Category M1 Cellular – Why is it Important?
There’s a lot of buzz about the internet-of-things (IoT) these days, and the largest companies in the world are starting to get into the act. In all the excitement, it’s easy to conclude that this concept of transferring data from homes to remote locations is a new idea. In reality, the security industry has been practicing this basic functionality for many decades. Starting in the 1960s with the ability to transfer data acoustically over telephone lines, the Security Industry has been in the “IoT” business. We just didn’t know what it was called!
Security continues to cast a large shadow in the IoT space. IDC estimates that Smart Security, which is the convergence of security, video, and home automation, will increase its share of “Smart Home Device” shipments from 39.7% in 2019 to 54.1% in 2023. Similarly, in the commercial space, security applications continue to have a strong and growing presence. In recent years, cellular networks have been the communication channel of choice for security manufacturers and integrators. This paper discusses recent developments in cellular IoT, and how the Connect™ Family of products from Alula takes advantage of the many benefits offered by these new technologies.
Alula’s Enhanced Website and Tagline Reinforce The Company’s Dealer Focus
ST. PAUL, MINN. (PRWEB) JANUARY 14, 2020
Alula, the leader in smart security and automation systems for professional installers and the award-winning inventors of the Connect+ platform, doubled down on its commitment to professional security installers by making them the centerpiece of the company’s new tagline and website.
Previously known for “Simplifying Security,” Alula has reinvented its tagline for 2020 and will now highlight “Professional Smart Security.” While ease of installation is still an important part of Alula’s value to customers, the new tagline further emphasizes that Alula only sells to professional installers and differentiates it from the slew of DIY offerings that have crowded the marketplace.
“Over the past few short years, we have seen a number of marketing companies enter the security space with DIY offerings that go around the professionals who made this business great,” says Alula CEO Brian McLaughlin. “Alula was built on and has always been committed to maintaining a partnership with the professional dealer and installer community. We still believe that the best security is provided by local professionals.”
As the smart home security industry enters a new decade, Alula’s goal is to clearly represent its unique position in the marketplace, and more importantly, the company’s trusted partnership with installers. As the tagline suggests, Alula puts “Professional” first.
Along with the new tagline, Alula launched a new website at https://Alula.com (previously at alula.net.) Like the new tagline, the refreshed website is an expression of Alula’s professional-first mindset. The website, designed specifically for professional security installers, includes several tools and programs to enhance profitability. Among the new features:
- An interactive demo showing the breadth of Alula’s solutions
- Easy access to all key info for product features, SKUs, and technical sheets
- Rebate programs for professionals to help them capture new business
- A newly launched program that rewards referrals
- Resources that include install guides and a robust library of webinars
“Alula is the first all-in-one hardware and interactive services provider that is 100% focused on professional partners,” says McLaughlin. “This refresh of the Alula brand puts our partners front and center and reminds their customers of the value of hiring a trusted local security consultant.”
ABOUT ALULA
Alula is the only vertically integrated security and home automation platform purpose-built for today’s independent security and installation professionals. From sensors to hub to network, Alula offers a complete, end-to-end solution and one accountable partner. Today, thousands of partners across North America have nearly 300,000 active locations secured and connected with Alula. Designed for professionals, the Alula platform provides a complete security, automation and video solution for renters, homeowners and commercial installations. Alula is a business-driven platform designed to reduce truck rolls, increase RMR, simplify inventory and put today’s professional providers in control of their business, their customers and their revenue. The Alula platform is available nationwide through distributors that cater to the alarm and integrator industry. For more information about Alula, visit https://alula.com.
Alula Awarded Product of the Year for BAT-Connect at Consumer Electronics Show
Alula, the leader in smart security and automation systems for professional installers and the award-winning inventors of the Connect+ platform, announced the BAT-Connect communicator has won the Mark of Excellence Award for Security and Surveillance Product of the Year at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The award recognizes the best new or improved security and video surveillance products.
Launched in the back half of 2019, this is the 5th award Alula’s BAT-Connect communicator has won — affirming the market need for a device that allows dealers an efficient and effective way to takeover or upgrade a residential smart home system.
More than a basic communicator, this intuitive device connects intrusion security, video and automation with the award-winning Alula Smartphone App, bringing interactive features to legacy security systems. Fueled by the secure Alula network, system control is delivered instantly to Apple and Android smartphones as well as Alula’s new Slimline Touchpad.
“We’re honored to be recognized by the Consumer Technology Association for BAT-Connect, one of the latest in the Connect family of products,” explained Alula VP of Engineering Paul Saldin. “The BAT-Connect allows a security system to become smart, integrated and automated. There is a real need to bring these new interactive features to legacy systems. BAT-Connect is also great for new installs and allows our customers to standardize their entire business on a secure and fully integrated offering.”
BAT-Connect is the first communicator with three paths of communication, including the first to use Cat-M1 cellular, the communications path optimized for the Internet of Things. With the use of Cat-M1 cellular technology, the BAT-Connect not only rescues 3G and CDMA cellular systems from the impending sunset, it also will bridge the gap to 5G and keep running long into the future.
“Cellular sunsets have long been a major problem for security professionals, and we aim to help them stop wasting time and money by updating systems every time cellular providers decide to harvest network bandwidth optimized for cell phones,” says Russell Vail, Alula’s Executive Vice President of Market Development and an industry-leading expert on cellular sunsets. “We have to get this industry out of this crazy loop where we keep repeating the same behavior and expecting different results. The BAT-Connect is a game changer that solves sunsets once and for all.”
ABOUT ALULA
Alula is the only vertically integrated security and home automation platform purpose-built for today’s independent security and installation professionals. From sensors to hub to network, Alula offers a complete, end-to-end solution and one accountable partner. Today, thousands of partners across North America have nearly 300,000 active locations secured and connected with Alula. Designed for professionals, the Alula platform provides a complete security, automation and video solution for renters, homeowners and commercial installations. Alula is a business-driven platform designed to reduce truck rolls, increase RMR, simplify inventory and put today’s professional providers in control of their business, their customers and their revenue. The Alula platform is available nationwide through distributors that cater to the alarm and integrator industry. For more information about the BAT-Connect, visit https://alula.com/communicators/bat-connect/. For more information about Alula, visit https://www.alula.com.
Eight steps forward and one sideways for the security industry
The security business is in the midst of upheaval, with tech giants like Google and Amazon offering consumers the tools to set up and operate their own secure smart homes. And, the rise of IoT gadgets is further redefining the industry. However, if the last several decades serve as a guide, change and upheaval are the norm for security professionals. New technologies shift solutions and business models, and give both installing dealers and consumers new opportunities and experiences.
Nest, Ring and other products are just the latest in a long series of developments that have changed the way security professionals approach the market. To put recent disruptions into the proper context, I offer eight other technology changes that altered—and ultimately enriched—the security industry:
1. Wireless obsoletes wires
Security installers used to run wires from the basement of a customer’s home and throughout the house to connect components to the alarm system panel. It was a complex, time-consuming process.
With the availability of reliable wireless sensors, installers were suddenly able to set up a system in a fraction of the time. While the charge for equipment went up, it was offset by a greater reduction in labor cost. This faster installation meant dealers could install more systems in a day, which was the initial opening that enabled volume security.
(ITI introduced its patented Learn Mode as the first reliable, simple-to-install wireless to the security industry in the early 1990s. Ademco eventually followed with their 5800 series, which set off a patent battle.)
2. Self-contained panels make it all-in-one
Even after wireless eliminated sensor wires, home security systems still required wires to connect the keypad user interface to the CPU. The self-contained panel solved this by bringing the UI and the CPU together into a single unit. This was the other major disruption that cut dealer labor costs by enabling multiple installations in a day.
In addition, reliable wireless initiated the security business-model pivot from the labor and equipment revenue focus to a monthly monitoring revenue focus. And the low-labor, rapid installs catalyzed the fast-paced door-to-door summer sales model, spearheaded by APX, which ultimately became Vivint.
(In 1996, ITI introduced Simon, the first high-volume, self-contained panel to both the dealer and the summer sales markets. Ademco, which eventually became Honeywell, followed with Lynx.)
2.5 The cellular setback
Self-contained panels brought on a problem. Since they needed to be mounted where the consumer would interact with the panel, they were no longer near the alarm panel’s communication link, which to this point, had been the phone line. Traditional panels were mounted in utility areas next to the phone line. But now, self-contained panels need to be 100 percent outfitted with cellular communication.
Cellular added significantly to the cost of account creation and maintenance. Likewise, cellular technology requires expensive updates, and most companies also need to set aside approximately $5 per month, per account, to fund the cost imposed by the next cellular technology sunset, including parts, labor and lost opportunity.
3. Interactive services enrich the experience
Consumers were accustomed to basic arm/disarm control of home security systems via keypads on the wall. Then, early interactive services introduced control of security and basic automation remotely from computers or phones. However, the convergence of interactive services with the smartphone changed everything.
The screens of iPhones and other mobile devices offered users a rich user interface, enhancing the ability to control their systems remotely. This combination enabled dealers to increase their revenue by offering additional services, and the trend continues as more homeowners seek to control their lighting systems, video doorbells, thermostats and other smart gadgets via their phones. Interactive services dramatically increased the recurring revenue value of saleable alarm contracts, which had been launched by Monitronics and ADT in the late 1990s.
(MicroStrategy (which became Alarm.com) started working with Interlogix (formerly ITI) in 2000 to integrate interactive services into both the Simon and Concord panels. Alarm.com was launched on Interlogix panels in 2003. Note: this 16-year-old innovation is shutting down at the end of 2019.)
4. Old systems get in touch
As interactive services and the smartphone user interface expanded the consumers’ user experience, control panel manufacturers were under pressure to give a similarly rich experience at the panel. This led to the shift from keypads and small LCD screens to the now pervasive touchscreen on front of a self-contained panel. The richer, touch-based screen paralleled the smartphone experience, supporting increased consumer perceptions of usefulness and value.
(2GIG launched the GoControl touchscreen self-contained panel in 2009.)
5. Translating the past to the present
Historically, homeowners that already had security systems were viewed as unlikely candidates for system sales. However, the opposite proved true; if they are near or past the end of their previous service contract, they are often open to enhanced services from a new provider. But the existence of the old system inhibited the sale, as the homeowners felt they were buying yet another system, and the dealer couldn’t take advantage of the existing system.
Enter the innovative Translators, solving this by keeping all the existing wireless sensors in place, and translating the signals to the dealer’s new high-functionality panel. Taking over existing accounts with Translators became a deliberate business model for many dealers.
(Resolution Products (now Alula) launched and the patented wireless Translator line in 2010.)
6. First telephone, then cellular, now internet
Early in the industry, alarm signaling used public telephone lines and when cellular arrived, it provided backup communications. But with landlines disappearing and cellular communications gradually taking over, the sunsets of various wireless standards present a new problem. To the rescue is IP communications over internet connections. The IP connection means constant, reliable, sunset-proof connectivity, which is of growing importance as IoT devices drive the internet as the primary home technology channel. In the U.S., we see almost 90 percent penetration of reliable broadband in our market which wasn’t true just 10 years ago.
(IP Datatel (now Alula) pioneered the Broadband Alarm Transceiver (BAT), IP-based alarm communicators, in 2007.)
7. The hub: sitting at the source
Self-contained panels combined the UI and the CPU into a single unit, which sped up installations. But two forces pushed towards the hub-architected panel. First, the self-contained panel demanded mounting in user-convenient locations, nowhere near the phone lines. This drove the Cellular Setback (mentioned earlier), with its $100 burden, and still provided no backup. Second, the smartphone was solidifying as the primary user interface. So, the hub-based panel was launched, locating the CPU next to the IP connection, and leveraging the smartphone as the predominant user interface. If cellular was used, it was the consumer’s desire for backup, not the dealer’s cost of connection.
(Resolution Products (now Alula) launched and patented the Helix hub-based panel in 2014, which is now the Connect+.)
8. Instant upgrade for old panels
With recent product introductions, dealers will be able to maximize their revenue by breathing new life into traditional security panels. New innovation enables old panels to participate in all the industry’s automation and video advancements, as well as provide the ability to replace every old keypad in a house with new, rich interface touchpads. In this way, installers can offer their customers dramatically advanced functionality that won’t sunset along with cellular standards, which are outfitted for today’s new IoT devices.
(Alula launched the BAT-Connect in 2019 to lead this transformation of old panels to a modern, interactive experience.)
Summary
Security professionals must remember: constant change and disruption is the norm. The industry has been changed by technology, business models and people. In the security industry, it has frequently been the same people involved in almost all of these disruptions. Rather than setting security professionals back, these changes virtually always open up new opportunities.
The rise of DIY security and the moves of tech giants don’t spell doom for installers. Rather, it’s just the next day in the life of an industry that evolves and grows constantly. If anything, the pace of disruption will continue to accelerate. As the recent shutdown of Interlogix shows, security providers need to continually embrace new technologies and partners who can innovate and help them succeed.
Brian Seemann is an EVP of Alula. He and other Alula principals originate from industry hallmark companies: ITI, Interlogix, GE Security, Resolution Products and IP Datatel. They were instrumental in many, if not most of the major industry changes chronicled in this piece. Connect via LinkedIn.
Four Awards in 2019 – Alula and BAT-Connect Takeover Smart Home Security Market
Alula, the leader in smart security and automation systems for professional installers, has received the 2019 IoT integration award for the BAT-Connect, marking the fourth major industry award for the innovative communicator.
The award was bestowed by industry-leading trade publications CE Pro, Commercial Integrator and Security Sales & Integration during the Total Tech Summit earlier this month, which recognizes technologies and products with breakthrough connectivity and interoperability features for the Internet of Things.
“Internet-enabled electronic devices and systems are flooding the marketplace, and security is no exception,” said Scott Goldfine, editor-in-chief of Security Sales & Integration. “This awards program is unique and exciting in that it salutes those products that are taking the convergence of connected physical and logical security to the next level.”
The BAT-Connect is the successor to the widely-adopted BAT-LTE Communicator, adding home automation capabilities as well as a Cat-M1 cellular, a low-power, low-data technology that maximizes efficiency and offers enhanced coverage for better reach into challenging locations. Cat-M1 is also compatible with 5G, meaning devices won’t be rendered obsolete by the cellular sunset.
This latest award is the fourth time BAT-Connect has been honored this year for innovation. Previous awards include:
- Security Industry Association (SIA) New Product Showcase Award: In Las Vegas at ISC West 2019, Alula’s BAT-Connect was recognized for best new product in the Residential and Monitoring Solutions category. Since its inception in 1979, the SIA New Product Showcase has been the security industry’s premier awards-based marketing program. In 2019, the 30 judges reviewed over 95 entries from more than 80 companies, presenting awards for technologies covering more than 30 product and service categories.
- Electronic Security Expo Innovation Award: At the 2019 ESX show, Alula was awarded the Innovation Award in the Intrusion Systems Category for BAT-Connect. This award recognizes outstanding products and services that drive the electronic security and life-safety industry forward.
- Security Today New Product of the Year Award: This award honors the outstanding product development achievements of security equipment manufacturers whose products are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to improve security. Alula’s BAT-Connect Communicator won in the Intrusion Detection & Prevention Solutions category. Winners received awards and were recognized at GSX in September in Chicago.
“We’re blown away by the immediate interest, rapid adoption and support for the BAT-Connect Communicator,” said Brian McLaughlin, CEO at Alula. “Security dealers are demanding trusted products that allow them to address the ever-evolving smart home security space. Aging installations can cost dealers money to support, limit new revenue opportunities and become a liability when old cellular networks no longer support the innovation that homeowners expect today. With the simple-to-install BAT-Connect, security dealers have an easy upgrade for the nearly 15 million compatible security systems online today.”
About Alula
Alula is the only vertically integrated security and home automation platform purpose-built for today’s independent security and installation professionals. From sensors to hub to network, Alula offers a complete, end-to-end solution and one accountable partner. Today, thousands of partners across North America have nearly 300,000 active locations secured and connected with Alula. Designed for professionals, the Alula platform provides a complete security, automation and video solution for renters, homeowners and commercial installations. Alula is a business-driven platform designed to reduce truck rolls, increase RMR, simplify inventory and put today’s professional providers in control of their business, their customers and their revenue. The Alula platform is available nationwide through distributors that cater to the alarm and integrator industry.
Alula Launches New Touchpad With Live Video, 2-Way Talk Capability
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Alula, a provider of smart security and automation systems for professional installers, announces the release of its Slimline touchpad, which offers in-home interactive control for the Connect+ Hub and the BAT-Connect communicator.
The seven-inch touchpad enables real-time command of intrusion security, video cameras and automation devices, and can easily be mounted on tabletops or walls with a power supply utilizing existing wiring in the home or business, according to the company.
The device features the same look and functionality of the Alula smartphone app, giving end users a single interface whether they’re home or away.
“Customers expect an intuitive, digital interface that offers them complete visibility and control of their security, video and home automation,” says Brian McLaughlin, CEO of Alula. “With the Slimline touchpad, security pros will be able to offer a sleek, beautiful control panel that can be placed anywhere in the house, on the wall or any flat surface.”
The Slimline touchpad controls every aspect of a modern security system, delivering an at-a-glance view of video feeds, Z-Wave devices and intrusion and environmental sensors, according to the company.
When paired with the Alula video doorbell, customers receive a notification when someone rings the bell and can then answer the door on their Slimline touchpad and engage with the visitor.
The device pairs with a BAT-Connect communicator to update legacy security panels that previously featured an old fashioned keypad. The Slimline touchpad is also integrated with Alula’s Connect+, the security video and automation hub that is tailored onsite to serve the unique needs of each customer, or which can arrive fully loaded for optimal ease of installation and use, according to the company.
Alula says Connect+ is the only security hub that incorporates Cat-M1, the low-power, low-data technology that maximizes efficiency of the 4G LTE cellular communication path, offering enhanced coverage for better reach into challenging locations. Cat-M1 will also be compatible with 5G, meaning devices won’t be rendered obsolete by the cellular sunset.
Alula Launches New Touchpad With Live Video, 2-Way Talk Capability
Interlogix shutdown creates an opportunity
Security integrators were caught off guard by the sudden announcement that UTC’s Interlogix division – one of the most popular brands in the industry – would be shutting down by the end of the year (see www.securityinfowatch.com article); in fact, integrators and long-time Interlogix customers may be wondering what their next move should be.
In the security business, the integrator’s next step should always be taken with a nod toward the future – not what has been done in the past; thus, integration businesses should see the shutdown as an opportunity to grow their business into the future.
Instead of looking around for a new hardware partner to replace the one they lost, integrators should seize this moment to make the move to a streamlined, vertically-integrated solution that encompasses both hardware and software. This will prepare integrators for a future that is predicted to include much more disruption, from both inside and outside the industry.
The Past as a Guide
Many of the integrators affected by the Interlogix shutdown are used to upheaval; in fact, many of these businesses were actually built during, or even because of, major industry disruptions. Such changes ultimately helped integrators increase their revenue by simplifying installation. Here are a few recent examples:
The introduction of reliable wireless technology meant integrators were suddenly able to set up a system in a fraction of the time it took to run wires. Additionally, the creation of self-contained panels brought the User Interface and the CPU together into a single unit, cutting labor costs and enabling multiple installations in a day. The low-labor, rapid installs that wireless and self-contained panels enabled gave rise to the fast-paced door-to-door summer sales model (another disruption) that ultimately folded back into the standard professional model.
With the launch of interactive services and the smartphone came remote control, as well as the addition of a range of services that ultimately meant more revenue for integrators, and a more engaged consumer user base.
These were seismic changes that felt disruptive at the time, but in the end they left forward-looking integrators in a stronger position. The integrators that did not embrace those disruptions are not in business today.
More Disruption Ahead
The Interlogix shutdown is the latest example of disruption coming from within the industry. This trend is likely to continue, as companies continue to innovate and change the way integrators do business; and there is more disruption coming – some of it from outside the industry. Tech giants like Google and Amazon are releasing smart security products that claim to blend seamlessly with the tech-enabled home of the future, and consumers are paying attention.
These new developments, coupled with the looming sunset of the 4G LTE standard, feel like gathering storm clouds for the security integrator, who must grapple with technologies going obsolete at the same time tech giants are invading their turf.
The industry has weathered plenty of storms in the past, and there’s no reason that integrators can’t once again come out in a stronger position.
Preparing for the Future
High RMR, lowered installation costs and reliability have always been the building blocks of successful security integration firms. Now that tech giants are bearing down on the security space, what is the more feasible approach for maintaining those principles: a vertically integrated solution or a two-way arrangement with network provider and a separate hardware provider?
Major tech is appealing to consumers with seamless, vertically integrated solutions; but security businesses can do this as well, in fact, many forward-looking companies already are. The Interlogix shutdown is an opportunity for integrators who are still using separate services and hardware providers to make this move, instead of looking for a new hardware partner that will help them cling to an aging business model.
The old model was all about a common interactive services provider rolling out features, distributing their development efforts and feature roadmap more or less equally amongst all the hardware players. It has been difficult for any one hardware player to distinguish itself substantially from the rest, and new developments tend to come slowly.
The future of this business is all about leveraging the full hardware/services stack. There are multiple benefits to an elegantly-designed system, as opposed to two parts glued together.
With new entrants in the market, consumers will expect a comprehensive and seamless experience – not so different from driving a great car. The dashboard should be wonderful, but beneath it there must be an amazing suspension system that absorbs all the bumps, turns and uncertainties the road can deliver. Bottom line is: the best of class services and best in class hardware are the ones that were designed together.
The hardware solutions integrators choose must enable the security integrator to continue to deliver a smooth solution for a long time to come. The shutdown of Interlogix was one more surprise in an industry that’s full of surprises and disruptions. Hopefully, integrators will see this moment as the opportunity it really is.
Brian Seemann is EVP of Operations Development for Alula. He was formerly VP of Engineering for GE-Interlogix. Connect with him via LinkedIn, at www.linkedin.com/in/brianseemann. Request more info about Alula at www.securityinfowatch.com/ .
Cloud-to-cloud connection between leading security platforms enables best-of-breed capability sets for alarm and access across commercial real estate portfolios.
BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Brivo, the global leader in cloud-based physical security solutions, and Alula, the award-winning inventors of the BAT-Connect communicator and the Connect+ intrusion and automation platform, announced today a cloud-to-cloud integration partnership between their respective platforms to provide unified access control and intrusion capabilities for the commercial market.
The newly announced partnership will provide Brivo customers with single-point control and monitoring of key alarm functions and intrusion reporting data. This delivers a true UL-compliant security package and ensures alarm signals are reported from both intrusion and access platforms.
Customers will be able to arm and disarm their Alula-enabled intrusion systems from within the Brivo Onair web UI or the Brivo Onair Mobile Administrator app, available on both iOS and Android. The Onair activity log and reporting tools will also include event data from the intrusion system to provide a single source of truth for system administrators and GSOC operators.
“We see this as an important extension of our platform to provide simply better security to our customers, with a maintenance-free cloud-to-cloud API integration that leaves all the technical details to us so that integrators can install and configure both systems quickly in the field,” said Steve Van Till, President and CEO of Brivo. “What we like about Alula is that, like us, they are a hybrid IP-native product and cloud company that provides extensive connectivity to over 100 of the top independent central stations, which is what we need to cover the needs of our 1,000+ dealers and resellers.”
The breadth and flexibility of Alula’s product line made it a natural fit for the partnership. Between the award-winning Connect+ hub and the newly launched BAT-Connect communicator, Alula offers intrusion and automation solutions for every potential small business scenario, from new installs, upgrades and takeovers, including popular panels from Honeywell and DSC.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Brivo on this important integration in the commercial small business market,” said Brian McLaughlin, CEO of Alula. “Our solutions perfectly complement each other and will greatly simplify employee management services, giving customers the best of both worlds.”
About Alula
Alula is the only security platform that delivers security simplified for independent security dealers and installers and the customers who rely on their service and expertise. Today, thousands of dealers across North America have over 250,000 active locations secured and connected with Alula. Designed for professional security professionals, the Alula platform provides a complete security, alarm, video and automation solution for renters, homeowners and commercial installations. Alula is a business-driven security platform designed to reduce truck rolls, increase RMR, simplify inventory and put dealers in control of their business, their customers and their revenue. The Alula platform is available nationwide through distributors that cater to the alarm and integrator industry. http://www.alula.net
About Brivo
Brivo is the global leader in cloud-based security and property management solutions for commercial and multifamily properties that simplify security interactions for property managers, tenants, employees, and visitors. With over 15 million users and 1,000 authorized dealers, our SaaS platform has been unifying the security experience across access control, mobile credentials, video surveillance, identity federation, visitor management, intercoms, and elevator control since 2002. Hundreds of software partners and end users use our APIs and SDKs to extend our solutions to unique vertical market offerings. More than ten years of SOC audits underscore our commitment to protecting customer privacy and data security. Brivo is privately held and headquartered in Bethesda, MD. http://www.brivo.com
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brivo-alula-join-forces-integrated-130000585.html
Alula Offers Connect-XT to Extend the Life of Popular Simon Panels after Interlogix Shutdown
ST. PAUL, MINN. (PRWEB) OCTOBER 16, 2019 — Alula, the leader in smart security and automation systems for professional installers, announced it will keep popular Simon panels by Interlogix operating far into the future with the introduction of a sunset fix that features the latest in cellular radio technology, Cat-M1.
Connect-XT easily upgrades Simon XT, XTi and XTi5 panels to a modern, interactive security experience, adding smartphone control to these legacy security panels. The Connect-XT replaces 3G CDMA or GSM cards that will cease to function with the pending 3G cellular sunset.
The new cellular card interacts with the Simon panel serial automation interface, providing full sensor status, system status and arming controls. Connect-XT features Cat-M1 LTE radio technology, which provides improved range from tower to panel over traditional LTE, allowing for more flexibility in difficult installations where cell signals struggle to penetrate.
“Like the rest of the industry, we were surprised by the announcement of the pending closure of Interlogix,” said Alula Vice President of Product Management, Dave Mayne. “Our focus is on helping dealers impacted by this to have an elegant and cost-effective transition path going forward and offer them a solution for Sunset and panel upgrades that will help them continue doing business smoothly.”
In addition to improved performance over older LTE technologies being shipped by most manufacturers, Cat-M1 also brings the advantage of 5G compatibility. This means that dealers installing Cat-M1 cellular cards today can be confident that they will be supported by cellular carriers long into the future
Connect-XT communicates alarm signals over Cat-M1 via Verizon or AT&T, and is available in versions with or without Z-Wave automation. Customers with Simon panels installed can easily upgrade to a fully automated home with video monitoring, including the popular Video Doorbell, using the new card, even if they are still using landlines.
Alula’s popular Sunset rebate program will apply to Simon upgrades as well. Eligible installers can receive up to $50 when they replace a Sunset-prone Simon radio with the new Connect-XT, helping relieve the burden imposed on installers by the sudden shutdown.
ABOUT ALULA
Alula is the only vertically integrated security and home automation platform purpose-built for today’s independent security and installation professionals. From sensors to hub to network, Alula offers a complete, end-to-end solution and one accountable partner. Today, thousands of partners across North America have nearly 300,000 active locations secured and connected with Alula. Designed for professionals, the Alula platform provides a complete security, automation and video solution for renters, homeowners and commercial installations. Alula is a business-driven platform designed to reduce truck rolls, increase RMR, simplify inventory and put today’s professional providers in control of their business, their customers and their revenue. The Alula platform is available nationwide through distributors that cater to the alarm and integrator industry. For more information about the Connect+ platform, visit https://alula.net/connect/. For more information about Alula, visit http://www.alula.net.
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