ADT Security Services Inc., Boca Raton, Fla., a unit of Tyco Fire & Security, recently showcased an emerging technology that will turn a cell phone into a platform for receiving near real-time notification of data exceptions including visual verification with digital CCTV. With this new service, called Mobile Alerts, appropriate store or regional management will be able to quickly address critical security and operational exceptions from virtually anywhere. ADT expects to make the Mobile Alerts service commercially available in late 2004.

Each store will be able to set its own criteria for identifying a high-priority event. Once a defined event occurs, an alarm will be routed through the corporate server, which will send a text message to one or more mobile phones. Recipients will then be able to request that up to 10 seconds of video immediately be sent for display on the cell phone’s color LCD screen.