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8 NEWS Specifically Speaking Mark C. Peterson Principal Consultant M. C. Peterson & Associates Greenwood Village, Colo. What are the advantages of run- ning a solo practice for you and your clients? The single most important advantage to my clients is my direct involvement from the beginning of the relationship throughout all phases of a proj- ect. This consistent level of involvement allows me to better appreciate and understand the client’s organizational culture, environment, challenges, and www.securitysystemsnews.com JULY 2011 SECURITY SYSTEMS NEWS capabilities. Because one size does not fit all, understanding the unique nature of a client is critical to identifying custom- ized protection solutions that will effectively integrate holisti- cally into the organization. Another advantage is my free- dom to leverage the talents of third-party independent subject matter experts. I can partner with the best-of-breed without being restricted to the limitations of in- house resources. Today’s security solutions are often multi-faceted, requiring expertise in such disci- plines as IT infrastructure, net- work security, blast mitigation, emergency preparedness, and disaster recovery. Being able to develop a client-specific matrix of expertise ensures the client will experience the highest level of competence across all disciplines of a customized solution. A solo practice also offers the advantage of a great deal of flex- ibility and expeditious decision- making. Today’s clients are also working hard to control costs. As principal, I can more easily tailor my suite of services to allow clients to choose services as budgets allow. I understand that the two ver- ticals you specialize in are muse- ums and utilities. How did you get involved with those two verticals? It is not so much about how I became involved in those ver- ticals as it is about the knowl- edge and experience I gained as a result. As a security practi- tioner it is important to under- stand that although many of the protection concepts we rely on apply universally across markets, the manner and extent to which they are applied can vary greatly from industry to industry. It is important to have a firm grasp on such aspects as understanding how the organization is funded, market-specific terminology, organizational structure, cul- ture, regulatory requirements, and market-specific attitudes and expectations for security. A client develops a sense of con- fidence with a service provider who understands their world and has experience in their industry. Security solutions must be rele- vant to the environment in which they are being applied. How does your background working for manufacturers, in distribution and as an integrator impact your work as a specifier? To a large extent, the diversity of my background within the security industry is my product. Although I strive to maintain a notable level of professional competence, I also appreciate that there is always someone who knows more than you do. With 30-plus years of experience in the security industry comes rela- tionships, providing an extensive knowledge base across many disciplines. As a non-product- affiliated service provider, being able to identify and reach out to a vast database of industry experts offers a significant benefit for my clients. SSN —Martha Entwistle The Specifically Speaking column fea- tures a Q-and-A with a different security consultant every month. Consultants are provided to Security Systems News by www.SecuritySpecifiers.com