News Poll: ADT and TycoIS' to look at small business

YARMOUTH, Maine—Now that the non-compete between ADT and TycoIS has expired and both companies have indicated that they will go after the small business market, should regional security companies be nervous about losing market share to the big national? Not too much, according to the latest SSN News Poll.

Forty-six percent of respondents stated that neither ADT nor TycoIS is ideally suited for the small business market. Additionally, a sizable number of respondents–47 percent–believe that the attention ADT and TycoIS will attract to the market will ultimately be funneled towards smaller suppliers. As one reader put it, “Increased advertising generates awareness for all.”

However, a majority of respondents, 51 percent, think that a large national company could successfully market on a local scale.

One reader suggests that the key to this is universal advice, “The right employees are important for both national and small companies.”

There is still some concern that ADT and TycoIS will take business away from regional providers. Forty-one percent of respondents mentioned that these companies stealing some portion of the market is inevitable. Some readers believe ADT and TycoIS' efforts may eventually drive end users back to regional providers, “ADT and TycoIS will take some market share, but if their prices escalate and their service does not match, this business will go back to the local/regional companies.”

Other comments suggest that ADT and TycoIS' active involvement in this market sector will pave the way for regional integrators.

“[ADT and TycoIS] will present more robust solutions to these clients, which I believe will shift the sale away from a lowest price sale to a solution sale by introducing these clients to a more sophisticated system and will bring credibility to doing the job correctly and not at the absolute lowest price,” said one commenter.

“The smarter integrators will be able to say, 'Did you see that widget ADT has? We have one that can do more at a lower cost to you.' Additionally, there is an upswing in people trying to support local economies and dealers/integrators should promote this concept,” said another reader.