Security Partners deploys new video verification service from Alarm.com

LANCASTER, Pa.—Security Partners, a wholesale monitoring company based here, is optimistic about the potential of video verification in the residential market. That's one reason they're an early adopter of a new video verification service from Alarm.com, an interactive services company with an established presence in the home.

Andy Stadler, division manager, advanced services, for Security Partners, said the company's existing partnership with Alarm.com on the connected home frontier made the move a “natural fit.” It also made sense from the standpoint of the company's installed base.

“We have a lot more concentration with Alarm.com and 2GIG in the field with our customer base,” Stadler said. “I think this is going to be the tipping point here for video verification to really become the norm on the residential front.”

Stadler added that it's only a matter of time before image sensors (motion sensors linked to cameras) replace motion detectors in home security systems. Besides being a value-added service for its customer base, image sensors will also pay dividends for law enforcement, both in terms of bolstering officer safety when they respond to an event and by reducing the fiscal drain of false alarms.

A challenge often discussed in connection with video adoption in the home is the need for companies to allay customer concerns about privacy. This was at the forefront of Security Partners' mind when they initiated the partnership with Alarm.com, and as the service moved closer to the market.

“Alarm.com took the time to write some code into their web portal to allow for security measures to be put in place,” Stadler noted, adding that the system gives central stations a 15-minute window in which to view cameras and image sensors at a property.

“This is what the central station needed—the ability for customers in a residential setting to feel comfortable and confident that their privacy was not being infringed, while at the same time giving central stations access to vital information during an alarm event,” Stadler said.

Also crucial to the success of the offering, Stadler added, will be the customer education component.

Security Partners' dealers have responded well to the offering, Stadler said. Among its dealers installing 2GIG and Alarm.com, Stadler estimates between 30 and 40 percent of their accounts already has some form of video attached to it, making the service a potentially robust add-on. “They're excited about being able to go back to a client who has video cameras and image sensors [already installed],” Stadler said. “It's a great revenue add for them.”

Alarm.com's video verification service is customized to meet the needs of specific central station customers, Matthew Zartman, director of communications for Alarm.com, told Security Systems News. The company introduced the verification service through partnerships with several monitoring companies, getting feedback throughout the course of its development, and is now actively expanding the service.

“There's that tailored solution element to it,” Zartman said. “That's why we really worked closely with a small group of central stations to make sure we got it down, and we're now ready to expand that service to others.”

Visual verification includes both video and image sensors and is designed to work seamlessly with Alarm.com's connected home services, Zartman said.

He added that, from Alarm.com's perspective, the video verification service is a sign the company is invested in the central station being the backbone of home security.

“We're dedicated to the security industry and to the fact that 24-7 professional monitoring is the core of home security,” Zartman said. “This is just another way to add value to the entire process ... and to really advance it from a big picture industry point of view.”