Central Stations

The term “alarm factor” is often used in different circles in the alarm industry and it can have varied meanings depending on whom you ask.

Throughout the years electronic security, and especially central station monitoring and remote services, has evolved to become much more than just about detection and protection.

Only someone living under a rock the past couple of years would not have noticed the increased activity in modern security CCTV applications. I would go so far to say that the progress of security video is, or shortly will be, evolutionary in the security industry.

With the current economic climate, it is becoming crucial for systems integrators to place greater emphasis on providing value to their customers, and not just a technological solution. The technology is part of that value, for sure, but equipment is becoming more of a commodity while that necessary value proposition remains more elusive.

In September's "Fire Side Chat" we talked about false alarms and how they can overwhelm public agencies, such as firefighters and police personnel, impact municipal budgets, and how end users are often fined to offset the negative monetary effects.

End-user organizations that supply their own in-house proprietary monitoring and services usually cause contract security providers to retreat and move on to the next prospect. However, in this time of economic challenges and cost-cutting pressures, most organizations would indeed consider an alternative if it met their logistical, fiscal and security requirements.

Marking SSI's 30th anniversary, I'm reminded as our industry matures I sometimes lose sight that some of the newer entrants to the electronic security trade were not around in the time before wholesale change came to the traditional "burglar alarm" business.

"With all of your senses still intact and with everything that you have to be grateful for in front of you, focus on the things that are really important and let the minutia — the flotsam of life — flow gently away. Fight the good fight, and recognize that success in any endeavor not only is dependent upon the achievement, but also how we see it.”

My objective in presenting this column each month is to bring to light new and traditional service-related recurring revenue opportunities. After reading the headline of this month's installment, some of you might be asking, "What does that have

to do with it?"

PERS is a term that is gathering familiarity in the electronic security industry vernacular. Known as personal emergency response systems, these monitored devices are designed to summon help in the event of various urgent situations such as when an elderly person falls.

How serious is Atronic Alarms about eliminating false alarms and police dispatches? Serious enough to augment its customer service operations with a Quality Assurance Department (QAD) whose primary mission is reducing the possibility any Atronic-installed system generates a false alarm.

While some home and business owners may view security monitoring as a discretionary expense during hard economic times, life safety remains a key selling point that is helping dealers and integrators fight attrition rates.

Despite the successful use of two-way audio verification through the years, questions are sometimes raised whether the technology offers enough benefits for it to maintain traction as ...

Welcome to the inaugural installment of “Monitoring Matters,” a column dedicated to the business of and issues related to central stations. Let’s kick things off by taking an up close look at ...

The brutal winter storms in late January that caused death and chaos from the Southern Plains to the Northeast also left scores of residents and businesses without ...

Keith Jentoft, president of RSI Video Technologies, a provider of remote monitoring solutions, assumes the “Hot Seat” this month to discuss issues arising from alarm verification.

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