Kastle Systems acquires Urban Alarm

FALLS CHURCH, Va.—Kastle Systems International, an integration company that specializes in managed security solutions and services, recently announced the acquisition of Urban Alarm, a local D.C.-based security provider.

“We are thrilled to bring Urban Alarm into the Kastle family and to expand our business into several new areas including the single-family residential market,” Mark Ein, chairman of Kastle Systems, said in the announcement. “Our customer bases, product offerings and geographic coverage are extremely complementary, which will provide significant growth opportunities going forward. Above all and most importantly, Kastle and Urban Alarm share a culture, passion and reputation for providing the highest levels of service for clients with sophisticated security needs.”

Brian Eckert, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, told Security Systems News that Kastle now has an opportunity to take its innovations in technology and service, which was developed for commercial and multifamily real estate owners, into D.C.'s single-family residential homeowner market, providing a unified, seamless security experience for customers.

“We are excited to open the door to a seamless and unified experience for our customers via a single electronic credential for both the home and office,” Eckert told SSN. “We will look to incorporate additional innovations that benefit our customers, as well as leverage the collective team for new ideas that can extend and enhance our respective service offerings.”

Founded in 2003, Urban Alarm's clients include a mix of high-end, single-family residential homeowners, as well as commercial, institutional, and property management organizations throughout the metro D.C. area. Urban Alarm is the security provider and patrol service to several of the area's most prestigious single-family residential neighborhoods, such as Woodland Normanstone, and is responsible for many specialized security environments including embassies and ambassador residences. The company has also completed security projects for several large developers and properties including, in partnership with Kastle, The Wharf's 3 million square-foot mixed-use development. Urban Alarm has earned a reputation for exemplary security service providing access control, video surveillance, guard patrol services, remote video monitoring and NICET certified fire and life safety services.

“This is a great opportunity for our business, our employees and our clients,” Miles Fawcett, CEO of Urban Alarm, said in the announcement. “By joining Kastle, we are part of an organization with a long-term perspective that will enable us to offer the same premium customer experience, and introduce new, innovative offerings that I know our clients will love.”

The acquisition includes several important synergies including the ability to leverage Kastle's UL listed, TMA Five Diamond-certified central stations for alarm and video monitoring of Urban Alarm's customers and providing Urban Alarm's NICET certified fire and life safety services to Kastle's extensive local customer base. Additionally, the combination of key talent and intellectual property will provide both companies the ability to comprehensively address the growing security needs across all sectors of the metro D.C. market.