If you have never carried home security products before, or if you do and you are not satisfied with your current vendor, now is a good time to examine the current landscape for a company that fits with your business objectives. With smart security systems living on the networks you build and interfacing with the control systems you install, it only makes sense to capture this part of the ecosystem as well.
Plus, last year, Futuresource Consulting identified smart security and smart speakers as the gateways to expanding smart home systems. And according to Parks Associates’ research, 85 percent of security dealers report they provide extra services beyond professional monitoring, including video verification, cybersecurity, and independent living services — areas you could be turning in recurring monthly revenue.
To help you find the right manufacturing partner, we spoke with some of the leading contenders in this area.
2GIG
What is included in the product ecosystem?
The ecosystem is made up of a combination of the main, all-in-one 2GIG EDGE security and automation panel and encrypted wireless sensors and devices, as well as integration support for a wide array of Z-Wave automation devices.
What home control systems do you work with?
2GIG systems work exclusively with the ELAN control platform.
What other products does the system work with?
Any Z-Wave automation device such as locks, lights, thermostats, garage door controllers, flood detectors/valves, and smart outlets from virtually any major brand certified for Z-Wave.
What monitoring options are available?
Monitoring integration is provided through our partner Alarm.com. They have a number of packages that range from basic security, to full automation, to extensive video surveillance/storage options.
What is the relationship between cloud provider and central station? Will the system support simultaneous cell signal forwarding to the central station and RS232 communications to a control system?
The cloud provider acts as the pathway from the control panel to the central station, and, when necessary, also opens the 2-way voice call to provide voice verification of events.
What dealer programs do you offer?
We are the first security company to do a national rewards program that is implemented through our security distribution channel, building on the success of our dealer program for AV dealers. The program features our brands and products. It starts with competitive pricing and offers rewards up to 7.5 percent per quarter and includes all Nortek Control products purchased through participating distributors (2GIG, Panamax, Proficient, and Xantech). Other program benefits include our builder program, demo gear, premium dealer locator placement, and more.
What else should a dealer know about your smart security system?
2GIG has long been the dealer choice for security, with over 5 million systems and 35 million devices, dealers have come to trust the field proven reliability of our products. And backed by the technologies across the Nortek Control family, dealers can count on 2GIG to continue to evolve and innovate to delight the residential security customer.
Related: Tech Showcase – Smart Security
Clare Controls
What is included in the product ecosystem?
The Clare ecosystem integrates hardware, an end-user app, and FusionPro, which is a backend dealer management platform. The integration of these three components provides a seamless customer experience and is both easy-to-use and easy to install.
ClareOne hardware includes a full suite of encrypted security sensors ranging from doors and windows to key fobs and sirens. The ClareOne ecosystem also features a variety of video related components, including the Clare Video Doorbell and new ClareVision Surveillance .
There is a full suite of lighting/environmental control options, including a Clare Thermostat, ClareVue lighting (indoor, outdoor, 40AMP large load, and fan controls), and garage door and lock integrations. The app allows end-users to manage all their ClareOne smart home and security features in one place.
On the backend, ClareOne pairs with the FusionPro management dealer platform that helps revolutionize the way dealers service customers. The FusionPro backend management platform enhances dealer productivity, enables RMR, and supports activities from account setup through remote diagnostics and troubleshooting.
What home control systems does Clare work with?
Clare works as a standalone smart home control with native security components. In addition, ClareOne has a tight IP integration driver with Control4, allowing the smart home features to deprecate to the Control4 OS3 environment where Control 4 utilizes the full security features of ClareOne and those sensors for automation inputs. ClareOne is also a native OvrC device (SnapAV’s free cloud remote network management tool).
What other products does the system work with?
A unique benefit of ClareOne is that the system plays nice with DIY. ClareOne works with hundreds of products that self-discover and auto-install as soon as the customer brings them home. This feature allows customers to easily scale their home automation without a service call. Clare has full skills with Amazon Alexa and Google Assist, with drivers for Luma, Kwikset, Schlage, August, Sonos, Heos, Ecobee, Honeywell, Lutron, MYQ Chamberlain, and Genie just to name a few of our most popular brands.
ClareOne allows end users to add their own devices through the app and preserve the security functions for our pros. This enables more stickiness and user engagement, avoids very unprofitable return trips for add-ons, and preserves the RMR for our partners.
What monitoring options are available?
ClareOne offers several monitoring transport options: Smart Home (interactive services are free with ClareOne) and Monitoring Response plans start with self-monitoring using push notifications, emails, and text-to-end-user contacts. This allows our partners to capture RMR from clients who don’t want professional monitoring. From here dealers can step to two additional options that enable professional monitoring. The highest tier plan provides LTE cellular services and two-way voice services. The second professional monitoring plan offers alarm transport over the home’s IP network without LTE service for a reduced cost. With all monitoring options, dealers determine end-user pricing, which allows for the greatest margin flexibility.
What is the relationship between cloud provider and central station? Will the system support simultaneous cell signal forwarding to the central station and RS232 communications to a control system?
The Clare cloud services provide alarm transport and push the alarm service signals to any central station. Clare also uses contact ID to provide ubiquitous optionality to work at any central station.
ClareOne integrates over an IP Driver to Control 4. This IP driver provides a rapid integration with all zone types, names, and profiles imported into the controller and allows all activations on zones, regardless of bypass or arm state, to driver automations from occupancy, alarm status, etc. The system will simultaneously push the alarm service signals to the central station and to the control system.
What dealer programs does Clare offer?
ClareOne is an exclusive product to SnapAV and has its own dealer program. There are funding options provided today through a wealth of builder programs in which our dealer partners can receive funding on RMR multiples without selling the account.
This program allows our partners options to compete with the free and $99 installs from competitors and still own the contract. Our mission at SnapAV is to enable our dealers to win in the competitive marketplace — combined with a lower monthly cost, free interactive services, product differentiation, and an open garden for integrations with DIY and other consumer products, a partner who adopts ClareOne can create a very profitable long-term security business. Additional dealer programs include a Homebuilder Program and support.
What else should a dealer know about ClareOne?
The ClareOne panel was designed to fill a gap between today’s commonly available security systems and luxury level home automation solutions. ClareOne is the cornerstone of the Clare platform, which combines many features commonly found in home automation systems such as a broad integration portfolio and rich programming features, as well as DIY and DIWM capabilities. Clare’s offering delivers these capabilities without the complexity and cost of luxury automation systems. Security dealers can now easily differentiate their offerings from low-cost DIY solutions and commonly available service offers from competitors.
Konnected
What is included in the product ecosystem?
Konnected offers a conversion kit and an interface kit. The conversion kit retrofits and replaces the home’s wired alarm systems, connecting directly to the sensors and sirens wired in your home. Included in this kit, users are supplied with everything they need to upgrade their alarm system, which includes 12V power adapter, piezo buzzer (two buzzers in a 24-zone kit), jumper wires (for connecting buzzer), power splitter (12 Zone kits and larger), adhesive-backed mounting standoffs, mini screwdriver-pen, wire labels sheet, and Konnected window stickers.
The interface kit connects in parallel with any brand of wired alarm system, syncing all zones in real-time to the smart home platform and allowing users to arm, disarm, and receive alerts remotely for those who aren’t ready to give up their traditional system. The interface kit includes all that is available in the conversion kit, plus ribbon cables and relay modules.
The product ecosystem gives customers the option of a customizable 6- or 12-zone board with the freedom of adding as many boards to one unit as necessary.
The Konnected Alarm Panel 2 transforms any existing wired home security system into one that will be able to leverage the latest in smart home platforms and interconnectivity via Wi-Fi. The Konnected Alarm Panel Pro transforms existing wired home security systems into one that will be able to leverage the latest in smart home platforms and interconnectivity via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and PoE capability. The Alarm Panel Pro features a more powerful ESP32 microcontroller for its native 12-zone system.
What home control systems do you work with?
Konnected is supported by Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, Hubitat, and OpenHAB. Through these platforms, you can also interact through Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and more.
What other products does the system work with?
Konnected products work with thousands of your favorite smart home products. Users can seamlessly integrate their alarm system with smart home products like lights, thermostats, smart locks, audio, touch-screen tablets, voice assistants, and more.
What monitoring options are available?
Konnected gives home security control back to homeowners with the cost-savings option to self-monitor, allowing users to monitor their home from anywhere and receive real-time alerts on all the activities that are happening within your home. Additionally, through a partnership with Noonlight, users can have the added assurance of UL-certified, professionally staffed, U.S.-based 24/7 monitoring whenever a security or smoke/fire emergency is detected with a $10 monthly fee.
What is the relationship between cloud provider and central station? Will the system support simultaneous cell signal forwarding to the central station and RS232 communications to a control system?
With Konnected, you have many options for service and providers. Our partnership with Noonlight, a cloud service that is backed by a central station and works with our product, provides an affordable monitoring service that keeps watch over your home for you. Or, you have the option to install Konnected in parallel to your current security provider with the interface kit and both receive notifications and alerts on what is happening within your home allowing for communication between your home and your provider’s control system as well as with your devices.
What dealer programs do you offer?
Konnected offers multiple dealer programs around the globe with new partnerships added regularly for customers who are looking to expand their pre-wired security systems and features.
What else should a dealer know about your smart security system?
To join Konnected’s dealer program, visit our signup page at konnected.io/pages/dealer-sign-up.
Monitoreal
In October 2021, we ran a story called “Finding the Right Smart Security Partner” that was designed to help dealers interested in adding smart security to their offerings find the right partner. A new player, Monitoreal, recently came onto the CI scene. Here are the company’s responses to the same questions we asked the other vendors. [The original story will also be updated to include Monitoreal’s responses for dealers looking to compare smart security companies.]
What is included in the product ecosystem?
Monitoreal is a global provider of on-premise, AI smart security surveillance solutions designed specifically for the residential and SMB commercial markets. All video is processed on-site, within the appliance, with only snapshot alerts sent beyond the firewall to the users’ mobile device or computer.
Monitoreal’s ecosystem allows users to monitor their surroundings in real-time with smart object detection. The Monitoreal Security Assistant integrates with new or existing video surveillance cameras, replacing simple motion detection with AI-based proactive perimeter protection, which reduces annoying false alerts. The Base model supports six cameras at once, while the Pro version supports eight cameras and offers “Deep Sight” Mode for busier scenes.
Customizable alerts inform residential and small business users when people, cars, and more move in the areas that matter most, negating the false alerts that come from motion detection. Intruder prevention is achieved by triggering smart audio and light accessories, thanks to the Monitoreal I/O Relay. Relay channels can be configured independently.
Alerts provide situational awareness and inform residential and small business users when people, cars, and more are recognized. Turning on features is simple with the easy-to-use interface, and customized actions can be preset to respond whether users are home or not. Connect one of the three Monitoreal I/O Relay inputs to the alarm panel to synchronize Monitoreal’s AI Smart system to create a video perimeter around the house or business. Use a second input to receive an alarm and trigger cameras to send snapshots to the users for video verification of the alarm. For convenience, users can choose to open electric driveway or parking gates when prompted that a vehicle is detected or set this manually as desired.
Similarly, the Monitoreal Smart Plug can be linked to an alert and power on common electrical products automatically, semi-automatically, or manually when the user is prompted by a detection. Monitoreal Cameras come pre-configured for faster setup and proven performance within the Monitoreal smart ecosystem.
Coming soon: Monitoreal’s Video recording feature (which requires an additional purchase of a Monitoreal SSD drive) will capture clips of each event including the moments before and the moments after.
What home control systems do you work with?
Utilizing webhooks, Monitoreal can be connected with most IoT platforms such as Samsung’s SmartThings, Google Home, and Alexa. Other integrations are coming.
What other products does the system work with?
A key value of the Monitoreal Video Security Assistant and platform is that it was engineered to work with existing video installations as well as with new installations. Monitoreal is proud to work with virtually all IP camera brands, alarm brands, lights, Bluetooth speakers, LED lights, perimeter gates, sirens, and strobes.
What monitoring options are available?
Coming soon: Monitoreal will announce several integrations with prominent monitoring platforms.
What is the relationship between cloud provider and central station? Will the system support simultaneous cell signal forwarding to the central station and RS232 communications to a control system?
Monitoreal processes all video locally within the appliance, thereby using far less internet bandwidth than cloud analytic systems and providing faster alert response times that improve opportunities for real-time intervention. Alerts are sent to central stations and there is a USB connector for a secondary LTE connection.
What dealer programs do you offer?
Monitoreal’s Partner Program offers members access to exclusive benefits designed to support sales and increase margins. These include thorough training modules, sales and marketing planning, an NFR program, priority technical support, and exclusive discounts.
What else should a dealer know about your smart security system?
Our solution allows dealers to monetize existing installs, as well as upsell new customers. Since our AI video processing is done locally with an on-premise appliance and not through the cloud, dealers don’t incur any hidden monthly fees or annual contracts, giving them full control over pricing policy to their customers and potentially maximum recurring profit from customer support subscriptions. Monitoreal cameras minimize the setup time and maximize the performance, providing yet another way for custom installers to maximize their bottom lines.
For more information, visit www.monitoreal.com.
Resideo
What is included in the product ecosystem?
The new ProSeries platform offers a scalable, modular design and includes an all-in-one wireless security panel with a 7-inch color touchscreen, a family of wireless keypads, and two-way sensors, alarms and accessories. It provides dependable alerts for movement and intrusion and 24/7 professional monitoring can alert first responders, when necessary.
It provides whole-home safety. From fires and floods, to smoke and carbon monoxide, the system helps keep families safe and informs them if they need to exit quickly through the company’s One-Go-All-Go alarm feature. It also provides an enhanced user experience with hands-free disarming, a built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant, and a consistent user experience across all user interfaces and the Total Connect mobile app.
In addition, the ProSeries platform offers a Honeywell Home MotionViewer that combines a motion sensor and camera in one unit to help reduce false alarms. It also includes hands-free system disarming that pairs the user’s mobile device to the panel to make it easier for them to disarm the system.
What home control systems do you work with?
The ProSeries platform has a built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant, and is compatible with a variety of Z-Wave devices such as lighting, locks, thermostats, and various switches and dimmers. The end-to-end ecosystem works with certain third-party systems and legacy models.
What other products does the system work with?
ProSeries works with an expanded family of Resideo’s Honeywell Home SiX wireless sensors and devices, which are interchangeable across the entire platform. These advanced, two-way sensors use AES-128 encryption to help ensure a high level of data security. The life-safety sensors include a combination smoke/CO detector and other life-safety devices that have a one-go-all-go feature that link together — so when one goes off, they all go off, spreading an alert throughout the home. The ProSeries platform also works with Honeywell Home Indoor MotionViewers that provide motion-detection coverage throughout the residence.
The ProSeries platform also integrates with the homeowners’ favorite smart home brands with the Total Connect app, including lights/dimmers, switches, locks, thermostats, and garage door openers.
What monitoring options are available?
Homeowners can work with their local installation company who will provide the best monitoring solution for each customer. For security dealers, they can keep an eye on the system through Resideo’s AlarmNet 360 cloud services and solutions, the company’s proprietary back-end support platform that offers a seamless installation experience and real-time data insights.
What is the relationship between cloud provider and central station? Will the system support simultaneous cell signal forwarding to the central station and RS232 communications to a control system?
The system has the ability to deliver alarm signals to the central station by using Wi-Fi, LTE, or a combination of both, in case one communication path is down. It does not support RS-232 third-party integration.
What dealer programs do you offer?
The focus of Resideo’s Premier Security Dealer program is to drive the growth of its members’ businesses. It is a long-standing tradition that started over 30 years ago with the development of the First Alert Professional program.
The Resideo Premier Security Dealer program incorporates those principles of life safety and community service and adds the marketing enablement and sales tools dealers need to be competitive in the connected home market. It offers education and dealer training, networking, sales/dealer engagement, lead generation through social media content and customized collateral, and various Dealer Development Symposiums.
What else should a dealer know about your smart security system?
Professional security dealers applauded the seamless combination of hardware, software, and back-end surveillance capabilities that allow for remote service. Named for and designed for the pro, the ProSeries platform helps dealers win more customers, keep them longer, and drive more profits/efficiencies.
From an entry-level security system to a fully integrated smart home solution, the ProSeries platform offers dealers that serve residential and small businesses a complete, end-to-end solution, and expands Resideo’s overall portfolio of connected security solutions and services.
Built on a common platform, security dealers can learn one system and know them all for easy installation and support. The platform was designed to help dealers win more customers, retain them longer, and drive more profit. The expanded line of sensors and life-safety devices are interchangeable across the entire platform to help reduce inventory and training costs, and user-replaceable parts provide added convenience and help to reduce truck rolls. Additionally, the new system features a modular design with expansion modules, allowing dealers to buy only what they need to help drive down operating costs.
