APX Rebrands— and the New Name is….

APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc., Provo, Utah, a residential security and home services company, announced its entry into the home automation market with the launch of new products and services that include automatic door locks, video surveillance and lighting and small appliance control. The company also introduced an entirely new identity, rebranding under the name Vivint™. The name change from APX to Vivint is a reflection of the company’s expanded direction and capabilities, according to the company. With this move, the company transitioned from a residential security company to a provider of simple, affordable home automation services that deliver increased safety, improved energy efficiency and greater convenience for customers, the company said in a press release.

According to IMS Research, “The number of smart homes — households that can control their appliances as well as manage their energy consumption via home networking and smart metering technology — is expected to reach 14 million worldwide by 2014.”

The name Vivint is derived from the word “vive” meaning “to live,” and the word “intelligent.”In using this combination, Vivint’s mission is to help families “live intelligently” by creating simple, affordable, home automation systems where all devices work together to enhance safety and convenience and improve energy efficiency.

Incorporated in 1999, the company quickly became one of the fastest growing residential security companies in North America. Vivint has climbed the rankings of the SDM 100, the list of the largest security installation and monitoring companies. In five years, the company has gone from being unranked to its current position at No. 4.

In anticipation of the move into home automation, the company began installing its Go!Control panels for all new customers in 2010. The LCD touch screen panel centralizes all featuresand gives customers remote control access via the Internet or smartphones. Today, there are 170,000 customers with the panel. Of those customers, more than 15,000 are already enjoying the benefits of home automation by using energy management features also introduced in 2010.

Vivint will also focus on bringing customer service into the home automation industry. With a business model designed for ongoing service and support, Vivint employs certified technicians throughoutNorth America typically available for next day service, as well as 24x7x365 monitoring and customer service support. The company has been recognized for two consecutive years by J.D. Power & Associates, and was recently selected to join the International Customer Management Institute’s “Top 50 Call Centers for Customer Service.”

“Vivint is a result of our company’s evolution. We have a corporate culture of continual innovation and our new name and identity are a reflection of that innovation,” said Todd Pedersen, chief executive officer. “Until now, home automation has been considered a luxury for the elite rather than smarter living available to everyone. We are excited to bring our focus, direction and unique business model into the home automation industry.”

The new focus includes new products. Vivint’s new home automation products are specifically designed to integrate with the company’s existing security and energy management systems, creating a full-service home automation system for residential customers across the United States and Canada. At the center is the Vivint Go!Control panel, a central touch screen panel that communicates between each home automation product, giving customers access to their entire system via the touch of a button or remote control access via their smart phone or Internet browser.

According to an independent March 10, 2009 Forrester Research, Inc. report titled Consumers AreReady For Home Remote Control, “the most interesting functions to control remotely relate to securityand cost: lights, home monitoring and climate.”

 “Our Vivint products combine the comfort of home security with the latest advances in homeautomation and energy efficiency,” said Alex Dunn, chief operating officer of Vivint. “By bringing theseproducts to market, we are making home automation simple and affordable for the mainstream consumer.”

The products announced with the name change will be generally available beginning March 1, 2011. For more information, call 866.955.9615, e-mail info@vivint.com or visit the company website at www.vivint.com.