Monitoring Your Alarm System and Interactive Services

January 8, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Central Station Monitoring, Interactive Service, Cellular Back Up – What Are They and How Much?

In the dark ages, the early 70’s, most alarm systems, when tripped, rang a bell outside the house.  That was it.  The hope was that the noise would scare away the intruder and your neighbors would call the police.  Then came the advent of tape dialers.  Someone realized that it would be terrific that if the alarm tripped, the police would be notified automatically.  A tape recorder was attached to the alarm system and announced to the police department when they answered the phone that there was a burglary in progress.  A problem developed, however.  There was no way to verify that there was an actual alarm or if the user simply forgot to disarm the system.  You also couldn’t tell what part of the house the alarm was coming from.  You simply knew there was an intruder.

Then came digital dialers and Central Station Monitoring.  A device was added to the alarm and automatically dialed an alarm receiver.  By using account numbers, you could tell where the alarm was coming from.  As alarms came in they were printed on paper.  An operator would see the account # and pull the corresponding card from a file, a file which contained all the subscribers’ information.  They would then call the premises requesting a passcode, and if no passcode was given, dispatch the police department. The central station was born and the price of central station monitoring became a normal part of an alarm system.

Over the years technology changed and central stations became highly computerized.  Rather than printing out the account information, the information interacted with a computer system and the information popped up on a central station operators’ screen.

While technology within the central station was rapidly progressing, the way the information was transmitted there remained the same, over the telephone lines.  This method remained popular for primary transmission for years, even while cellular was booming for everyday use. Initially the alarm industry used cellular as a backup.  It was a way to get the signal to the central station when the phone lines were cut. Voice Over IP (VOIP) phone service was also establishing itself as a cheaper alternative to copper phone lines.  Though they worked for voice communications, transmitting data from alarm systems was problematic and you couldn’t be confident that the signal would get through.  As phone lines were getting less reliable for alarm communication, cellular service was improving and going from analog to digital and data transmission was going from 1X to 2G, 3G and now 4GLTE.  It has gotten to the point that in many areas cellular is more reliable than phone lines. This cellular service is provided by a third company, not the central station and not your local alarm company.  Additional monthly charges were added to the price of the central station monitoring to cover cellular transmission.

About 10 years ago, interactive control of your alarm system was being born.  Primitive by today’s standards, text messages would be sent to your alarm to arm or disarm the system. One of the early cellular back up providers, alarm.com was an early pioneer in this field.  This service was possible because the cellular connection was always on.  You didn’t have to wait for a dial tone and then dial a number.  Your alarm would simply connect via cellular to a computer center.  That computer center would process the signal, and if it were a genuine alarm, not a system command, forward that signal to the central station.

Fast forward to today. Americans are cancelling phone lines by the millions, and cellular is the most popular communication method. Many alarm systems sold today use cellular as their only communication path. Interactive service are booming. Interactive services allow you to communicate with your alarm system from anywhere with an internet connection. Not only can you arm/disarm your system, you can see if any windows or doors were left open.  You can also check history and see when somebody entered your house. You can also be notified via email or text if events that you select took place.  For example, if somebody opened a liquor cabinet when you weren’t home, you could receive a text message alerting you of this event. It goes even further.  By combining your alarm with home automation technology, like Z Wave, you can control lights, thermostats, locks, garage doors and more from anywhere in the world. You can also add IP video cameras that send images that are processed by the same company and tie them into your account. You can receive a text message or email with the video clip of someone entering your home. You can also log on and see your home in real time, 24 hours a day. They are also recording clips into the cloud, for your review at a later time. These cameras do not communicate via cellular, but rather over the internet.  Companies like alarm.com process the signal and combine them to your account with the alarm services.  To you it is seamless.

As I mentioned, these services are available for you to use anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection. You can view your account on a computer, smart phone or tablet. Alarm.com is system agnostic, viewable on any brand device.

Now for the price. First off, there is usually a commitment required on your part of several years.  Contracts run from 3 to 5 years, ours is 3. Standard Central Station Monitoring, using phone lines, runs $25 to $35 per month.  We charge $25. Cellular alarm transmission (either as a primary source or as a backup) adds $15 to $20 to the bill.  We charge $15. Interactive service adds $5 to the cellular charge. If you add video, expect to pay $5 or more (depending on how much storage you need).

So here are our charges added up: Standard Central Station Monitoring is $25 per month.  Central Station Monitoring and Cellular Service (Primary or Backup) is $40 per month. Central Station Monitoring and Interactive Service (with cellular) is $45 per month.

Hope this helps when comparing.

If you are in the central or north New Jersey area and would like further information, please give us a call at 800-369-3962.

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How Much Do Security Systems Really Cost?

January 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

At face value, it’s a pretty simple question. The problem is, no two homes and no two needs are exactly the same.

You see it all the time, systems being advertised for $99, or even free. Understand this: These systems, though possibly offering modern bells and whistles like control over the internet, offer limited security protection. The typical package offers the control panel and keypad (often the same unit), a siren, 3 door/window sensors and a motion detector. That system may be just what you need. If you live in a small second floor condo with 2 doors and no access to the windows from the ground. You protect your vulnerable openings and have a motion detector for back up detection in the unlikely chance that someone breaks in through a hard to access window.

If you live in a townhouse or house with first floor windows, that more than likely is not enough points of detection to properly secure your home. Think about it – you put sensors on the front door, door to the garage, and the sliding door out back, and you have a motion detector and you think you are secure. Are you? Not as secure as you may think. All the windows on the first floor are still vulnerable to break in. But you may be thinking, I have a motion detector. Think about it, you can’t use the motion detector when you are home because it cannot tell the difference between you and an intruder. Your home becomes vulnerable when you need the security the most – when you are home. So you should add sensors that detect if the windows are open on all first floor and basement windows.

Proper protection doesn’t stop there. There may be some more vulnerable windows, perhaps over an easily accessible roof or landing on the second floor. Probably not all 2nd floor windows will be vulnerable but probably two or three will. If you choose this level of protection, you can count on your alarm responding properly if an intruder opens a window or door to gain entry when you are home.

Let’s say the total amount of windows is 10. A system of that size with 10 window sensors, 3 door sensors and a motion detector will cost you approximately $950. More than free or $99, but you will have adequate protection and a increased in the likelihood that your alarm system will be effective in preventing a break in.

Now let’s talk about 2 different types of intruders that security systems can protect you from. Fire and carbon monoxide. If your house has existing smoke alarms that are up to code, we would recommend 1 smoke detector per floor connected to the alarm as supplemental protection. The big advantage is that the fire department would be notified in the case of a fire and you would no longer have to count on your neighbors seeing smoke and flame and calling the authorities. In the same house, with three levels, those three smoke detectors would add $375 to the price.

Carbon Monoxide detectors should be placed within 10 feet from the opening to bedrooms. Lets assume 1 CO detector is all you need in this house. It would add $125 to the price.

Don’t worry about drilling holes throughout the house to make the system work, all devices are wireless. They operate on batteries (usually lithium for long life) and transmit via secure radio signals to the control panel. With this system you still need 1 wire for power to the control panel/keypad. The control unit also has a built in cellular communicator so you don’t have to worry about having home telephone service.

So the grand total for the equipment for a home with 3 doors, 10 windows, 1 motion detector, 3 smoke detectors detectors, 1 carbon monoxide detector and a full color graphic keypad/control panel would be $1,450. These prices include installation.

There is another component to the price and that is central station monitoring. Not all monitoring is created equal and that will be the topic of the next post.

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