Volume 39 | November 21, 2025

This Week’s Featured Articles & Media

Lee Odess | Why We Continue to Bet on ISC Security Events
Most events can rinse and repeat the same formula for 30 years, call it a day, and then try to control all aspects of creativity. Instead, ISC Security Events is proving what real investment and evolution look like. Lee writes about at how initiatives like the StartUp in Security area and the Trends Pavilion at ISC East can be a model for breaking the cycle.

Julie Roehm | Sparking What’s Possible: Reflections from RAMP 2025
RAMP wasn’t another industry event—it was a spark. Julie Roehm captures how the gathering brought marketing and brand leaders in security and proptech together to rethink storytelling, human connection and the role of creativity in a technical world. Originally published on LinkedIn.

Allan Bleakley | The Big Three: Foundational Concepts in Data Center Design
Modern data centers run on three fundamentals: redundancy, airflow and power density. Mastering these is what separates resilient, efficient facilities from everything else. Allan Bleakley breaks down how smart design and integrated management systems set facilities up to handle today’s workloads and tomorrow’s demands. Originally published on LinkedIn.

Lee Odess | Reflections from TSE Asia: Why Southeast Asia Points to the Industry’s Future
Southeast Asia is not just another region. It is a preview of where the global security industry is headed and needs its proper seat at the global security table. Read Lee’s full reflections on the XForum at The Security Event Asia on LinkedIn.

The Access Control Collective | PhySecJobs.com
Visit PhySecJobs.com to see the latest jobs in the physical security industry.

Find them all below!

In an industry where it’s all too easy to recycle the same event formula year after year, the ISC Security Events team continues to stand out for one simple reason: they’re still investing. Not just in booth layouts or registration flows, but in new ideas, new formats, and new ways to create value for the community. This is the difference, and it’s exactly why we at The Access Control Executive Brief choose to invest our time, energy, and resources with them.

Two examples from this year’s ISC East stand out.

1. The StartUp in Security Area Delivered Real Value

Startups are the lifeblood of innovation in our industry, yet many events struggle to give emerging companies more than a corner booth and a wish for good luck. ISC took a different path. The StartUp in Security area wasn’t just a physical space; it was a thoughtfully designed environment where early-stage companies could connect with decision-makers, mentors, investors and partners in a meaningful way.

What stood out was the quality of engagement. Industry leaders walked the floor with real curiosity. Attendees spent time asking deeper questions. Startups gained visibility they simply would not get at a traditional show. Everyone benefited.

2. The Trends Pavilion Worked Because It Had a Point of View

The Trends Pavilion wasn’t just a row of companies. It was a curated expression of where the industry is heading, bringing together organizations with very different products but aligned perspectives. By building around a shared theme, ISC showcased not just technologies, but stories.

What happened was powerful: companies who might never cross paths became part of a bigger narrative. Attendees got clarity on real, emerging trends rather than a scattered set of product pitches.

Breaking the “Rinse and Repeat” Cycle

Most events can coast for decades on the same playbook. Same structure. Same layout. Same outcomes. It’s safe, predictable, and comfortable, but it doesn’t move industries forward.

Evolving an event takes something harder:

• Self-awareness to recognize what needs to change.

• Creativity to design something new.

• Courage to take risks without guaranteed payoff.

• Execution to bring it to life at a high standard.

This is where the ISC team (Jordan Tuchband, Mary Beth Shaughnessy, and the entire RX Global group) continues to separate themselves. They’re not checking boxes. They’re building. And they’re doing it with intention and momentum.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As you review your 2026 strategy (your budgets, your travel calendar, your opportunities to connect) pay attention to where people are actually investing in you. Where organizers push for new ideas. Where they take risks. Where they create space for voices, companies, and conversations that need to grow.

Break the rinse and repeat. Align with those who are aligning with you.

Congratulations to the ISC Security Events team on a strong show and thank you for the continued partnership. The industry is better for it.

When I first heard about RAMP, I was intrigued. A conference just for marketing, communications, and brand leaders in the security and proptech industries? That’s something we’ve all been waiting for. On October 16 in New York City, that idea came to life thanks to the teams at Bloxspring and The Access Control Collective, who brought together 80 of the brightest and boldest in our space for a day designed to do one thing: spark what’s possible.

From the moment I walked in, it was clear this wasn’t a typical industry event. There were no product demos, no hard sells, and definitely no “death by PowerPoint.” The first thing we saw was a message that set the tone for the entire day:

No sales. No specs. But sparks. And sparks, there were plenty.

A Day for the People Who Shape the Story

What made RAMP so special is that it truly understood us — the people who spend every day shaping how our industries communicate, connect, and grow. In security and proptech, marketing can often feel like the unspoken function: important, but underrepresented. RAMP changed that completely.

Each session was designed for the people writing the playbook as they go. Those figuring out how to tell human stories in technical industries, how to bring emotion into engineering, and how to make brands mean something beyond the specs.

The conversations throughout the day were candid, creative, and sometimes even a little uncomfortable in the best way. We talked about what it really means to use AI to scale impact without losing authenticity. We explored how events can evolve to create experiences that actually resonate. And we got practical about what it takes to build a consistent, credible voice on platforms like LinkedIn, especially when your audience is global, niche, and skeptical all at once.

My Session: Marketing as a Force for Connection

When I took the stage, I wanted to share what I’ve learned from years of working across different industries: that brand building in complex, technical spaces comes down to one universal truth. People connect with people, not products.

I also shared my own non-traditional career path — and how bringing lessons and experiences from outside the industry can open doors to entirely new ways of thinking within it. My hope was to remind others that innovation doesn’t just come from new technology; it also comes from fresh perspectives and the courage to cross boundaries.

I spoke about what it takes to build trust through storytelling, especially in industries built on precision and reliability. It’s not about simplifying the story; it’s about humanizing it. That’s where real differentiation happens.

I was blown away by the engagement in the room — the questions, the nods, the “aha” moments. Someone told me afterward that they wished the session was longer, which, as any speaker knows, is the best feedback you can get. But more than that, it reaffirmed something I’ve always believed: when we share openly about what’s working, what’s not, and what we’re still figuring out, we move the whole industry forward.

Beyond Ideas: Action and Energy

RAMP didn’t just celebrate great ideas. It challenged us to act on them.

To make creativity a business priority.

To champion substance over showmanship.

To keep our focus on people, not pixels.

You could feel the shift happening in real time. There was a sense of shared purpose among everyone in that room: Chelsea Lavin, Sam Mallikarjunan, Josh Dorfman, Heidi Patalano, Dave Von Hollweg, and so many others, each bringing their own lens, experience, and energy to what marketing can look like in this new era.

And of course, a special thank-you to Lee Odess, whose vision and invitation were such a critical part of that spark — bringing together a community ready to redefine what’s possible.

The Beginning of a Movement

As I left, I couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t just an event; it was the start of a movement. A reminder that in industries built on technology, trust, and safety, marketing has an equally important role to play: to connect, to inspire, and to humanize.

In the rapidly evolving world of data centers, a solid grasp of foundational design principles is critical for building resilient, efficient, and secure IT infrastructure. Whether you’re a solutions engineer, facility manager, or IT leader, understanding the “Big Three” concepts: Redundancy & Tiers, Airflow Management, and Power Density: will empower you to meet modern business demands. Let’s break down these essentials and explore how they shape the core of successful data center projects.

1. Redundancy & Tiers: The "Why" Behind Data Center Reliability

Redundancy and tier classification are the backbone of data center reliability and business continuity. Based on the Uptime Institute’s Tier Standard, these classifications directly influence both budget and design decisions:

• Tier I (Basic): Single path for power and cooling, no redundancy.

• Tier II (Redundant Components): Adds N+1 redundancy (generators, chillers, UPS), but still a single distribution path.

• Tier III (Concurrently Maintainable): The enterprise standard. Offers multiple power/cooling paths (A/B power), so maintenance doesn’t disrupt IT operations.

• Tier IV (Fault-Tolerant): Maximum redundancy. Facility can handle equipment faults and maintenance simultaneously without downtime.

For example, specifying a Tier III facility means ensuring every cabinet has redundant A/B power paths:one of the many ways to align with client expectations and business requirements.

2. Airflow Management: The "How" of Efficient Cooling

Proper airflow is essential for effective data center cooling and energy efficiency. By managing the movement and separation of hot and cold air, facilities can prevent hotspots and reduce operating costs:

• Hot-Aisle / Cold-Aisle Arrangement: Racks are positioned so intakes face each other (cold aisle) and exhausts face each other (hot aisle).

• Containment: Physical barriers (such as curtains or walls) are used to keep hot and cold air from mixing.

• Cold-Aisle Containment (CAC): The cold aisle is enclosed, making the rest of the room a hot-air return plenum.

• Hot-Aisle Containment (HAC): The hot aisle is enclosed and ducted directly to the cooling units for maximum efficiency.

3. Power Density: The "How Much" That Drives Design Decisions

Power density: the amount of power (in kilowatts) allocated per rack: is the most critical metric for modern data center planning:

• Low Density (2–5 kW): Ideal for basic servers and networking gear.

• Medium Density (5–15 kW): Suits enterprise racks with multiple servers or blades.

• High Density (15–30 kW+): Supports AI, machine learning, and HPC workloads.

Accurately defining power density (e.g., “10 kW per rack”) impacts the selection of rack PDUs, circuit breaker ratings, conductor sizes, and cooling strategies.

Core Areas of Low-Voltage Design

Beyond the “Big Three,” a comprehensive data center design must also address the following low-voltage systems:

• Structured Cabling: The long-lasting “nervous system” of the data center. Modern designs favor Top-of-Rack (ToR) switching with short copper runs and high-speed fiber uplinks. Choices of copper (Cat 6A) and fiber (OM4, OM5, OS2) cabling depend on speed and reach requirements.

• Physical Security: Multi-layered, from perimeter fencing and surveillance to secure access control, man-traps, and rack-level locking (including smart racks with networked access logs).

• Power Distribution (Rack-Level): Critical “last mile” of power delivery, with options ranging from basic and metered PDUs to intelligent, network-connected units. Tier III+ designs require dual (A/B) PDUs per rack for redundancy.

DCIM: The Nerve Center for Monitoring & Management

Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms unify all low-voltage systems into a “single pane of glass” for real-time monitoring and control. Effective DCIM solutions integrate:

• Power: Intelligent PDUs, floor PDUs, and UPS systems.

• Environment: Wireless sensors for temperature and humidity.

• Security: Access control and video management systems.

• Assets: A detailed database of all hardware and its rack location.

As data centers continue to evolve, mastering these foundational concepts ensures that facilities are resilient, efficient, and future-ready. Whether designing from scratch or optimizing an existing space, a focus on redundancy, airflow, and power density: supported by robust management and security systems: will set you up for long-term success.

Somewhere over the Pacific on my way home from The Security Event Asia (TSE Asia) put on by the Nineteen Group, I found myself feeling that familiar end-of-show / end-of-year mix of pride, exhaustion, gratitude, and excitement. This year’s XForum activated by The Access Control Executive Brief at TSE Asia made one thing clear: Southeast Asia is not just another region. It is a preview of where the global security industry is headed and needs its proper seat at the global security table.

Across more than 15 panels, 40 speakers, 3 days, and countless hallway conversations, 5 themes appeared again and again. (1) Convergence is no longer an aspiration. Physical and cyber, IT and OT, identity and infrastructure are blending into a single operational reality. (2) The platform era is fully underway. Software, identity, APIs, and automation are driving the next wave of value. (3) "Openness" or more like "acting open" has become a competitive advantage. Governments and enterprise buyers want interoperability, shared standards, and open APIs, and the market is responding. (4) Resilience is now a mandate shaped by climate, geopolitics, and rapid urbanization. And finally, (5) Southeast Asia is becoming the world’s fast-forward button. Diverse, urban, modular, and willing to pilot at speed, the region rewards platforms, collaboration, and agility.

What makes the region unique is what makes it powerful. Fragmentation fuels local innovation. Cloud pragmatism supports hybrid models tailored to data sovereignty. Speed shapes modular design across access, data centers, and infrastructure. Government modernization is attracting capital, startups, and global players at scale. It has all the makings of a region that can lead the industry.

TSE Asia reminded me why this industry matters and why we do what we do here at The Access Control Collective. We are building something global, community at the core, and rooted in shared progress, and Southeast Asia is central to that story.

Continue reading on LinkedIn.