ipDatatel and Resolution Products announce merger and new chairman

HOUSTON and HUDSON, Wis.—ipDatatel and Resolution Products announced yesterday a merger of the two companies. As part of the transaction, veteran technology industry executive, Robin Pederson, will become chairman of the combined company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Both of these companies were founded by technology leaders that have advanced the home automation and security industries for decades," Pederson said in the announcement. "I am excited to help them join forces to continue to introduce new products and services for the tens of thousands of independent security dealers and home entertainment and technology integrators making secure smart homes and intelligent, efficient workplaces a reality."

When combined, the complementary companies will do more for customers in less time and at a lower cost, the press release read, offering dealers and installers higher, long-term recurring revenue, noting: “The combined organization helps dealers by focusing on reducing account creation costs, increasing recurring revenue and reducing attrition rates. Together, the products and services provide security dealers, alarm installers and home technology experts a platform to service and retain accounts and, takeover existing products and services in a unified, secure communications environment. Since there is virtually no overlap between the offerings of ipDatatel and Resolution Products, the two companies will mostly be unchanged.”

Brian Seemann, CEO, Resolution Products, said in the announcement the combination of the two companies “will create a comprehensive, vertically-integrated solution for independent home and commercial installers of security, technology, entertainment and automation. Working together, we'll be able to move more quickly to serve more of the market."

Today, the companies jointly sell a complete security, alarm, access control and automation solution for smart homes and commercial installations using the Resolution Products' Helix Alarm Panel and ipDatatel's Universal Alarm Communicators and cloud services. The companies also provide innovative Universal Translator modules, allowing dealers to take-over accounts without replacing sensors, and deliver an innovative line of wireless sensors compatible with virtually any professionally installed security system.

"Nowadays, consumers are filling their homes with the latest DIY home automation technology such as the Amazon Echo with Alexa and Nest smart thermostats/cameras," Russell Vail, CEO of ipDatatel, said in the announcement. "The merger of Resolution Products and ipDatatel will bring these homeowners or renters a suite of solutions that connect legacy alarm systems, new installations and DIY automation in a simpler, more intuitive way. Additionally, the technology will be less expensive and faster for the installer to both set up and maintain."

Imperial Capital LLC served as the financial advisor to the two companies on the transaction.