All Articles Tagged Adt

Jason Knott | 05/01 05:07 AM, 0 Comments

There is an adage that “It takes money to make money.” In the case of the largest companies on this year’s CE Pro 100 list, that is certainly true. It’s how they use that money that’s intriguing. Best Buy’s Geek Squad/Magnolia/AudioVisions integration divisions (total estimated $680 million in integrated systems revenue in 2011) couldn’t be more opposite in their business models than big security-based players ADT (estimated $162.5 million) and Vivint (verified $51.14 million), but both methods succeed. The common denominator is that all three have extremely strong financial backing.… View this story

Jason Knott | 05/01 05:06 AM, 3 Comments

A first glance at this year's CE Pro 100 might lead an outsider to think custom installation is no longer a cottage industry of entrepreneurs. For the most part, that conclusion would be wrong, even though some very large companies are now in the business of installing home automation and home theater systems. When the CE Pro 100 was introduced 14 years ago, the largest company on the list did $5 million in installation revenues. My how things have changed! In 2011, there are 35 companies on the list with… View this story

Jason Knott | 04/02 08:12 AM, 0 Comments

ADT Commercial Security, a unit of Tyco Fire & Security, is changing its name to Tyco Integrated Security. The name change is a direct result of the announcement in September 2011 by Tyco International Ltd. on its plan to separate into three independent companies, led by the spinoff of ADT Residential, the No. 1 company on the CE Pro 100, to its own separate company. Leveraging the global resources of Tyco Fire & Security, the company will focus on the unique security needs of businesses. Among its new solutions recently… View this story

Jason Knott | 11/21 09:30 AM, 1 Comment

Starting from $0 in recurring monthly revenue (RMR) in 2003, Pat Egan of Select Security in central Pennsylvania now makes $400,000 per month from contracts in alarm monitoring, service and inspection. “That’s a whole lot of money in the bank before I do a single installation,” says Egan, who was among a panel of RMR high achievers at the CE Pro 100 Summit. Alex Dunn, CEO of Vivint, and Tim McKinney, group director of residential Custom Home Services for ADT, were the other panelists. The information from the panel was… View this story

Jason Knott | 11/08 12:10 PM, 0 Comments

Citing potential conflict of interest as Comcast makes it move into the residential security business, Edward Breen, chairman of ADT parent Tyco International Ltd., has resigned from the Comcast board of directors, which he has served on for the past six years. Breen intends to stay on as a consultant to ADT after the split. According to the LA Times, in his letter to Comcast chairman Brian Roberts, Breen said he would be "devoting significant time and energy over the next 12 months to the selection of new boards of… View this story

Rachel Cericola | 10/13 07:00 AM, 0 Comments

Both iPhone and iPad users have been able to tap into ADT Pulse for quite some time. Now, the security company is extending the same courtesy and convenience to Android users. The new offering is called Pulse Beta. It’s specifically for Android users with an ADT Pulse system. If you have that security setup, this should offer some peace of mind. In addition to being able to arm and disarm the system remotely, it also has controls for lighting, cameras and thermostats. Also, if you’re the type that can’t keep… View this story

Jason Knott | 06/29 08:47 AM, 7 Comments

Everyone in the security industry is familiar with the scandal surrounding former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski, who is still serving a prison sentence of eight to 20 years after he and his co-defendants were convicted of excessive bonuses totaling $430 million, tax evasion and stealing more than $100 million from ADT’s parent company. The headlines focused on his lavish misappropriations: the $2 million birthday/toga party in Sardinia he threw for his wife, the $11 million in artwork for his Manhattan apartment, a $15,000 doggy umbrella stand, and of course, the… View this story

Jason Knott | 06/23 06:49 AM, 1 Comment

Tyco International (NYSE: TYC), the parent company of ADT, is in negotiations to acquire Visonic Ltd. (VSC: Tel Aviv), according to a report. According to the Israeli website domain-b, Tel Aviv-based Visonic has released a statement that is "in negotiations with Tyco for selling itself under a 60-day exclusivity agreement" and "the terms of the deal and the price have not yet been agreed and there is no certainty the talks will lead to an agreement." According to the website, founder and chairman Yaacov Kotlicki, who holds 70 percent of… View this story

Rachel Cericola | 06/21 08:20 AM, 0 Comments

The iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android phones have changed the way that homeowners view security. Clients can call up the home or office and get a quick peek, flip on lights and make sure the doors are locked. Some apps even create a two-way experience, letting homeowners know when someone has entered the house or touched that most prized possession. “Most home security companies are offering real-time email and text message alerts whenever security systems detect an abnormality. You can also use the app to check in at… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 06/08 05:50 PM, 4 Comments

Today we learn a few things about Xfinity Home Security that we hadn't reported before: The monthly cost for the security/home automation service is cheaper than most, but hardly free; six more cities will get the service after last year's launch in Houston; and Xfinity will do its own security installations, rather than use a third-party provider. And one more thing: Xfinity will use iControl SMA, the home-control platform formerly known as uControl. Just as we suspected. Neither Xfinity nor iControl has made a formal announcement about the iControl deal,… View this story