A growing number of manufacturers are adding home automation features to their security panels to give 1) consumers the connectivity they want and 2) enhance security at the same time.
While the industry has been buzzing about home automation merging with security for some time now, this transition has now come to the forefront as more manufacturers are adding home automation features to their security panels.
With the potential to reduce false alarms and increase arrests, alarm verification systems are winning the support of law enforcement and the insurance industry. Dealers stand to benefit.
At the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) meeting in October, there was plenty of buzz about video alarm verification as participants engaged in healthy discussion and debate on the issue. While proponents of video verification are excited about the advancing technology and the possibilities verified alarm systems have to offer, advocates for more traditional systems are not so sure. However, forces outside the security industry may soon drive them to reconsider.
As the technology behind security and home automation platforms rapidly evolves, so do the methods for selling those systems. “The dealer community is now understanding that PCs, tablets, and smartphones are becoming part of the selling process and also the installation process,” says Steve Shapiro, ADT Security Services.
A growing need for PERS monitoring and other home healthcare services presents unique opportunities for security dealers willing to get to know this distinctive market.
The fact is, we’re not getting any younger. As a nation, we are living longer and the largest segment of the population — the baby boomers — is hitting retirement age. In the United States, the age 65 and over demographic is the fastest growing segment of the population, and of that group the fastest growing segment is over age 85, says Ken Gross, president and founder of Medical Alert Monitoring Association (MAMA) and president of Broomall, Pa.-based Connect America.
By offering home energy management services, security integrators can capitalize on growing consumer interest in saving money and going green — while also generating new sales and revenue sources for themselves.
As energy costs continue to rise in the slowly recovering economy, some homeowners are looking for ways to save money. At the same time, other homeowners have an interest in reducing their impact on the environment and reduced energy use. Security integrators who offer home automation along with energy consumption monitoring services and products can help these homeowners discover how they can conserve energy and save money while creating a healthy bottom line.
In the security industry, meeting a client’s security needs is only half the story. For a full-service central monitoring station like Safe Touch Security Systems, located in Jacksonville, Fla., servicing accounts requires more than effective monitoring and response.
With the rapid proliferation of smart phones and tablets, homeowners are discovering the power that apps can have in home control and automation — and in business.
A little more than a year has passed since Apple introduced the iPad, and the impact it has had on daily life has been nothing short of revolutionary. An explosion of software applications for many mobile devices has been developed to give users the power at their fingertips to manage their work, social lives, and leisure activities — anytime, anywhere. Why not control their homes as well? Is there an app for that? Of course, there is — and it is good for business.
The economy has dealt some tough blows to residential integrators, and sadly, some companies have not been able to withstand the downturn. However, there are some companies that have not