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Flexible Alarm Monitoring Services Are Boosting Professional Monitoring

Mar 26, 2020 8:00:00 AM

The world is changing rapidly. In order to maintain a foothold in any industry, but more specifically, the security industry, one must remain agile. Professional monitoring services are becoming more complex as we see a shift to more cloud based services, mobile technology and VSaaS (video surveillance as a service). Instead of alarm monitoring services looking at these sweeping changes in the industry as a proverbial death rattle, the ones that remain flexible can take advantage of these changes and really boost their professional repertoire of services.

Services

Monitoring has truly shifted from the last resort lifeline to something far more applicable and broad to everyday life. With location based services, mPERS devices beginning to lose their stigma with a plethora of discrete wearables options now available, drones, fleet monitoring, IoT — professional monitoring is finding a place in far more areas than simple fire and security signals. Central station monitoring companies and dealers should continue to look at this as an opportunity to capitalize on where digital is taking the industry.

VsaaS continues to grow. Currently, dealers mostly work with small businesses, but don’t be surprised for the industry to grow beyond that. With video surveillance more prevalent than ever, customers are looking for the most economical ways to keep their business protected.

Cybersecurity plays a huge factor in the flexibility of alarm monitoring services. Not only do central monitoring stations need to up their cyber security to protect their own client base, cyber security can be a future revenue line for monitoring centers. Who knows, by the end of this decade, there could be real potential for your third-party monitoring station to call you when cyber criminals are lurking within your personal network.

Equipment

The way equipment is packaged with a contract is one major change we’ve seen that has greatly benefited dealers. Vivint Flex Pay is one of the first companies to separate equipment and service in their contracts, not only providing the customer with the choice of what they need, but also eliminating the need to roll trucks out and service unnecessary equipment.

In that same sense, dealers have been offering their own DIY options for customers. DIY once considered a major disruptor in the security industry. Now, it is embraced to some extent as to provide customers with the best service possible. Offering DIY options for customers is a great way to get renters to commit to security contracts and also a great way to maintain a foothold in the residential market.

Internal Flexibility

Something as simple as mobile credentials is helping change central station alarm centers become more modernized and flexible. According to Blake Kozak of IHS Markit, the global market is projected to grow at over 100% in mobile credentials. Of course, this will never completely eradicate physical access points, but it goes to show the evolution of digitization infiltrates almost everything — even building access.

The security industry is becoming a more diverse one. Workers can range anywhere from college-aged young adults to baby boomers. Internal flexibility is a necessity to hire a talented and younger talent pool. Young-professionals are seeking careers where they can develop professionally, have flexible schedules — including flexible leave and office hours — as well as better paying wages.

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