Home Security System Blog

We are going to try and make this pretty simple for you. Monitored security systems are definitely a better choice for your home and there are a variety of reasons why. The monitoring station will attempt to contact you either by phone or through a two-way voice intercom on your Control Panel if there is a problem in your home. This form of “verified response” means that the monitoring station is trying to confirm the alarm with the homeowner before contacting they authorities. This is an easy way to cut down on false alarms and it means your home will be protected 24 hours a day.

The Security Industry Association (SIA), an American trade association representing business interests of security equipment providers (both manufacturers and integrators), has been in the news for some time now ever since it backed a new act known as the School Safety Enhancements Acts of 2013. Authorizing no less than $40 million yearly for state, tribal and local governments to increase and improve overall school security, the new bill became popular following the December shootings in Newton, Connecticut.

Interestingly, the new bill didn’t pass the first time around—the real reason the SIA is bringing it now to the Senate. The first time, the new Act was attached to a bigger bill bringing in expansion of background checks before buyers purchased a gun, rejected by a 54-46 amount of voters in the Senate, a close shave.

As homeowners become more and more sophisticated with their safety measures and begin installing the best home security systems in their homes, burglars too adopt new and innovative ways to break through the system and play a number on the homeowner.

Residents of Germantown recently reported repeated incidents of people posing as security systems salesmen. These people asked suspicious questions, trying to procure information, and were often seen getting too pushy and intrusive. They would refuse to go away when rebuked, insisted on knowing more about you and your home and even tried to get inside the house.

With the rise in popularity of DIY security systems, a few questions arise about which is the better route to go? A DIY security system or a Professional installation? It’s all about perspective here. In general, we believe that DIY security systems are the future of the industry, but there is certainly something to be said for a professional installation. That personal customer service is something that customers will always like. It’s just a matter of what you want and which works best into your schedule.

Ever wondered what your kids do when you’re not at home? Does your mind ever wander to what a crime scene smells like? How about having a robot tell an intruder “Get lost?” Well, the answers to these and more unique questions have actually been presented, in the form of innovative robot creations.

In a report done by Design Buzz, there were no less than 10 unique robot designs reported on that each held different, unique features capable of different forms of security systems surveillance and home security features to protect, monitor and serve a household.

Every home has a weakness, and when a burglar targets your home they are looking to exploit those weaknesses. They target a home for a specific reason, and if you can avoid those mistakes, you can protect your home from a potential threat. Security systems are the first step and act as a deterrent, but there’s a lot you can do in addition to protect your home.

High Tech Tronics, a electronic communications systems that designs and installs more than $7 million worth in electronic communications every year, was right in the path of the tornado that hit Oklahoma and devastated an entire suburb on Monday, May 20th. Based in Oklahoma, High Tech Tronics is a PSA security systems operator and integrator. Offering systems that include Cellular security systems and wireless availability features for security, they are a well-beloved provider in their locations.

An employee of the company lost his home, but no lives were lost in the devastation the tornado left behind. Four employees of the headquartered company lived centrally in the tornado’s location, but only the one employee lost everything. CEO Mark Bradley told the story of the employee’s bravery with emotion, to listeners in the media. The very man that lost his entire home was instrumental in saving a child’s life.

Alarm.com is a well-known provider and pioneer of innovative security solutions, Cloud-based, that include best home security systems currently relied on by many homeowners. Their security products include monitoring property wirelessly with a mobile device, where you can watch your home straight from your phone. Other features like smart energy monitoring, video alerts if a home security breakthrough is sensed, and other innovative product features are all a part of what makes Alarm.com famous online and offline.

Recently, though, Alarm.com filed a lawsuit against Telular Corporation, event monitoring and wireless security and access solution provider, for stealing intellectual property. The claim that Alarm.com made was that Telular was using Alarm.com’s patent-producted services as well as products without permission, and featuring these products as their own. Some of these include the best home security systems offered by the offending provider.

The global demand for home security systems and security equipment, is projected to rise at an increasing 7% every year, through 2016. Although the percentage number may look small, it means a whopping $117 billion increase in security equipment sales. In a market study report recently released by The Freedonia Group, the predicted rise is set to span growth internationally rather than just in one regional location.

Analyzing an industry that is currently over $83.1 billion in net worth, the world security industry is certainly on the growth. The forecasted growth spans many home security systems and products, including security equipment like home alarms, video surveillance, and access control, as well as large-scale, corporate use security products for government and industrial. The Freedonia Group studied statistics in over 18 countries and included market factors like the market environments, details of today’s forecasted industry structure, different company market shares, and more. The study source also profiled no less than 40 market leaders including Tyco International and United Technologies.

So your power goes out. There’s a big storm and the entire block is down, what do you do? What if a burglar cuts your power or phone lines. Is there anyway for you to be protected and contact the right people? The answer is not in a conventional security system. You need a cellular security system in order to be prepared for situations like this. A cellular security system which is also a wireless security system is your best option and here’s why: Cellular security systems do not use conventional phone lines or broadband to contact the security system company. You are able to contact in case of an emergency 24/7- despite the status of your electricity or phone. A wireless security system is charged by batteries, which last a very long time. You are not reliant on external batteries to keep the alarm system going.

Has the future happened? Are we living inside a weird episode of Fringe, where the innocent homeowner has the upper hand with a brain-controlled robot?

You never know.

Well, Robert does. Robert Oschler, Robotic Telepresence Developer Enthusiast and native Idaho resident, is a unique genius that spends his days developing his own software on a small-scale that could change the world, if it ever went large scale. Robert is a programmer, and in recent months, came up with a unique way for homeowners to incorporate security systems that are one-of-a-kind.

What’s better, Robert has used his own invention to replace his house watchdog, and will never own another pet.

“I don’t have any pets. I just have pet robots, and they’re pretty well behaved,” Mr. Oschler said. “Fortunately I’ve never logged in and seen a human face.”

His goal in his home security inventions?

A bright spot amidst the anguish and travesty, the Monday tornado that raged throughout Oklahoma City left a security dealer’s office location intact, according to local OK city news sources.

The devastating tornado that spanned over two miles in one twisting leap killed dozens of people, with the death toll around 51 at the end of the day, and more deaths expected to be counted over the next few days after the rubble was searched for survivors and bodies. Staying on the ground for a solid forty minutes and ravaging over 20 miles of ground, Monday’s tornado was massive on many counts and left a lot of grief in its wake.

So, it was a bright spot to locals when the Oklahoma City Central Security Group office remained standing and intact, without a single damage to its location. Although the home of the branch manager’s daughter and one of the representatives wasn’t spared, the office location stood strong amidst the rubble in the area.

We wanted to continue our discussion today with some more tips on how to best use your home security system. Many people purchase and install their system but don’t get to know everything it can actually do. Yesterday we covered arming, disarming and how to call or help on a disarmed system. Today we are going to cover how to set up a silent alarm and how to arm individual sensors in a home. Both tips have a use in the right situation, so take note.

As burglary rates are growing, all of us are looking for affordable ways to keep our family and home safe. ObservEye.com, a leading provider of home security cameras, is lending a hand by releasing an affordable, comprehensive home security tip sheet. The sheet can be downloaded from the company’s website, free of charge.

The tip sheet offers ten essential and low-cost tips that anyone can use in order to keep their family and home protected, whether they are home or on vacation.

“Burglaries can happen at any time to virtually anyone, so it’s important to take measures to keep yourself and your belongings safe,”

ObservEye Marketing Director Joel Kraus said.

ObservEye’s tip sheet does not settle for repeating the same common-sense advice all of us are familiar with: keep a spare key at hand and don’t forget to lock your doors. Instead, the company offers affordable tips that get overlooked most of the time.

A new wireless video camera allows home owners to keep a close eye on their security systems in the same way in which they check their emails or text messages. The SKYCAM is advertized as the first wireless IP camera with Internet connection via Skype, using the popular messaging platform as it would any regular DNS server.

The home surveillance camera lets users see its video feed on all devices running Skype, whether they’re a tablet, a smartphone or a laptop. The fact that the video is sent via Skype instead of a server makes the SKYCAM a lot easier to install and a more affordable alternative.

Alarm.com has announced it acquired EnergyHub, which is a startup focusing on home energy management. Alarm.com is a security company that has been working diligently in recent years to expand its home automation system capabilities, and raised $136 million in capital last year alone in order to help in the achievement of this goal. Prior to this official acquiring of EnergyHub by Alarm.com, the two companies were already working with other organizations such as San Diego Gas and Electric in order to reach customers for the purposes of promoting the demand response programs being offered by Alarm.com.

“As we go after larger utility programs, we’re now representing a larger, more resourceful entity,” said Seth Frader-Thompson, president of EnergyHub.

With this new merger, EnergyHub will continue to operate as an independent entity within the larger scope of Alarm.com.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Department in Park City, Utah, had reportedly created a plan to avoid the loss of time and money associated with responding to false alarms that result from alarm systems in homes and businesses—they plan to stop responding to unverified calls that are the result of an alarm system.

Previously the local authorities had plan to stop responding to alarms that were unverified after March 1, but they have instead decided they will continue to respond to all alarm calls until the end of 2013.

The decision was made after a series of meetings was held between the Utah Alarm Association and the Sherriff’s Department.

People are installing security systems across the country. One of the biggest mistakes that new security system owners make is that they do not take the time to learn the the ins and outs of their security system. Really sit down and spend some time learning about the system that you just installed. There are dozens of different functions and sometimes you’ve just gotta read the instruction manual to get the details.

It’s common knowledge that home alarm systems are a great way to provide safety and security, but this week in Pittsburgh, a home alarm system had a different purpose—it led police to make a big drug bust. A home alarm system at a home near Pittsburgh led to an unexpected discovery by the officer who was responding to a routine alarm call. The police officer was simply doing his duty by responding to the call that was reported by a security system monitoring company, and rather than being greeted by a burglar or intruder, he was greeted with a much more startling scene.

With the economy showing signs of strengthening and a rebounding housing market in the works, the newly released ADT 2013 Safety Data Index was of particular importance, as homeowners still show an overall lack of knowledge about the importance and relevance of home alarm and security systems in terms of residential safety. The 2013 index was the first of its kind conducted by ADT, and the goal was to take a closer look at the lifestyle and safety habits of the typical American.

ADT, a leader in home security and alarm systems, released the highly anticipated results of its safety survey, which included responses from over 2,000 U.S.-based consumers. According to the results of the survey more than 2/3 of the people polled, or 68% survey respondents said a home security or home automation system does have the potential to increase the value of a home, but despite this widely held belief, the same respondents reported that they were more likely to own a paper shredder within their home than a home automation system. In fact, 65 percent of respondents said they owned a paper shredder, whereas only 29 percent said they had a home automation or home security system at their residence.