NSC forges new aspects of peace of mind

CARLSBAD, Calif.—Nortek Security & Control has been rolling out new sensors in 2018 with one common theme: providing new ways to ease homeowners' anxieties. NSC EVP of marketing and innovation Joe Roberts talks with Security Systems News about this trend and what it means for security and home automation dealers.

“The primary reason that a lot of our end consumers—the homeowners—are signing up with service and getting a security package is really to get peace of mind,” Roberts said, but consumers are also looking for other ways to get more peace of mind.

In the first quarter of 2018, NSC began selling a stove and grill guard, which can alert users if a stove or grill has been left on for too long. “This is, rather than trying to notify the fire department after the fact, … to try to have that protective bubble, preventing the accident from happening in the first place,” Roberts said.

Later, in Q2 of this year, the company brought out its new water sensors, with pooling and drip detection. Roberts noted that this would give homeowners some peace of mind while also providing notifications if there is a problem, allowing them to fix the problem before it becomes more costly.

Now, in Q3, Nortek Security & Control is debuting a gun lock with motion detection. While keeping gun inactive with a combination lock, it can also alert the owner if the gun is being handled when it shouldn't, such as by a child in the house. “It's certainly not in a traditional security system, but it's another area that, when talking to a homeowner, just understanding what it is that keeps them up at night and what their worries are, it's another way our dealers can really identify how they can deliver peace of mind,” Roberts said.

Dealers can better incorporate additional sensors and peace of mind through talking with their consumers and “expanding the definition of security,” Roberts said. “I think they just need to brand themselves to be bigger than just someone who does window sensors and a keypad.”

Incorporating more peace of mind elements means that dealers are more relevant to their customers, Roberts noted. “If you've done your job as a security dealer, the homeowner will never see the value that you've delivered because they won't get broken in [to]. They'll have a sign out front and you'll protect the home with a 2GIG system. … It's like wearing a seat belt, you always want to wear it—you never want to use it. However, with these new sensors, [homeowners] will get value.”

Roberts continued, “The frequency of interaction with what the dealer has given to you will be far … more relevant than it would be just from intrusion.”

Dealers will also need to educate consumers on the new sensors and the value of them, Roberts said. “What we need to do is make sure that we provide the materials to our dealers so they can make it very simple,” he said.

NSC has a variety of products coming out over the next 18 months, according to Roberts. “What our company is all about is trying to have the most secure and personalized solutions for peace of mind, comfort and convenience, entertainment and access. It's those four areas that define our product vision and road map at Nortek,” he said.