Security Broadband closes central stations, heads back to the lab
By Derek Rice
Updated Thu April 22, 2004
April 22, 2004
ORLANDO, Fla. - Security Broadband has closed its central monitoring stations here and in Las Vegas after ending the beta portion of its product testing in March.
According to Harris Bass, senior vice president of distribution for Security Broadband, the company operated the program in the two cities for two years, beginning in March 2002 with a minimal customer turnover.
From a central station perspective, Bass said, Security Broadband believed it could scale its technology, which allows for audio and video monitoring over broadband, efficiently. With its beta testing complete Security Broadband decided to close the centers and go back into the lab to create a more cost-effective technology that would make its product more affordable.
"The pricing we were testing was roughly $1,000 per home, which was subsidized, and about $40 a month for monitoring services," Bass said. "Customers didn't have a problem with the monthly fee, but the up-front technology, as is the case whenever you introduce new technology, was a bit expensive."
Bass said Security Broadband hopes to revamp its technology and have it back in the field in the near future.
"We hope to come back out with the next-generation gateway box in the next 12 months that would utilize a third-party CMS, under our direction, for audio and video verification," he said.
For more on this story, see the May issue of Security Systems News.
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