RESIDENTIAL SALES
Why Wi-Fi Is a Wise Upsell Feature
Wi-Fi connectivity is creating opportunities for alarm dealers to offer added feature sets and services to homeowners and small business clients. Communications protocols like Z-Wave enable systems to communicate with other components such as lighting control, thermostat, shades and more. by Rob Puric
W
ith an ever-expanding list of competitors popping up in the home security space, taking advantage of technologies that people are already using in their
homes may be an installing security dealer's key to holding onto customers. A few years ago, this trend started to emerge as dealers
began off ering the ability to manage security systems using smartphones. Because an estimated 50% of homeowners in the United States already own these mobile devices — a number that is expected to reach 65% by 2015 — it only made
42 / SECURITYSALES.COM / NOVEMBER 2012
sense to extend security to these devices as well. Today, as a growing number of competitors jump on the mobile-device bandwagon, dealers are looking for the next in-home technology that can help them grow their businesses. Wi-Fi is well positioned to be that technology as more homeowners opt to install wireless routers in their residences. A new generation of control panels with Wi-Fi connectivity is emerging as the latest tool to enable dealers to strengthen their footholds within homes and small businesses, as well as to deliver more of the high-tech solutions that end users