Two facts are becoming more relevant to our industry every day. The first is that the deep-pocket, non-traditional telcos and cable providers are biting into the monitored security market. At the least this will tamp down system selling prices and monitoring RMR for security dealers for residential and light commercial burglar alarm systems. The invasion of the “big boys” also means that for our industry to grow we need to seriously consider selling additional technologies to our existing and new customers to maintain an upward trajectory in our sales numbers.
The second fact is that more IP and Internet connected devices for home and light commercial use demand Wi-Fi connectivity. There is no RJ-45 jack on a cellphone or tablet, and everything from streaming video devices to “smart” thermostats need reliable Wi-Fi connectivity to perform their functions. As with many of the technological marvels in our world today, many end-users don’t really understand how a specific service works; they expect perfect performance everywhere and complain when their smartphone doesn’t get a decent Wi-Fi signal, whether they are at home, at the gym or hanging at Starbucks.