Security Sales & Integration October 2022 - 37

article, classic intrusion systems remain a large
part of their business today. When one tries to
understand the problem with the traditional
system clearly, one will conclude that the problem
is not the quality of the hardware or installation
but the response from law enforcement
that ultimately disappoints the end user.
When selling security, industry professionals
rarely discuss the response time itself, whereas it
is the customer's largest concern. Very few new
home buyers or business owners would sign a
contract for a service if they knew that the police
would not come for several hours when an
alarm occurs.
In the consumer's mind, the dealer is at fault
for the delayed response. Therefore, we can no
longer operate as if our hands are wiped clean
once an alarm call is dispatched. Just because the
system is reliable and affordable from an industry
standpoint does not mean it is meeting the
customer's needs. With that said, the problem is
not the system but the response to it. While we
cannot directly control law enforcement's reaction
to an alarm, we can surely influence it.
How Video Adds Value
The weakest link in the alarm response process
is not the responding agency but the central station
operator working to provide quality service
with minimal information. For the past few decades,
the data received in a monitoring center
has been limited to only a customer account and
zone number. The limited amount of reporting
data, coupled with current central station processes,
no longer provide the level of service that
aligns with a customer's expectations.
This disconnect between the professional
security companies and the consumer puts
the industry at significant risk. The traditional
alarm system generates a recurring revenue
model every alarm company has relied on.
Even today, a company's value in acquisition is
almost entirely based on their recurring revenue
and the contracts that secure them. The security
industry depends on the alarm panel and
the revenue it creates like the everyday person
reveres Steve Jobs for inventing the iPhone.
On the other hand, when a security system
provides video monitoring, an operator can
immediately access vital information and understand
what is happening at the protected
premises. This accurate, real-time information
is imperative for communicating the situation
to the end user or law enforcement in order
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to trigger a proper, timely response. This visibility
also allows the monitoring agent to relay
information to a client, ultimately resulting in
customer satisfaction and increasing rapport for
the company. Additionally, with advanced technology
and data visualization, false alarms are
significantly reduced, and police have renewed
confidence in their dispatch prioritization.
The relationship with the customer is more
important than ever as competing conglomerates
like Google and Amazon have invaded
the market. They are looming and capable adversaries
equipped with bottomless pockets,
cross-platform abilities and brand recognition.
These entities have different motives than typical
security companies. Google and Amazon's
main priority is not the revenue from a security
contract but the data they can gather
from inside the home. They want to monitor
consumer habits to understand their customer
better, adapt and create custom experiences on
other platforms.
Many of these systems are also self-installed
and only a fraction of the cost of traditional
security monitoring. These systems offer significantly
less service than professionally installed
solutions. Many of them only send an
alert to the end user's phone when an alarm
occurs. However, customer satisfaction is
achieved, as the slow response times of law
enforcement have led to a fatigued audience
that now accepts a phone notification as an
adequate level of service.
Refining the Model
As industry professionals, we are hired to provide
solutions that protect property and life.
The only way to properly do this is to welcome
emerging video technologies that can communicate
to a central station and ultimately safeOCTOBER
2022 Security Sales & Integration
37
Today, cameras with edgebased
analytics accurately
detect people and vehicles
while also minimizing
unwanted events.
With technology
on the rise,
customer
expectations
followed.
Therefore, those
that failed to
adapt are now
largely extinct.
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Security Sales & Integration October 2022

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