Vector rolls out web-enabled product to dealer base

PITTSBURG--With their rallying cry, "it's more than just an alarm," Vector Security last week announced the roll out of its myvectorsecurity.com product to its authorized dealers nationwide and the piloting of the product among its Washington-area builders. Myvectorsecurity.com, which was officially launched at Vector's 44 branch locations in September 2005 (see story in Security Systems News October 2005 issue), is a wireless web-enabled interactive alarm management service for residential and commercial customers. The product notifies the customer--via cell phone, email or PDA--when specific non-emergency events occur, such as a child arriving home from school, or a liquor cabinet or pool gate being opened. Similarly, commercial customers can remotely monitor any number of events at their businesses. John Madden, vice president of Vector's authorized dealer program, said, all 40 dealers now offer the product, which he said, "will allow us to differentiate ourselves not only with the unique back-up [capability that the product provides], it will provide dealers with more installation revenue and financial incentives." Madden said the preponderance of free or low-cost alarm system programs in the dealer sales channels tends to "artificially limit dealer prices," and that this product will "open up dealer profit margins and enhance their revenues." A partnership with McLean, Va.-based Alarm.com, enables Vector to use a privately labeled version of their technology. While the two companies have worked together for years, Mary Knebel, vice president, business development for Alarm.com noted that Vector put the technology through an extensive "due diligence." For more on Vector's Myvectorsecurity.com, see the August issue of Security Systems News.