Compared to the other things you own, your home or business, is one of your biggest investments. The investment needs to be protected not just with insurance but with a reliable security system. Add to that video surveillance for those hours where your not actively there. Security is not expensive, as it’s another investment in protection and deterrence. The question is what form of security system do I need? Do I go hardwired or wireless? Well for fixed business locations, hardwired is the best option for several reasons.
Hardwired system don’t need to count on batteries for every point of protection. Copper wires don’t fail on there own, they don’t age out or break down over time. Wires, if properly installed, will offer decades of reliable service from all of your perimeter and interior detection devices. The only points of failure will be the actual detecting device* it’s self (*motion detectors, glass break detectors, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, door and window contacts). More labour intensive to install, the end result is years of trouble free operation. Keep in mind, unlike your vacuum cleaner or toaster, alarm systems are running 24 hours a day 7 days a week whether the alarm system is armed or not.
Wireless options are good for rental locations like town homes, condos or apartments that make running wires more troublesome. Not that these can’t be wired with conventional wired alarm systems, it’s getting permission to do this from the building owner that is usually prohibitive. In commercial settings wireless systems are problematic, again due to the reliance on battery powered devices and the maintenance program involved to keep them functional usually resulting in additional monthly “service program” fees. Wireless should, as our rule, be the last option to protect a location that is difficult or prohibitive to wire.
False alarms can be a real issue, so that comes down to system configuration, and interior detection. Devices just don’t go into alarm for the fun of it, there is always a reason. That being said, there is no such thing as a false alarm, there is always a reason for an alarm to be triggered. This is where the training and knowledge of the station operator and alarm company come into play. A well trained “operator” in the station will see all the alarms coming in from an account, it tells a story, if they know what to look for. A power supply overload signal comes in, before a series of device alarms are received. A good “operator” will see this is a “system problem” and not an actual attack on the premise, they will call the premise then advise the key holder if no answer is received from the premise. They will then advise the alarm company of a potential “service issue” with the account.
Multi strike detection is critical in cutting down false alarms, receiving more than just one signal can tell if it’s an “actual alarm” or a device issue. Case in point, a single zone glass break detection should be validated by another glass break detection from an adjacent zone or interior motion detection by the glass break detector, using device overlap prevents false alarms and false police responses. Your protection is only as good as the technician that installed your system.
We bring this knowledge and experience to every job we do, making sure you have the best possible protection for your specific application.
We sell “alarm systems & camera systems”, we don’t sell toys. That is to say we won’t sell gadgets and do-dads with fancy apps that you get suckered into pay for. We don’t sell “reseller services”, which is also to say we don’t sell Alarm.com crap. We sell and monitor alarm systems designed with one sole purpose, to protect your investment(s). Alarm.com works like this, alarm companies sign up to be resellers of their products, that also means you are paying for more than basic alarm monitoring when your using their app. You are also stuck with your service provider, you can’t just cancel and go to another company when they drop the ball. Not without it costing you in equipment replacement due to “locked” devices and panels.
Qolosys systems are sold by Telus and other Alarm.com vendors, they are wireless and are proprietary to Telus and Alarm.com. So if you have been “upgraded” to one of these systems because your alarm system is “outdated”, you have just been suckered (sorry, true story though). Chances are good there was nothing wrong with your existing system, they just wanted to do two things. One get you signed up for a 3 year agreement, two, restrict you from changing companies by installing proprietary equipment that they alone can monitor.