AIN Dealer Network Becomes GE Home Technologies

Since 2003, a growing number of security professionals have benefited from a group called AIN (Authorized Integrators Network), which provides marketing materials, buying power, and other services for about 125 dealers today. Now those dealers enjoy another membership perk: The GE brand.

Last year, GE Security upped its participation in AIN, and renamed the group GE Home Technologies.

"We've always been a big part of the program," says Jeff Wilson, marketing manager for the builder channel. "We're comfortable enough that we would put our name on the program."

Wilson says that GE Home Technologies ultimately will have about 270 members, but the current crop of 125 dealers is enough critical mass to market the network to national homebuilders. "The approach is to go after the builder now that they [GE Home Technologies] have a pretty good national network," he says.

With the name change and the growing base of dealers, furthermore, GE Security has been able to gain "pretty good visibility with other GE groups," Wilson says. GE's structured-wiring and security divisions -- like other GE business units -- have long desired the access to homebuilders that GE Appliances enjoys, but tapping into those builder relationships has been trying.

Lately, however, "it's actually starting to happen," Wilson says.

Wilson says the value proposition for homebuilders is compelling. GE Home Technologies dealers agree to share monthly recurring revenue with builders, for both security monitoring and extended home warranties, offered through Philips.

The group is also teaming with GE Modular Space, the group that rents those ubiquitous trailers to construction sites. Working together, the two groups will offer an on-site theft-protection system that dealers can market to their builder partners.

In addition to these membership benefits, GE Home Technologies provides trade show booths, truck and van signage, and other marketing support that "makes it look like they [dealer members] are part of a bigger program."

And, of course, members also benefit from the big buying power of the entire group.

Besides GE (security and structured wiring), GE Home Technologies also supports Philips (home warranties), Klipsch (speakers), Dirt Devil (central vacuum) and Sony (TVs, wall stations and preconfigured equipment racks).