Just like pretty much any consumer product out there, there are great differences in what companies are offering under the name Security system. You wouldn’t say that a Porche is the same as 15 year old clunker…or two brand new vehicles but of different model types.

So what is the difference in the security industry? And why should you care?. What’s in it for YOU – the user/consumer?

Well let’s get into this one

Stand alone (all in one) vs. custom systems.
The mass marketed “all in one” easy to install systems have one major design flaw. It is at the heart of why these systems are so much less expensive. The control/siren/keypad/battery/ etc are all in one package located usually near the entry door (so that you can access it to disarm) which gives the intruder time to disable the unit. After using a crowbar to break in, they just knock the all-in-one off the wall. A custom system puts the control panel out of the way and silent, the only thing at the door is a keypad which if attacked would only make the system unable to be disarmed while all the other functions such as activating the siren and communicating the alarm to our monitoring station are still being performed. This give you a much higher level of security and stability to the system.

Cheap Vs. Quality motion detectors
If price is the only concern when designing a system for market, then the cheapest motion detectors will be featured. So what, you might ask, I am sure that it will still detect an intruder. That is true – the cheap as well as the most expensive motion detectors will still detect an intruder although the detection times and sensitivity may vary greatly. The issue isn’t whether they detect an intruder, it is how often and vulnerable they are to activating when no intruder is there i.e. FALSE activation. When you purchase cheap equipment you are exposing yourself to a higher likelihood that you will be apologizing to the police officer that responded to an alarm at your premises when no emergency exists. Many police jurisdictions impose restrictions on service or monetary fines on locations with false alarms.

Extent of protection
Mass market security companies are interested only in the procurement of contracts. It doesn’t matter much equipment is installed or how well protected you are but whether you have signed a long-term contract. In fact, keeping the upfront price low by skimping on equipment may be a tactic used to procure your agreement to sign. Once signed, your contract will be quickly sold to a parent company and cash will be paid out for it. They will use this money to pay installers/sales/equipment. This is not in your best interests. You need to have your premises looked at by a professional consultant, someone who has been trained not in selling security but designing it first off. The base kits that mass marketers sell may be suitable for some small homes and businesses with 2 or less doors and only one floor. If this doesn’t describe your situation you may find the installing subcontractor may attempt to up-sell you at the time of installation, at full retail of course. If you do your homework and get competing quotes rather than succumbing to pressure sales tactics, you will be an educated, informed and satisfied consumer. Custom design security firms are more than happy to provide a free consultation and firm quote on exactly what you need for your unique security needs and within your budget restrictions. Don’t settle for less.

That’s it for now. Look for future blogs as I attempt to inform the security interested public about the issues surrounding this and other industry related concerns.

What could possibly be different in a security system. Isn’t an alarm just that, an alarm?

Just like pretty much any consumer product out there, there are great differences in what companies are offering under the name Security system. You wouldn’t say that a Porche is the same as 15 year old clunker…or two brand new vehicles but of different model types.

So what is the difference in the security industry? And why should you care?. What’s in it for YOU – the user/consumer?

Well let’s get into this one

Stand alone (all in one) vs. custom systems.
The mass marketed “all in one” easy to install systems have one major design flaw. It is at the heart of why these systems are so much less expensive. The control/siren/keypad/battery/ etc are all in one package located usually near the entry door (so that you can access it to disarm) which gives the intruder time to disable the unit. After using a crowbar to break in, they just knock the all-in-one off the wall. A custom system puts the control panel out of the way and silent, the only thing at the door is a keypad which if attacked would only make the system unable to be disarmed while all the other functions such as activating the siren and communicating the alarm to our monitoring station are still being performed. This give you a much higher level of security and stability to the system.

Cheap Vs. Quality motion detectors
If price is the only concern when designing a system for market, then the cheapest motion detectors will be featured. So what, you might ask, I am sure that it will still detect an intruder. That is true – the cheap as well as the most expensive motion detectors will still detect an intruder although the detection times and sensitivity may vary greatly. The issue isn’t whether they detect an intruder, it is how often and vulnerable they are to activating when no intruder is there i.e. FALSE activation. When you purchase cheap equipment you are exposing yourself to a higher likelihood that you will be apologizing to the police officer that responded to an alarm at your premises when no emergency exists. Many police jurisdictions impose restrictions on service or monetary fines on locations with false alarms.

Extent of protection
Mass market security companies are interested only in the procurement of contracts. It doesn’t matter much equipment is installed or how well protected you are but whether you have signed a long-term contract. In fact, keeping the upfront price low by skimping on equipment may be a tactic used to procure your agreement to sign. Once signed, your contract will be quickly sold to a parent company and cash will be paid out for it. They will use this money to pay installers/sales/equipment. This is not in your best interests. You need to have your premises looked at by a professional consultant, someone who has been trained not in selling security but designing it first off. The base kits that mass marketers sell may be suitable for some small homes and businesses with 2 or less doors and only one floor. If this doesn’t describe your situation you may find the installing subcontractor may attempt to up-sell you at the time of installation, at full retail of course. If you do your homework and get competing quotes rather than succumbing to pressure sales tactics, you will be an educated, informed and satisfied consumer. Custom design security firms are more than happy to provide a free consultation and firm quote on exactly what you need for your unique security needs and within your budget restrictions. Don’t settle for less.

That’s it for now. Look for future blogs as I attempt to inform the security interested public about the issues surrounding this and other industry related concerns.

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I asked her why? And she told me once she had a call from her cleaning lady and she was at her house, my customer had forgotten she was coming so left the alarm on.  She used total connect to contact her panel, disarm it and open her garage door to let the cleaning lady in.  In the past she would have had to leave work, travel home and unlock.  She thought this was fantastic.  She also said she benefits by the emails she receives when someone arrives home and she is elsewhere (let your husband know what to do to start dinner).  The other use she had taken advantage of was disarming the system from Europe holiday for her elderly parent to check on the house every once in a while.

Alarmtech have a range of Security Cameras