All Articles Tagged Vivint

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

Rachel Cericola | 03/29 09:06 AM, 0 Comments

Having more control options is never a bad thing. Vivint agrees, announcing plans to add the Vivint Secondary Panel into its mix. The Secondary Panel is designed to work with Vivint's Go!Control panel, which serves as the hub of Vivint’s home automation system. Vivint says the Secondary Panel will make the system’s smart home features easier to access, allowing for up to four additional panels to be placed throughout the home. “Vivint’s Go!Control system gives our customers the ability to easily manage every aspect related to their home’s automation system,”… View this story

Jason Knott | 03/01 02:38 PM, 0 Comments

Vivint, the No. 27 company in the 2011 CE Pro 100, has completed a $762 million senior bank debt financing. The new financing represents a $72 million increase over the previous financing and adds nine new lenders to the company’s bank group. “We are excited to add several new lenders into our bank group, many of which are making their initial investments into the residential security and home automation space,” comments Christopher A. Black, CFO for Vivint. “We are also delighted to receive the continued support from our group of… 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

Steven Castle | 10/20 06:33 AM, 0 Comments

Security, home control and energy management service company Vivint is now offering solar electric systems with no upfront fees in Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Utah. Vivint hopes to offer the service nationwide soon. Vivint is offering solar photovoltaic (PV) electric systems through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which are structured similar to leases. Vivint’s solar customers will pay a monthly fee based on how much power the solar panels produce. Vivint says it will size the system to produce about 80 percent of a home’s electricity, then sell its… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 07/14 04:49 AM, 15 Comments

The security company most famous for its summer “door-knocking” campaigns thinks it can sell home automation door to door. Formerly called APX, that company just reinvented itself as Vivint, signifying its transition “from a residential security company to a provider of simple, affordable home automation services that deliver increased safety, improved energy efficiency, and greater convenience for customers,” according to a press release announcing the name change in February. Since 1999, Vivint has amassed nearly 500,000 security accounts -- generating roughly $20 million in recurring monthly revenue (RMR) -- mostly… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 07/11 06:33 AM, 1 Comment

The alarm company Vivint has perhaps one of the biggest door-to-door sales organizations in the country. In each jurisdiction, the Provo, Utah-based company must apply for a peddler’s license for each of its thousands of salespeople. In Lake Wales, Fla., Vivint’s 23 applications were denied, even though the city does allow door-to-door solicitations. Vivint challenged the ruling and won the right to reapply, according to local news organization News Chief. According to News Chief, city commissioners had some misgivings about door-to-door sales of security systems: City Commissioner Betty Wojcik said… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 07/07 07:38 AM, 7 Comments

We have such passion in our industry that I guess I assumed folks could actually sell the audio, video and other gear that makes their own hearts go pit-a-pit. Many of them can. At least many of them can close a good deal once a client walks in the door. But does any company in our industry have a culture of selling? I haven’t seen it. Our collective inability to sell became clear to me after attending an outstanding - and I mean phenomenal - training session at Vivint (formerly… View this story

Arlen Schweiger | 05/26 10:11 AM, 0 Comments

The past month has seen unbelievable paths of destruction as tornadoes have torn through the American Midwest. And while it might be harder to protect your clients' homes against unpredictable Mother Nature than your average night-time burglar, at least one security provider is trying to give them a head start. Vivint, the Provo, Utah-based company well known for its door-knocking sales campaigns, has added tornado alerts to the messages that customers can receive on their Go!Control panels. The warning information comes from the National Weather Service. Once it issues a… View this story