Monitoring Service For Diy Alarms

[IPAlarms]

the response was that monitoring stations are resisting this because there is less income (being free) from premium numbers as used by many for digicom monitoring.

Yes - I would imagine that is true. They won't want to lose that income.

i wondered what is your 'take' on this? is there a niche for monitoring companies to set up as ip and get the monthly fee's on this to? afgter all with a landline you can swap your provider at a blink of an eye from BT to tiscali and so on.

Here is what will happen - I have seen it already both overseas and in the UK......

Forward thinking alarm company sees benefits of IP monitoring for his customers and decides to convert all his digi's. ARC says no - because they don't want to lose their telephone rebates. Alarm company moves all their digi's to an alternative ARC that is pro IP.

Monitoring companies do not have a choice - they have to offer IP or risk losing their accounts. There is no way for them to receive rebates from the service provider, but they can charge a small amount on top of what they would normally charge for a digi - so they get their "lost" revenue back that way.

[IPAlarms]

what will constitute an installer as oppossed to a DIY installer?

To start with, if it is OK with Dave, I would like to offer the service only to registered trade members of this forum. Installers will have already been checked out to make sure that they are in the trade.

[Service Engineer]

To start with, if it is OK with Dave, I would like to offer the service only to registered trade members of this forum. Installers will have already been checked out to make sure that they are in the trade.

No problem, IP Signalling is the way forward for monitoring.

[Joe Harris]

IP iis indeed the way forward. We are embracing the technology here (It is easy for us due to the fact that we are the largest independant security company in the UK).

As I see it, there is not an issue regarding any loss of revenue from non-premium numbers. The whole point of one of the key benefits of IP is the many varied value added services which can be bolted alongside the more conventional monitoring services to which digicoms are limited.

We are all ready for a great deal of change in the marketplace, those that shy away from these changes will be left behind.

'J

[arfur mo]

To start with, if it is OK with Dave, I would like to offer the service only to registered trade members of this forum. Installers will have already been checked out to make sure that they are in the trade.

a few ways of filtering out diy systems is to accept Ltd, Plc, VAT registered companies to, for the smaller one or new starters a bank statement with the tradibg as name on which matched 'cosher' paperwork.

must admit though i don't know why you would? many voice dialers are sold and installed then a few months or years down the line the phone numbers are out of date and the client can't work out how to change them .

many older people dislike asking for such help as they feel they will look stupid, so surely this is a good market for you to? they can make a simple password protected phone call or email to update them especially for holidays or illness issues. i'm sure i could make such sales more attractive to clients who would otherwise go voice dialer

i'll wait now to be blasted for daring to suggest making the system available to the diy section, as i've said before i don't fear the diy market in any way shape or form, and i'm more than happy to pick up the pieces of many such failed installs and put them right.

if you decide you won't offer the service to appear 'professional' then all that will happen is others will in your place, even from europe and the far east continents. so the price of 'respectability' is the lose a slice of a massive potential market imo, usually the innovator become the household name like "i'll get the hoover out" when it's to dyson B) .

regs

alan

[arfur mo]

IP iis indeed the way forward. We are embracing the technology here (It is easy for us due to the fact that we are the largest independant security company in the UK).

As I see it, there is not an issue regarding any loss of revenue from non-premium numbers. The whole point of one of the key benefits of IP is the many varied value added services which can be bolted alongside the more conventional monitoring services to which digicoms are limited.

We are all ready for a great deal of change in the marketplace, those that shy away from these changes will be left behind.

'J

i'd have thought about the massive advantages of ip, like the rate signals can be received and processed automatically, digi's take a certain time to dial, send, kiss off and shut down, and not unknown to get engaged signals at busy times. also the ARC need's expensive specialised receivers with all the cost of kit, lines and space they consume, so imo got to be a 'no brainer' and i'd even suggest the digi will be near as obsolete within 5 years time, at least new ones will not be connectible as the 'phase out' gather pace.

i think it will replace other technologies like red-care and can see this also being consigned to history (whwere it belongs ), the next logical step (if not already taken) is ip+gsm signaling as soon as the major insurance companies get on board.

just got to work out how to stop the client unplugging the router to play his xbox 360

regs

alan

[IPAlarms]

No problem, IP Signalling is the way forward for monitoring.

Thanks Dave - you're a star. I will get everything setup and then come back to the everyone with a formal arrangement.

[IPAlarms]

IP iis indeed the way forward.

We are all ready for a great deal of change in the marketplace, those that shy away from these changes will be left behind.

It is not so much signaling over IP, but fully automated monitoring that will be difficult to accept for many that have been in the industry for a long time. They think that it will make people move from conventional operator based monitoring over to cheaper automated monitoring. I don't think that will be the case. People and businesses with monitored alarms have them either because they want the best - or they have no choice. In either case, these people are not going to move to automated monitoring so the ARC's don't really have anything to worry about - but they will

Automated monitoring will create a completely new market - or replace the dialler market as Arfur mentions. It's a shame that the existing ARC's do not quickly corner this market before I.T. and other industries do. As an example, we offered the Virtual Monitoring service to our existing 50+ ARC customers in Australia and only 5 or 6 are willing to set it up. Others complained that it was taking business away from them.

It's not an option for me to offer it to UK ARC's as none of them will talk to me. I can't afford to pay for their rounds of golf and 19th hole antics - so let the big boys look after them My interest is in working with small independant ARC's for operator monitoring over IP and with "one man bands" for automated monitoring.

[IPAlarms]

a few ways of filtering out diy systems is to accept Ltd, Plc, VAT registered companies to, for the smaller one or new starters a bank statement with the tradibg as name on which matched 'cosher' paperwork.

Time is my enemy Arfur. Dave and the boys have already done this work and the forum is great place to offer support to a select group of installers whilst we let the system grow slowly.

many older people dislike asking for such help as they feel they will look stupid, so surely this is a good market for you to? they can make a simple password protected phone call or email to update them especially for holidays or illness issues. i'm sure i could make such sales more attractive to clients who would otherwise go voice dialer

Customers can do everything online themselves. It's always best that they keep a relationship with an alarm company so that they have someone to call when equipment fails.

i'll wait now to be blasted for daring to suggest making the system available to the diy section, as i've said before i don't fear the diy market in any way shape or form, and i'm more than happy to pick up the pieces of many such failed installs and put them right.

To be honest, I was thinking of marketing to the DIY'ers from a web site to create awareness and to put as high a value as possible on the service. Let's say I market to DIY'ers for #80 per year (sorry no pound key). If an installer is trying to sell it to his customer for #60 per year and the customer Googles around and stumbles across my site, the he is going to feel pretty pleased about the good deal that he is getting from the installer.

if you decide you won't offer the service to appear 'professional' then all that will happen is others will in your place, even from europe and the far east continents. so the price of 'respectability' is the lose a slice of a massive potential market imo, usually the innovator become the household name like "i'll get the hoover out" when it's to dyson B) .

So - you'll be one of the first to start connecting up then Arfur?

[arfur mo]

So - you'll be one of the first to start connecting up then Arfur?

get the pricing and package thought out and set and i'd be happy to sign up and to sell all i can, i can see it being very attractive to many clients.

so get a move on, the current house i'm working on is due for completion just before or after xmas and is a prime candidate for this service, so likely to be a 'starter for 10' and i have several other existings in mind too

if your invoicing direct to client (as used to happen with ARC's) might be an idea to offer installers a 'drip' as happens when selling LCR (least cost routing) on phones systems, the installer becomes a franchised type dealer for you.

regs

alan