Resolution Products Debuts ‘Lightning Fast’ Security/Home Automation Panel

The security panel was designed to deliver interactive security and home automation services from mobile devices as the interface, bypassing the need for an entry/exit keypad.

Built on the premise that the delayed entry/exit keypad by the front door is passé in an era of ubiquitous smartphones, Resolution Products has unveiled the new Helix security-based wireless home automation system, powered by a cloud-based service from SecureNet Technologies.

The security panel, which made its debut at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) 2014, was designed from the start to deliver interactive security and home automation services from mobile devices as the interface, bypassing the need for an entry/exit keypad. Indeed, the panel has several innovative features.

First, the UL-listed panel is designed to be installed anywhere in the home, similar to where a wireless access point or some other network device might be placed. That flexibility means it can even be placed right next to the broadband connection entry point into the home, giving integrators multiple cost-effective installation options that aren’t limited by the location of power outlets.

“You can put it down by the router,” says Dave Mayne, vice president of marketing. “Nothing needs to be placed by the door. You put the panel where the network is located because it uses a broadband connection, but also has Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave and cellular communications built in.”

For traditionalists, the company does have a keypad, called the HeliPad that can be placed by the door if desired.

The system architectures gives dealers the flexibility to configure a system for any given user at an affordable price. The bare-bones hub with Ethernet and BLE communications can be enhanced with plug-in dongles for cellular, Z-Wave and Wi-Fi communications.

What Makes it Fast

Native Bluetooth means users can communicate directly with the Helix and its attached devices using a BLE-enabled phone or tablet, without the need to go through a cloud service. Unlike cloud-reliant services, which can introduce a second or two of lag time to a command, “Helix Bluetooth LE to provide lightning-fast communication between a tablet or smartphone and the panel,” according to Mayne.

The Helix system is fast in another way, as well. Resolutions Products works with SecureNet Technologies for cloud-enabled “always-on” communications.

“We don’t rely on polling to communicate,” emphasizes Ben English, chief marketing officer at SecureNet. “This enables quick communication because the system is speaking directly with the central station software.”

SecureNet maintains this connection whether using broadband or cellular communications. Large central stations like Criticom use the SecureNet platform, which integrates with any central station using MASterMind software.

“Helix is more than just another new security panel,” says Brian Seemann, president of Resolution Products. “It is a revolutionary new architecture and technology that knocks down costly hurdles faced by dealers every day. Helix leverages the phones and tablets already adopted by consumers, plus its high performance wireless easily covers large homes. This enables the control panel to be installed near the home network, making the system more secure and far more cost effective.”

“SecureNet wasn’t just trying to duplicate interactive service offerings. We share Resolution’s view of innovation, designing our solution to address frustrations expressed with other offerings,” says Andrew Wilson, president of SecureNet Technologies. “Our central station receiver technology can be freely adopted by all monitoring centers, allowing them to offer interactive lifestyle services that respond instantly from anywhere in the world.”

Helix will be fully available starting December 15 and is sold through distribution.

Resolution Products Not a Newbie

You may not have heard of Resolution Products before, but the Hudson, Wis.-based company has a strong pedigree in the industry. Many of the company principals hail from ITI (later Interlogix and GE Security).

Meanwhile, the five-year-old company has several established product lines in the security industry. The company’s Translator, for example, takes wireless signals from multiple security panel brands, including Honeywell, DSC, 2GIG and Interlogix, and lets them talk to each other. So for example, if an integrator uses DSC as his preferred panel but takes over a job with a 2GIG unit in it already, he can install the DSC unit and use the Translator to communicate with existing wireless fobs, PIRs and glassbreak sensors that are connected to the existing 2GIG panel. It makes a takeover job a much faster process.

Resolution Products also makes a line of sensors and door contacts, as well as a Gateway Moduele that adds Internet, Wi-Fi and cellular control to certain DSC and Honeywell panels, with Interlogix coming soon.

 

 

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About the Author

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Jason Knott is Chief Content Officer for Emerald Expositions Connected Brands. Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990, serving as editor and publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He joined CE Pro in 2000 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that brand. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He has been a member of the CEDIA Business Working Group since 2010. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California. Have a suggestion or a topic you want to read more about? Email Jason at [email protected]

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