single view X-ray baggage inspection system with the ability to automatically detect prohibited objects and threats.
The tunnel with a width of 520 mm and a height of 320 mm is optimal for inspection of baggage, bags, hand luggage and parcels. The System may be used at inspection points of critical infrastructure facilities, law enforcement and security agencies, customs, border guards, hotels, event centers, educational institutions, sports arenas, and other places where reliable and uninterrupted operation of inspection systems is required.
The BV 5030 enables the identification of weapons, explosives, drugs and any other dangerous or prohibited items. Unique colour palettes and touch control provide an exceptional level of operator efficiency.
Read how Schenectady City Schools implemented the technology.
