Qolsys' second generation panel ships

SAN JOSE, Calif.—The Qolsys IQ Panel 2, which officially began shipping through North American distribution locations this summer, offers new features and technology designed specifically for security dealers.

“The IQ Panel 2 is the culmination of four years of engineering passion to bring leading-edge innovation to the security market,” Qolsys CEO Dave Pulling said in a prepared statement. “The IQ Panel 2 is a realization of Qolsys' best-in-class technology partnerships with Alarm.com's Interactive Services Platform, Qualcomm's Snapdragon Chipset, and Google's Android Operating System.”

The new panel recently completed an extensive six-month soft launch with more than 200 security dealers serving multiple channels.

Mike Hackett, Qolsys SVP, sales & marketing, told Security Systems News that this panel is what the company envisioned when it launched seven years ago. “We learned a ton on our first-generation product and we took a lot of what we learned and poured it quickly into our second-generation product,” he explained. “While this panel represents our ultimate vision from seven years ago, it also represents a tremendous amount of customer feedback as well as end-user feedback, and we are just super excited to bring this to the security channel.”

The “All-in-One” IQ Panel 2 is a modern, tablet-like panel with a 7-inch HD capacitive touchscreen delivering upgraded features and functionality with an intuitive swipe-based user interface, LTE and Wi-Fi dual path connectivity, 5MP panel camera and Z-Wave Plus, according to the press release. Integrated services enable control and management of the IQ Panel 2 through Alarm.com's family of mobile apps, along with voice control and intelligent automation features across a diverse ecosystem of connected devices.

“The Alarm.com team has been working closely with Qolsys to tightly integrate our industry leading services with their new hardware technology,” Dan Kerzner, chief product officer for Alarm.com, said in the announcement. “Our shared drive to collectively innovate addresses rapidly changing consumer demands, and supports our service provider partners as they expand their footprint in the smarthome and business space.”

Mitchell Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance, said in a prepared statement, “Including Z-Wave technology in the IQ Panel 2 will provide those seeking a smart, secure home with a comprehensive ecosystem of compatible Z-Wave devices.”

Pulling said the panel was designed to decrease costs for dealers, such as install time, training, truck rolls and attrition while increasing end user engagement and satisfaction. "A perfect example is our Bluetooth Touchless Disarming which allows up to five authenticated smartphones to automatically disarm the security system as the user approaches the home,” he said in the announcement. “Dealers love this feature as it increases usage and satisfaction. End users are using their system more by using it less.”

Curtis Kindred, president, ADS Smart Security, told SSN in an email interview, “We recently converted to the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 and have had a remarkable experience with the transition. We have seen a 25 percent increase in productivity, a rejuvenated sales team, and strong differentiation in our markets. We look forward to working together for many years to come and excited to be leading the security industry with new technology.”

The IQ Panel 2 implements end-to-end encryption, including cloud token authentication, the encrypted Qolsys S-Line sensors with backward compatibility to the standard 319.5 Mhz frequency, Z-Wave Plus by Sigma Designs, and Dual Path communication over cellular and Wi-Fi.

Overall, Hackett said the new panel represents how much the company is “laser focused on the user experience,” whether it is the dealer or the end user.

“The end-user experience should be easy and intuitive with a metric around increasing usage, which ultimately will reduce attrition for dealers,” he said.