Bill Zalud

Beyond the IoT Hype: A Primer for Security Dealers

Wicked or wickedly good Internet of Things impacts home security, smart home, appliances.

January 15, 2015

Craving more hype? Then say hello to the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT will be everywhere, will do everything, will touch everyone — and generate trillions of dollars.

The Age of Wearables Is on Us

Bill Zalud

January 1, 2015

Sales opportunity or unlikely fad? Smart clothes, smart jewelry, and smart watches can integrate with PERS, security systems, and connected home systems.

The Ikea Effect: Can DIY Work for Home Security & Automation?

Bill Zalud

December 11, 2014

Today, it’s no surprise that some homeowners want the peace of mind of security and the convenience of a smart home without paying for professionally installed products and the monthly cost of monitoring.

Video Sharpens Its Monitoring Image

Going beyond typical alarms, the various iterations of video monitoring do have revenue synergy for the central station and its dealer customers.

Bill Zalud

January 30, 2013

Video monitoring: Insurance companies are embracing it; more police departments like it; cities ranging from Chicago and New York to Lancaster, Pa., are doing it; enterprises such as Bank of America and Sonoco have brought it onboard; contract guarding services worldwide see it as a solid way to grow their business model beyond on-site officers; and homeowners use the tool daily.

Taking the ‘Goldilocks’ Slant to Home Automation

Bill Zalud

November 15, 2012

It’s time to monetize. But isn’t it always time to monetize? No doubt, as Parks Associates, the Dallas-based market research and consulting company, brought together an early November webinar featuring an industry panel aimed at “Expanding Home Security: Understanding the New Value Proposition” and to flesh out the details while traditional home security monitoring shifts to interactive.

Lowe’s’ Meagher, ‘We Target the Other 80 Percent’

Bill Zalud

August 16, 2012

Just days ago (August 13), Lowe's Companies Inc., the second largest home improvement retailer in the world, had sales associates in 490 stores stock its version of a home automation system and accessories, Iris™, after a pilot that ran in 10 stores.

Entertainment, Stadiums, Arenas: Big Job, Bright Spotlight, Focused Commitment

Bill Zalud

August 7, 2012

From the Olympics and the Super Bowl to Lollapalooza, the Iowa Cubs to the luxury clubs at the new Meadowlands Stadium, today’s system integrators see business value in the niche of entertainment, stadium and arena venues.

Two Buck Dust Up: Email Ads Shine a Light, Spark Heat

Bill Zalud

June 14, 2012

In a campaign to attract dealers and installers to its wholesale alarm monitoring business, Mason Monitoring of Kings Park, N.Y., embracing its self-defined maverick persona, pitches a $2 per account deal while also offering “two years of free central station monitoring on any basic digital account switched to Mason” during a set signup time.

Do You Know the Way, San Jose?

Bill Zalud

March 26, 2012

A San Jose, Calif. Police Department policy change, on a questionably fast track by police officials still sending out mixed signals to local alarm companies, ended in the institution of verified alarm response the first of this year.

Jail House Rocks for Some

Bill Zalud

March 6, 2012

It’s a $38 billion a year business. It’s a residential community of 2.3 million men, women and children, with a population gain of more than 500 percent over the past thirty years. There are bedrooms, dayrooms, exercise rooms, hospital facilities and even gardens.