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“If I hadn’t been eager to learn, I would not be in the role I occupy now.”

Scott O'Brien, IT Services Networking & Systems Team Manager, Preferred Technologies, LLC

Emerging Technology Committee

In 1988, Scott O’Brien was looking for his next career opportunity after serving in the U.S. Air Force as an Avionics-Electronics technician. Eager for a job in the ‘80s (pre-internet), Scott reviewed the Boston Globe classifies in the Sunday paper.  

“I highlighted the jobs I was interested in and sent out resumes through the U.S. mail,” said Scott. “I probably sent out 200 resumes for anything that I might be qualified for, hoping my previous role could translate to any low voltage positions.”  

Sensormatic Electronics, a brand owned by Johnson Controls, reached out to Scott to offer him the company’s first field service technician role for the Northern New England region. 

“Out of those 200 resumes I submitted, this one stuck,” said Scott. “Thirty-five years later, and I’m still in the industry.” 

Today, Scott manages the IT services networking and systems team for Preferred Technologies, LLC, in Austin, Texas.  

As a member of the PSA Emerging Technology Committee, Scott strives to stay up to date with industry trends and opportunities.  

“PSA has opened my eyes to what is possible and what new technologies and products are out there or on the horizon,” said Scott. “One of the biggest positives of being on a PSA Committee is the ability to interact with other integrators and exchange ideas such as hearing other perspectives from across the country, the applications they are applying security equipment to and the different environments they experience.”  

When considering the most promising technological advancements, Scott finds immense value in analytics to enhance the end users’ experience. He notes the ability to track and define parameters for investigations and searches is invaluable for assisting end users for expediency.  

Starting his career in the analog world, Scott credits his openness to learning for his career growth and advises anyone in the industry to always be inquisitive and never stop learning.  

“When I worked in analog, I was handed a box of IP cameras and an NVR,” said Scott. “I was told to figure it out, and it started a whole new pathway for my career in the industry. Interfacing with IT departments got me interested in the bigger picture of how everything worked. It changed my perspective and took my career in a new direction. If I hadn’t been eager to learn, I would not be in role I occupy now.” 

In 2019, Scott joined Preferred Technologies, a PSA owner company, as the sole IT network services manager. He has since supported the growth of their team to six application engineers and growing.  

“I’ve been at Preferred Technologies for seven years because I believe the message from Shaun Castillo [company president], and the family culture is genuine,” said Scott. 

In his current role, Scott enjoys being a mentor to his team, and using his experience to help guide them to become better programmers and better people. 

Interested in joining a PSA committee? Learn more!