Category Archives: Home Security System News

 

The global demand for home security systems and security equipment, is projected to rise at an increasing 7% every year, through 2016. Although the percentage number may look small, itmeans a whopping $117 billion increase in security equipment sales. In a market study report recently released by The Freedonia Group, the predicted rise is set to span growth internationally rather than just in one regional location.

Analyzing an industry that is currently over $83.1 billion in net worth, the world security industry is certainly on the growth. The forecasted growth spans many home security systems and products, including security equipment like home alarms, video surveillance, and access control, as well as large-scale, corporate use security products for government and industrial. The Freedonia Group studied statistics in over 18 countries and included market factors like the market environments, details of today’s forecasted industry structure, different company market shares, and more. The study source also profiled no less than 40 market leaders including Tyco International and United Technologies.

Has the future happened? Are we living inside a weird episode of Fringe, where the innocent homeowner has the upper hand with a brain-controlled robot?

You never know.

Well, Robert does. Robert Oschler, Robotic Telepresence Developer Enthusiast and native Idaho resident, is a unique genius that spends his days developing his own software on a small-scale that could change the world, if it ever went large scale.Robert is a programmer, and in recent months, came up with a unique way for homeowners to incorporate security systems that are one-of-a-kind.

What’s better, Robert has used his own invention to replace his house watchdog, and will never own another pet.

“I don’t have any pets. I just have pet robots, and they’re pretty well behaved,” Mr. Oschler said. “Fortunately I’ve never logged in and seen a human face.”

His goal in his home security inventions?

A bright spot amidst the anguish and travesty, the Monday tornado that raged throughout Oklahoma City left a security dealer’s office location intact, according to local OK city news sources.

The devastating tornado that spanned over two miles in one twisting leap killed dozens of people, with the death toll around 51 at the end of the day, and more deaths expected to be counted over the next few days after the rubble was searched for survivors and bodies. Staying on the ground for a solid forty minutes and ravaging over 20 miles of ground, Monday’s tornado was massive on many counts and left a lot of grief in its wake.

So, it was a bright spot to locals when the Oklahoma City Central Security Group office remained standing and intact, without a single damage to its location. Although the home of the branch manager’s daughter and one of the representatives wasn’t spared, the office location stood strong amidst the rubble in the area.

As burglary rates are growing, all of us are looking for affordable ways to keep our family and home safe. ObservEye.com, a leading provider of home security cameras, is lending a hand by releasing an affordable, comprehensive home security tip sheet. The sheet can be downloaded from the company’s website, free of charge.

The tip sheet offers ten essential and low-cost tips that anyone can use in order to keep their family and home protected, whether they are home or on vacation.

“Burglaries can happen at any time to virtually anyone, so it’s important to take measures to keep yourself and your belongings safe,”

ObservEye Marketing Director Joel Kraus said.

ObservEye’s tip sheet does not settle for repeating the same common-sense advice all of us are familiar with: keep a spare key at hand and don’t forget to lock your doors. Instead, the company offers affordable tips that get overlooked most of the time.

A new wireless video camera allows home owners to keep a close eye on their security systems in the same way in which they check their emails or text messages. The SKYCAM is advertized as the first wireless IP camera with Internet connection via Skype, using the popular messaging platform as it would any regular DNS server.

The home surveillance camera lets users see its video feed on all devices running Skype, whether they’re a tablet, a smartphone or a laptop. The fact that the video is sent via Skype instead of a server makes the SKYCAM a lot easier to install and a more affordable alternative.

Alarm.com has announced it acquired EnergyHub, which is a startup focusing on home energy management. Alarm.com is a security company that has been working diligently in recent years to expand its home automation system capabilities, and raised $136 million in capital last year alone in order to help in the achievement of this goal. Prior to this official acquiring of EnergyHub by Alarm.com, the two companies were already working with other organizations such as San Diego Gas and Electric in order to reach customers for the purposes of promoting the demand response programs being offered by Alarm.com.

“As we go after larger utility programs, we’re now representing a larger, more resourceful entity,” said Seth Frader-Thompson, president of EnergyHub.

With this new merger, EnergyHub will continue to operate as an independent entity within the larger scope of Alarm.com.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Department in Park City, Utah, had reportedly created a plan to avoid the loss of time and money associated with responding to false alarms that result from alarm systems in homes and businesses—they plan to stop responding to unverified calls that are the result of an alarm system.

Previously the local authorities had plan to stop responding to alarms that were unverified after March 1, but they have instead decided they will continue to respond to all alarm calls until the end of 2013.

The decision was made after a series of meetings was held between the Utah Alarm Association and the Sherriff’s Department.

It’s common knowledge that home alarm systems are a great way to provide safety and security, but this week in Pittsburgh, a home alarm system had a different purpose—it led police to make a big drug bust. A home alarm system at a home near Pittsburgh led to an unexpected discovery by the officer who was responding to a routine alarm call. The police officer was simply doing his duty by responding to the call that was reported by a security system monitoring company, and rather than being greeted by a burglar or intruder, he was greeted with a much more startling scene.

With the economy showing signs of strengthening and a rebounding housing market in the works, the newly released ADT 2013 Safety Data Index was of particular importance, as homeowners still show an overall lack of knowledge about the importance and relevance of home alarm and security systems in terms of residential safety. The 2013 index was the first of its kind conducted by ADT, and the goal was to take a closer look at the lifestyle and safety habits of the typical American.

ADT, a leader in home security and alarm systems, released the highly anticipated results of its safety survey, which included responses from over 2,000 U.S.-based consumers. According to the results of the survey more than 2/3 of the people polled, or 68% survey respondents said ahome security or home automation system does have the potential to increase the value of a home, but despite this widely held belief, the same respondents reported that they were more likely to own a paper shredder within their home than a home automation system. In fact, 65 percent of respondents said they owned a paper shredder, whereas only 29 percent said they had a home automation or home security system at their residence.

Officials, including police officers in Cheyenne, Wyoming are working on a set of proposals they hope will lead to a reduction in the number of false alarms, many of which are the result of home alarm systems. The proposed changes are part of a broader effort to increase the overall efficiency of the local police department.

“Our calls for service are increasing, so wehave to look at ways to be more efficient and have our officers available for where they really need to be,” Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

A recent study conducted by the Alarm Industry Research and Education Foundation (AIREF), entitled “Understanding Decisions to Burglarize from the Offender’s Perspective,” showed that the presence of a home alarm system acts as a strong deterrent to the potential of a break-in.

442 convicted burglars of both sexes were surveyed for their responses regarding their selection of potential targets in terms of homes selected for burglary. The respondents in the study were from three states—North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio.

According to the results of the study, 60 percent of the surveyed convicted burglars reported that the presence of a home alarm system would typically lead them to consider selecting a different home as a target. Additionally, 80 percent of respondents said they would attempt to determine whether or not an alarm was present prior to initiating a burglary. Only one in 10 of the convicted criminals that were surveyed said they would attempt a burglary on a home in which they knew an alarm system or home security system was present. 40 percent of the people included in the study said they would stop a robbery, even if it was already in progress, if they discovered there was an alarm system installed on the premises.

Alarm.com, a company based in Vienna, VA. has just announced that it will allow other companies to input their technology into the company’s system. Alarm.com is already a leading provider of home automation technology, and now, with the new development, companies will be able to use the system in a manner that is similar to the way developers create apps for use on tablets and smartphone devices.

Alarm.com recently announced the first partnerships that will take advantage of the new technology at the International Security Conference in Las Vegas. These partnerships include LiftMaster, which manufactures automatic garage door openers and Lutron, which provides customers with lights and window shades. Customers who use LiftMaster and Lutron products will be able to control their specific devices through the use of the Alarm.com website, and a mobile app developed by Alarm.com.

According to Jay Kenney, who serves as the vice president of marketing of the home alarm and automation company, this technology, which is called Platform Connect, gives the company the opportunity to rapidly expand the number of products and services that can be automated using the Alarm.com system.

The Florida state legislature appears to be close to passing a bill that will make it easier and less expensive for companies to sell and install alarm systems. The legislation was spurred on by lobbyists from big-name alarm companies, including ADT Security and AT&T.

The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Jason Brodeur, and it eliminates local government regulations currently in place regarding the installation of home alarm systems. Instead of these local regulations, there would instead be statewide laws that would allow alarmcompanies to buy permits in bulk and then expedite the installation process once the alarms were sold to customers. Local jurisdictions, including cities and counties, would be prohibited from charging more than $55 for a permit, under the proposed legislation.

Home Automation technology has slowly been perfected over the past 10 years. With the commonplace of smart phones, tablets and laptops in the workplace, it is now easier than ever to save some money and manage your home from afar. It’s a pretty simple process, but most home automation security systems allow for remote access to your home, allowing you to turn off lights, lower/raise the thermostat, lock doors ad arm/disarm your security system.

Most people think of the wind swept, sunny paradise of Hawaii as a place where people flock to bask in sun and surf the waves, not worry about robberies. Poverty and crime, however, have reared their ugly heads in this paradise as well. A local woman’s sense of security was shaken after her home was burglarized in broad daylight recently.

The woman had left her home one morning to go to work only to return that evening to find over $20,000 worth of valuables had been stolen. Her neighborhood had recently noticed an alarming rise in strange, unknown people around the area. The homeowner had actually recently inquired about adding an alarm system to her home just two days before the event. At the time though, she had no system yet in place.

A couple from Tacoma, Washington was busy celebrating their recent marriage while honeymooning in Mexico. A call came, abruptly ending their tropical vacation. A group of burglars had broken into their home and ransacked it bypassing their basic home security system.

The couple had secured their valuables in their 600 pound safe before leaving for Mexico. The wife stated that she did not want to risk their valuables being stolen while visiting another country. The couple assumed no crook would be able to remove their giant safe from their home, but unfortunately found out that they were wrong.

The safe contained their wedding rings and other valuable jewelry along with other important documents, such as their social security cards and birth certificates. The thieves took them all.

Smart devices are becoming a pivotal part of daily life for people around the world, and this convenience and efficiency is carrying over into the world of monitoring devices. The newly released Thinx device gives users the opportunity to set customized alerts so that they’ll receive a text message to their smartphone if specific events occur.

Thinx is joining the ranks of similar devices, such as the iSmart Home and the Belkin Net Cam, all of which provide home security monitoring opportunities through the use of mobile devices. Thinx is essentially the combination of a smart security camera and an app, and according to the creators of Thinx, the goal is to provide security system monitoring options to both small businesses and individuals.

A string of burglaries in the upscale Columbus neighborhood of Green Island Hills has law enforcement officials and residents both concerned and puzzled. Over a period of 10 days a burglar has stolen over $100,000 in goods from homes located in the neighborhood. Stolen items include silver mint julep cups, pitchers and other similar items.

Three homes in the neighborhood have been targeted so far, and in each instance, the thief appearsto enter the home by removing a window panel or a portion of the door. By entering in this manner, it prevents alarm systems from being sounded.

According to authorities, the thefts appear to be similar in nature to other ones that have recently occurred in metro Atlanta, including in the Buckhead area. Police have been searching for the culprit since the first homes were hit over two years ago, in April 2011.

Home security cameras are growing in popularity, and more and more people are using them as part of their home security system, but these cameras are gaining national attention for capturing video of other events aside from those happening within homes.

Recently in Topeka, KS, a home security camera captured video of a shootout occurring on a traditionally calm andquiet street. Footage captured by a home security system showed a dark SUV speeding down a residential Topeka street, and shortly thereafter, local police began receiving reports of a gun battle occurring.

Patty Yost and Renee Karlsen of Hillsborough County, NC, located near Chapel Hill, NC, recently experienced the damage that can result when home alarm equipment isn’t working properly.

This past New Year’s Day the two were awoken by smoke and the sound of a fire alarm. The women report that they had a contract with Vector Home Security to provide monitoring services to their home in the case of an emergency, including a fire, so rather than spending the time to dial 911, they decided to work the contain the blaze themselves. They believed that Vector Home Security would alert the proper authorities, and fire fighters would arrive at their home.

The home security industry is being revolutionized through the use of smartphones and tablets. As with many other industries in today’s marketplace, the development of new apps is allowing for innovation that hasn’t previously been seen. New apps becoming available are allowing users of mobile devices to transform them into home security equipment.

Presence was an app launched at the end of April, and the technology allows for a mobile device, such as an iPad, smartphone or even an iTouch, to be used as a video camera. The app captures real-time video through the mobile device, and includes capabilities such as audio streaming and motion detection.

Kwikset, one of the world’s top manufacturers of locks, deadbolts and other home security equipment, has just announced the release of its newest product—the 2^nd Generation SmartCode deadbolt with HomeConnect technology. The newest product from the technology-advanced Kwikset company gives users the chance to easily integrate their home door locks into their security systems, and manage everything remotely from atablet or smartphone.

This new product is among the most innovative introduced in Kwikset’s home automation and security products. The SmartCode deadbolt features a new lock design that offers customers an increased level of design aesthetic. The lock also features a redesigned quiet-drive locking system. The lock is designed to combine unparalleled level of design, along with a high level of performance and technology.

The NationalFire Protection Association (NFPA) has just released new statistics on the number of deaths that occur as a result of house fires each day, and the numbers are very alarming. The new report shows that each day in the United States, an average of seven people die as a result of a fire in a home. The report is based on data from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) National Fire Incident Reporting System and the NFPA’s annual fire department experience survey.

The report also estimates that an average of 336,000 home structure fires required assistance from U.S. fire departments, from 2007 to 2011. While seven people died on average each day during the reported time period, the results show that older people were the most likely age group to die as the result of a house fire.

During the five year period covered by the new report, on average, one in every 320 homes reported a house fire; on a yearly basis, house fires were responsible for 2,570 resident and civilian deaths, 13,120 civilian injuries and over seven billion dollars in direct property damage.

Spring brings warmer weather, but unfortunately it also brings the increased activity of door-to-door salespeople. Typically, making any big purchasing decision based on the claims of a door-to-door salesperson is not advisable, and one of the most common types of door-to-door salesperson is one claiming to work for a home security company. Unfortunately, one of the biggest types of scams conducted during door-to-door sales involves home security systems.

 David Myers, VP of Business Development for F.E. Moran Security Solutions, based in Indianapolis, recently told the Detroit Free Press that the best course of action when dealing with door-to-door salespeople is to simply leave the front door closed to eliminate the opportunity to be scammed. In fact, according to Moran, there are a number of organizations posing as security companies that simply canvas residents door-to-door and when they gain a bad reputation in the area, these companies will change their name and continue the process.

AT&T has a reputation as being one of the premier providers of wireless phone services in the world, but the company recently unveiled a new product offering with the potential to revolutionize the company’s business model. In January, AT&T announced plans to launch a connected home security system, and that system launched at the end of April in 15 major U.S. cities, including New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia. The system, called AT&T Digital Life, has been added to the company’s existing phone and tablet services.

The connected home security system, which is also often referred to as a home automation system, gives users the unique opportunity to connect appliances, such as lights, televisions and even thermostats, and then control these systems remotely through the use of a smartphone. Home automation systems have become increasingly popular, not only because of the security protection offered, but also because these systems allow the user to make their home more energy efficient and eco-friendly.

The best security systems out there are powered by cellular technology. This basically means that your alarm system is not connected to the company by a phone line. The benefits of having a cellular security system over a traditional phone-line system are numerous. It basically means that your security system will be up and running 24 hours a day. The phone lines can get cut and your power can go out, but the cell towers will keep feeding information to the company in case of emergency. But it also means you’ll have easier access to your home via a smart phone. No matter the brand of phone that you have, there is certainly an app out there for it that will allow you to manage you home from afar.

Home security systems have been around for a while now (well over 50 years). With every service that has aged, myths come about and are sometimes hard to escape. We wanted to discuss some of these that are giving home security systems a bad reputation. We obviously think that alarm systems are a fantastic investment in your home’s security. But unfortunately the myths that travel with getting a security system, can sometimes persuade you from making an uneducated decision. So right now we are going to discuss some of he most common myths that you will hear about a security system.

We have reviewed some of the best security systems out there! But there is a lot of information out there that you’ll need to digest before choosing. We wanted to cut down the features and give you some of the “non-negotiable” items when it comes to choosing the best security system for you.

Security Systems News recently released a poll about long term security system contracts against month-to-month security system contracts. SSN asked readers to give their input about a “new” trend where a few smaller, local security companies are switching to month-to-month contracts. While month-to-month contracts are nothing new to the industry, it is generally unheard of with the major security system companies. Before we dive into what they found, we’ll explain the difference between security system contracts.

Today, we are going to spotlight a longstanding security system company, ADT. ADT is one of (if not THE) most recognizable security system companies out there today – and there is a reason for that. You don’t get to be this popular with a lousy security system and bad service. ADT knows what makes the best security system and they do it well. They’ve been in the security system industry for over 100 years, and in that time they have become a staple of it.