Security Sales & Integration

October 2012

SSI serves security installing contractors providing systems and services; surveillance, access control, biometrics, fire alarm and home control/automation. Coverage in commercial and residential product applications, designs, techniques, operations.

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Monitoring Matters ALERT END USERS ABOUT ALARM COMMUNICATIONS PITFALS by Peter Giacalone Peter Giacalone is President of Giacalone Associates, an independent security consulting firm. peter@petergiacalone.com C ountless articles and papers continue to be written on how the transformational changes taking place within the telecommunications world are aff ecting alarm communications in the residential market. Although the industry has made progress in addressing this marketplace evolution with alternative technologies, we sometimes have challenges when it comes to the higher security and fi re applications. I realize that several manufacturers provide alternatives such as IP and GSM, yet the industry still faces challenges as Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) keeps dropping off at a rapid rate. To compound this problem, certain municipalities and cities throughout the nation have tightened up require- ments that narrow our choices even further. In some cases where telephone lines are not available, and Internet connectivity is either not available or is unreliable, the choices really thin out. FEWER POTS LINES, NEW PROBLEMS To meet new market demands and overcome these problems, I know fi rsthand manufacturers are making great eff orts to introduce technologies. Some are also working diligently with municipalities to get approvals to provide additional alterna- tive means of communications while staying compliant. For example, we recently learned that DMP became the fi rst manufacturer to attain approval in New York for the use of their IP/GSM fi re communicator for use as primary and secondary means of communication in the city. T is was a big accomplishment as New York has some tight require- ments. It is also a very big deal because of the very fact POTS lines are dropping out of service at such an accelerated pace. Monitoring providers are facing this challenge every day as their subscribers generate telco-line failures and failed check-ins due to copper lines disappearing. T e situation is compounded as business owners are switching to digital tele- phone service or outsourced, cloud-based telephone systems. T ese end users are unknowingly relocating phone numbers that for years were used for their alarm communications and are now moved to their digital or cloud provider. T is has caused business owners and especially the moni- toring companies to scatter as they troubleshoot and work toward getting these systems back online and compliant. T e industry needs to work faster toward educating our colleagues, 32 / SECURITYSALES.COM / OCTOBER 2012 manufacturers, munici- palities and end users in particular on this great proliferation that com- promises security and safety on a daily basis. It is diffi cult to get this message across to an end user after the fact, during a time when their security and/or safety are in jeop- ardy. And although it is sometimes more diffi cult to get this message across before the problem aff ects a cost-conscience end user, this is the right time in order to avoid a poten- tially horrifi c situation. HELP SPREAD THE WORD WIDE AND FAR We need to communicate this message from the mountaintops in a more comprehensive and cohesive manner. End users need to understand — and municipalities need to be part of — this solution. T e industry has too many systems out in the fi eld that require communications updates. T e manufacturers are coming around and we are seeing more alternative solutions than before. T is is not about selling and increasing revenues, it is about safety and security. Support from the associations, UL, etc., in disseminating a message to end users on what they should consider to secure their alarm communications properly and stay compliant would be a great step toward educating to the masses. Although I know many monitoring providers communicate this to their subscribers on a regular basis, they sometimes meet great resistance from subscribers who prefer to avoid the expense. Still other subscribers negatively view this as a selling ploy by their provider, rather than a sincere attempt at mitigating the potential for a very bad and expensive circumstance in the future. The industry has too many systems out in the fi eld that require communications updates. The manufacturers are coming around and we are seeing more alternative solutions than before. This is not about selling and increasing revenues, it is about safety and security.

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