The responsibility to protect clients from being compromised or open to cyber attacks is critical.

The efforts by cybercriminals to attack and exploit companies will only increase, and the importance of companies doing their part to keep clients informed and safe will also increase.

As attacks escalate, the countermeasures to protect and prevent them also will improve. Industry hardware is having to be changed on a daily basis, from wireless fire alarms to low-voltage lighting.

In California, there have been many changes in low-voltage work, with the advent of emergency response radio communication systems [ERRCS] and neutral host cellular systems now being a code requirement.

As it stands now, the code requirement is for new buildings, but eventually, all existing buildings will be added to the program to keep with up cyber attacks.

The evolution of smart buildings and smart cities will serve as a driving force for growth for the low-­voltage industry.

Analytics software, proactive monitoring of low-voltage systems, and smart building technology are all major future influence for low-voltage contractors.

Facility owners and managers are looking for building systems that will integrate to provide proactive and real-time information to help them achieve their goals.

While it is not yet an integrated technology, the industry will see infinite possibilities in integrating building systems, aggregating data that provides an owner or manager with the ability to offer an optimized space, operating at peak efficiency, improving the occupant experience, and ultimately increasing the value of their asset.

As these opportunities and challenges increase, the single biggest issue the industry is already seeing is the lack of skilled tradespeople to keep up with the demand.