ADT, a smart home security provider serving residential and business customers ranked No. 1 on the SDM 100, has taken another step to enhance its owned and operated professional monitoring services by acquiring I-View Now, a video alarm verification service. 

ADT Inc., No. 1 on the SDM 100 Report, today announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to sell ADT Security Services Canada Inc. to TELUS Corporation for approximately CAD $700 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments.

Alarm New England, a provider in New England of home and business security systems, today announced the purchase of Security Engineering Incorporated. This acquisition further strengthens the company’s home security and business security service footprint in Massachusetts.

The Cumberland County and Fayetteville, North Carolina Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) are the latest agencies to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP), technology that automates communication between alarm monitoring central stations and PSAPs/911 centers, resulting in faster, more accurate emergency responses for users of monitored alarms.

An interesting case in Georgia arose when a brother brought an action against a home security company for failing to properly notify.

Is the smart home market maturing and stabilizing, showing a clear path forward for security dealers wanting to capitalize on the new desires of homeowners to interact with many areas of their home life, including security? Not exactly. But there are definitely signs that it has moved to another level of adoption and interest, making the time ripe for action on the part of those who want to adjust their business model to capture opportunities and revenue in this fast-growing space.

Since 2006, The Monitoring Association (TMA) has been recognizing the top performers in monitoring with its TMA Monitoring Center Excellence Awards (previously called the Central Station Awards). The Excellence Awards, hosted by TMA and co-sponsored by SDM Magazine, recognize exceptional personnel and monitoring centers in the industry (both TMA members and non-members) that are certified by an approved Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

An interesting case in the state of Ohio occurred when a deputy sheriff, while responding to an activated burglar alarm (alarm drop) without lights or sirens so as to not alert any intruder in the home, collided with a stopped car.

The Monitoring Association (TMA) announced the onboarding of its 53rd PSAP in the United States: Charlotte County, Fla. Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm companies to PSAPs.   

A-Com Protection Services Inc. (ranked No. 57 on the SDM 100) announced a new trade name and logo in an internal launch event at its corporate headquarters in Columbus, Georgia.