Kings III on RMR Opportunities from Elevator Phone Monitoring
Kings III, a leader in elevator phone monitoring and emergency communications, boasts a network of more than 300 dealers.
Kings III — a leader in elevator and emergency phones that boasts a network of more than 300 dealers — is known for its Elevator Connect 1000 solution. Photo courtesy of Kings III.
Security integrators looking to maximize recurring monthly revenue (RMR) should be thinking about elevator phone monitoring.
Although many integrators have benefited from this opportunity for years, recent developments — for example, building owners’ migration away from traditional phone lines — have made the opportunity irresistible.
Security Sales & Integration recently chatted with Tom Worthington, director of dealer sales, Kings III, to learn how security integrators can boost their RMR and increase customer stickiness by leveraging opportunities in elevator phone monitoring and emergency communications.
So Much Opportunity in Elevator Phone Monitoring
“It’s a great time to be in the elevator phone monitoring business,” Worthington declares. “There’s so much opportunity.”
He points to the fact that the cost of traditional phone lines is going up. This has created a situation where roughly a million elevators in the U.S. need to go from a traditional phone line to an alternative.
“There’s never been a time when you could make so much money as we’re in right now,” Worthington enthuses, saying that Kings III dealers have the chance to earn RMR not only on phone monitoring but also by providing a cellular solution to building owners.
In short, as demand for traditional phone lines plummets, integrators can now monetize the communication path, as well.
Kings III — a leader in elevator and emergency phones since 1989 — boasts a network of more than 300 dealers. Nevertheless, the company, known for its Elevator Connect 1000 (EC-1000) solution, routinely has to beat back a common misconception: that elevator phone monitoring/cellular solutions fall under elevator companies’ umbrella. In reality, elevator companies don’t provide cellular solutions of this sort.
“There’s a huge lack of supply, and there’s a big demand,” Worthington observes. “So, it’s a really good opportunity for those in the life-safety and security industry to step into that vacuum and take advantage.”
In a sense, Kings III dealers can step in and “be the hero” for building owners looking to upgrade their elevator phone monitoring solution.
You might be asking yourself, “But why Kings III?” The answer is multifold. First, the company’s main dealer-channel product — the Elevator Connect 1000 — has been field proven over several years, delivers excellent voice quality and has shown itself to be reliable. Second, the Elevator Connect 1000 is non-proprietary.
“The installer/integrator [can] install the Elevator Connect on any elevator,” Worthington remarks, “and it can integrate with the existing elevator phone hardware.”
Third, Kings III has an excellent dealer support team that’s able to help with everything from pre-sales, to programming, to technical support. This eliminates the risk of fire alarm and security dealers feeling overwhelmed.
Kings III Understands the Elevator Code
Some security integrators worry about the learning curve associated with elevator phone monitoring because of state-by-state variations in elevator code requirements. Thankfully for Kings III dealers, its in-house code experts really understand the elevator code.
“We can provide unlimited code resources and support to our dealers,” Worthington says with pride. And for dealers who want to investigate state-by-state code requirements, the Kings III website offers a code compliance database.
Working Kings III, a vendor that’s plugged into code compliance, offers integrators real peace of mind. As Worthington says, “Dealers can rest assured that our equipment is manufactured to meet the ASME A17 elevator code.”
Indeed, every single device that Kings III makes is designed and built to ensure code compliance.
For RMR-minded security integrators, Worthington encourages a broad embrace of emergency communications: for example, emergency swimming pool phones, area of rescue (AOR) communications, etc.
“You can put an emergency phone practically anywhere now if you have a cellular signal,” he explains. “By teaming up with Kings III and using the Elevator Connect 1000, you can easily transition any elevator, or any swimming pool phone, or even most area of rescue systems from traditional phone lines to cellular.”
This, Worthington says, offers security integrators a great way to win new customers and differentiate themselves from the competition — while, of course, benefiting from all the RMR that results.
Opportunity to Help Others
Ultimately, for a conscientious company like Kings III — an organization committed to delivering value for dealers, end users and society alike — the rapid evolution in elevator phone monitoring, combined with emergency communications’ increasing indispensability, is an opportunity to help others.
“[Our dealers] are really positioned in a perfect spot,” Worthington reflects. “They can provide a crucial life-safety service, [but also] this service is super sticky, and it allows them to generate a huge amount of recurring revenue.”
Embracing the opportunity to work with a leader in elevator and emergency phones like Kings III means alarm and security dealers can do what they do best: save the day. “You can really be the hero for your customer,” Worthington concludes. “You can solve their big problem.”
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About the Author
Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor, Commercial and Security
Dan Ferrisi has been a B2B editorial professional since November 2004, covering the audio, video, lighting and music industries since the beginning of his career. Getting his start with Sound & Communications, he ascended from assistant editor, to associate editor, to eventually lead editor. He served as editor-in-chief of Commercial Integrator from November 2021 through August 2023 before being promoted to group editor, commercial and security, gaining oversight responsibility of the Security Sales & Integration brand, as well.
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