Merger & acquisition activity in the Security Solutions industry was robust in 2018 with 143 acquisitions announced or completed, more than doubling deal volume over the past five years. Strategic buyers continued to account for the majority of deal activity with a 67.8% share of total transaction volume. Private equity interest was largely composed of add-on acquisitions which accounted for 23.1% of total deal activity.

In 2018, Capstone Headwaters showed unparalleled activity in this space:

• Sole advisor to ISONAS, a provider of connected network device hardware and cloud-delivered software solutions for Access Control markets, on its sale to Allegion (NYSE:ALLE) in June; 
• Sole advisor to National Monitoring Center (NMC) on its merger with three major monitoring companies to form Netwatch Group, a Riverside Company, in April; 
• Sole advisor to SI Technologies on its sale to Convergint Technologies, a  portfolio company of Ares Capital, in November (highlighted on page four).