PSINovember2017

MONITORING
(from previous page)
only that, but it can often equate to cost-savings
with insurance.
Customers are not always savvy to security
systems and they end up relying on their installer
to offer the best solution – if these are not
recommending monitoring then the customer may
not even know it is an option.
We spoke to Daniel Wan, UK Channel
Marketing Leader at Honeywell, about the
benefits and what installers can do to get the
message across about monitoring services.
When talking to home/business owners,
why should installers push for monitored
solutions rather than bells-only?
“The biggest benefit of monitoring stations is the
additional peace of mind they provide. With an
external monitoring station there is always an
automatic response when an alarm is triggered,
which ensures the fastest possible response time
from the emergency services and other
individuals that need to be notified. Any false
activations can also be verified remotely by the
monitoring station, meaning families or small
businesses do not have to return to the premises
to verify the alert themselves and reducing
unnecessary stress. In addition, for older family
members or the extremely young, families may
also feel more comfortable knowing the external
monitoring station is there to ensure everyone is
safe and secure.
“Partnering with a monitoring station can be a
lucrative option for installers looking to increase
their revenue. These partnerships provide
recurring revenue through subscriptions, which
under a good partnership should provide benefits
for both the installer and their monitoring station
partner.”
How have monitored solutions changed
over recent years?
“The main change in the monitored solutions
market over recent years is the rise of selfmonitoring
security systems and the apps to
facilitate it. These systems can alert customers
via their mobile phone or email if an alarm is
triggered, so they can respond accordingly. In
some advanced systems, customers can also
access live video feeds from their security
cameras in order to verify whether the alert is a
false activation or not. This provides significant
benefits for small business owners, who may not
have a 24/7 security presence on site, as well as
families on holiday or away at work.
“Monitored platforms and alarm receiving
centres have also evolved from offering intruder
alarm monitoring only service to a fully integrated
security offering, many of which also cover CCTV
and access control. This allows ARCs to provide
visual verification of events and reducing the
number of false alarms.”
Do bells-only systems have a long-term
future?
“There are many reasons why end users will
continue to choose bells-only systems when
looking to secure their home or small business. It
mostly comes down to cost: investment is
required to set up and maintain a security system
with external monitoring. The subscription to
these services can escalate costs quite quickly,
especially for a new business or young family that
have other priorities to budget for. It is difficult for
these users to justify the investment, especially
as they often don’t see the full extent of benefits a
monitoring service can provide them.”
There is still a huge number of domestic
properties that do not have an intruder alarm and
even more that do not have CCTV, but this is a
changing market with the introduction of the DIY,
app-driven cameras and sensors. When
customers have become aware that their online
purchases don’t quite cut it, or aren’t even
supported any more then that is the time for a
professional system to be installed – and for best
results, with remote monitoring too.
“Partnering with a
monitoring station
can be a lucrative
option for installers
looking to increase
their revenue. These
partnerships provide
recurring revenue
through
subscriptions...”
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