Network Multifamily in Protection One fold

LAWRENCE, Kan.—Network Multifamily, formerly a stand-alone business within Protection One, is now part of the company's national account structure, the security leader announced Nov. 15.

The move allows the division, which for 25 years has been selling turnkey, in-unit alarm systems to the owners of apartment- and condominium complexes as an amenity to occupants, to now offer Protection One's full range of solutions, ranging from intrusion to video, according to Protection One, which is headquartered here.

Joe Colon, VP of national accounts and the new head of the division, told Security Systems News: “We've taken the Network Multifamily business and we've merged it into the Protection One portfolio, and what I mean by that is that we've made the Network Multifamily space a national account vertical…We now treat all of our [apartment and condo] owners as a national account of Protection One.”

The benefit for customers is that “we can offer an expanded product line,” Colon said. “Now we can sell them access control, we can sell them fire, we can sell them monitoring and maintenance and inspection of their existing fire systems, TV and video.”

Bob Dale, Protection One senior VP of sales, said in a news release: “This is something our customers have been asking for and it's exciting to be able to deliver it.”

Network's alarms are in more than 300,000 apartment units across the country, according to the company.

Fred Chaney, senior VP of Lincoln Military Housing, whose corporate offices are in Dallas, Texas, hailed the news. He said in the release, “The Network alarm amenity program has been a valuable asset in our Lincoln neighborhoods and communities ... No other company offers a program that is tailored to residential like Network's. Their customer support team provides personal, one-on-one support to our residents with this wonderful amenity. We're excited to see NMF fully integrate into the Protection One operations and introduce the full product line to our communities.”

Colon, who joined Protection One in August after 18 years with ADT, sees new opportunity in the change for himself and Network Multifamily. “Growing the business, being part of a group that's already well established and has incredible relationships and credibility and just enhancing it and making it stronger … being a part of that is very exciting,” he said.