There are a few basic features that must be included in a central station monitoring center to properly provide effective monitoring services. Central stations who do not provide these features will put subscribers and their property at risk. This results in customers no longer trusting the dealer, even though the fault lies with the monitoring provider.
Central Station Redundancy
The first indicator of an effective central station monitoring partner is the type of redundancy that is offered. Hot Redundancy, as it is called, is the only system designed to eliminate down time. After a individual system or entire location goes down, what happens next truly reveals the value of the monitoring provider.
In a nutshell, central station monitoring providers should have redundancy for the following items:
- Physical Locations
- Databases
- Firewalls
- Signal Paths
- Power Sources
- Networks
- Access Switches
- Uplinks to Core Infrastructure
In our article “The 3 Big Questions To Ask About Central Station Redundancy,” it discusses the importance of ensuring signals are received, even when the central station is intact. A common misconception about redundancy is that is only functions after a natural disaster destroys a monitoring center. The opposite is true, in fact. A central station’s redundancy helps ensure that signals are received every second of every day. Therefore, multiple signal paths must be set in place, along with firewalls and networks.
Central Station Automation
Another essential characteristic of a strong monitoring partner is its automation software. The first matter of scalability is measured by a system’s ability to manage growth, particularly as new elements are included in the mix. Automation software in a central station helps create and maintain consistency for overall customer experience. As consistency is achieved, kinks in the customer experience are more easily identified and resolved, resulting in greater efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Central station automation software provides the following features:
- Scripts and procedures for operators
- Signal management and partition
- Need forecasting
- Data collection
- Technology integration
Consistent Reliable Service
In the data analysis world, consistency creates a pattern that isolates outliers. When service is consistent and reliable, inefficiencies are more easily detectable. Therefore, as a central station continues to operate, it becomes more and more important to identify the elements that result in customer dissatisfaction so they can be eliminated.
In our white paper on making service a priority, we demonstrate how companies who retain just 5% more customers can improve profitability by more than 100 percent. Therefore, providing meaningful customer service is paramount to operating a successful business.
/basics-of-central-station-monitoring.jpg)
