Alarm systems today have evolved
to do much more than just help protect your home and family. Thanks to advanced interactive services, they let you feel
not just protected, but connected.
Today, I’m going to talk about how these systems have evolved to keep you more connected with your home, specifically through remote arming and disarming, and notifications.
Remote Arming and Disarming
Traditional alarm technology can only be controlled while you’re at home – you can arm and disarm, check status and perhaps a few more functions. But once you leave home, you’re completely out of touch.
Remote control means easy access to your alarm system from the office, on a business trip or when you’re on vacation, using your smart phone or any web-enabled device.
That means
you’re in charge from your smartphone:
- Forget to arm your alarm system in the morning? (I’ve done that!) Use the easy app on your iPhone, Android, or Blackberry device to arm your system from the
car, or from your desktop when you get to work.
- Need to let someone in the house (plumber, electrician, dog walker)? Remotely disarm the system any time, and then arm it when they leave.
Password-protected and encrypted access to your system means you (and anyone you designate) are the only ones who can perform these remote functions.
Know What’s Happening When it Happens
The best alarm systems can now keep you
informed of anything happening at home.
In addition to alerting you of an unwanted intrusion, your system should also alert you when the kids got home from school or when the dog walker showed up.
Lost Power? No problem. My brother once lost power at his California home while on vacation, but he had a Frontpoint system. He didn’t set up his notifications, but I got the alert and called him in Colorado to let him know. He immediately went online to set up his alerts.
How Do Notifications Work?
Every time a sensor in your home is activated, it sends a signal to your alarm control panel and the control panel forwards that signal to you over the cellular link.
You can get alerts each time a door opens, or a motion sensor is activated. And you can even put a
Door and Window Sensor on “sensitive” locations like a medicine cabinet, liquor closet or gun safe. Additionally, “no-show” alerts can notify you by text or email if your alarm system is NOT disarmed in a specified window of time. This is a great solution to ensure that kids are getting home on time after school.
Interactive services are extremely handy and convenient,
try them out yourself!
