All Articles Tagged Security Spotlight

Jason Knott | 03/10 07:43 AM, 4 Comments

The change from analog to digital cameras might be the greatest opportunity to come along in the security industry in a long time. IP cameras certainly have been fruitful for Todd Broyard, owner of Black Lab Alarm in Woburn, Mass., who now attributes 72 percent of his overall business to video surveillance installs. Broyard has been in the security industry for 21 years, focusing on ultra-high-end residential security installations. The change to IP-based security cameras offers his company incredible installation efficiencies, new market opportunities and solid quality. Black Lab Alarm… View this story

Jason Knott | 03/08 09:15 AM, 2 Comments

The residential security market is not “recession proof” as it is sometimes labeled. The truth is home security sales have taken a hit during the recession, primarily because the real estate market tanked. But one category of security equipment is bucking the trend: residential security cameras. But it’s not necessarily great news for dealers. The hot portion of the market is cameras that are being sold directly to consumers via retail vs. through the professional installation channel. The residential CCTV market has always been minuscule compared to commercial CCTV, but… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 03/08 08:54 AM, 0 Comments

Video technologies like 3D TV and the iPad garner a lot of media coverage, but security dealers know their industry is in on the cusp of real change. There’s the proliferation of IP cameras making Web monitoring accessible to middle-class residential clients. There’s voice over Internet protocol telephony (VoIP) reshuffling the role of central stations and making plain old telephone systems (POTS) an endangered species. There’s also the very real possibility of a universal demand for residential fire sprinklers. For perspective on what the security industry is going through, we… View this story

Jason Knott | 03/04 07:47 AM, 0 Comments

Having to secure a license to install burglar alarm systems is often the primary reason CE pros do not enter that business. C.O.P.S. Monitoring, with facilities in New Jersey, Florida and Arizona, is the second largest third-party central station monitoring company in the industry, with approximately 500,000 accounts and more than 3,100 independent alarm dealers from all 50 states (plus Canada and Barbados). Don Maden, executive vice president of C.O.P.S. Monitoring, answers some key questions about what it takes for integrators to get alarm licensing. Alarm licensing varies state to… View this story

Jason Knott | 03/03 07:53 AM, 2 Comments

The residential burglar alarm market is on pace to grow 9 percent in 2010 and 27 percent over the next three years, according to Parks Associates. Home security sales have taken a hit during the recession, primarily because the real estate market tanked. Fewer new homes being constructed means fewer new customers. When an existing home with an alarm system is sold, the alarm company has the opportunity for two new sales. First, the homebuyer is likely to keep the existing system and become a new customer. Second, the home… View this story

Steve Crowe | 03/01 08:35 AM, 1 Comment

Now might be a good time for installers to add security installs to their repertoires. The home security market is poised to grow 9 percent in 2010 and 27 percent over the next three years, according to Parks Associates. And with our Security Spotlight, sponsored by ADI and COPS Monitoring, running the next two weeks, we thought it'd be a good time to roundup some quality security products. From complete home control systems, wireless panels, outdoor sentries, and a solar-powered pool alarm, we have all the bases covered. Click here… View this story

Lisa Montgomery | 03/01 06:41 AM, 1 Comment

When is the best time for your clients to have full electronic control over their houses? Often it’s when they’re away. It’s easy to control a home while they’re there, but when they’re away, it’s tough to know what electronics have been left on, sucking up electricity, when they should be off. “Turning things off is the basic tenet of saving energy,” says Jay McClellan, president of HAI. A remote monitoring system lets you do just that, right from your cell phone, iPod touch or any other Internet-connected mobile device.… View this story

Lisa Montgomery | 03/01 06:32 AM, 0 Comments

Over the past several weeks, the yard at my friend’s home had been the target of teenage horseplay. Toilet paper had been tossed among the trees and egg yolks have stained the finish off their siding. Needless to say, they’d had it. So they decided to invest in a surveillance camera. It’s something they’d rather not have to buy, but the unfortunate circumstance has inspired me to track down the top features to look for when installing a surveillance camera. It may be too late to pass along the information… View this story