Last Updated on 19 February 2021.

The solution you need for total control and peace of mind… 

Smart security is changing the way we manage our homes and commercial buildings.

There are dozens of devices on the market now to help us curtail crime and keep an eye out when we’re not there.

So, if you’ve got an intruder alarm, then you need to read this…(we’ve written this for businesses, but it can also be applied to your home security solution).

Intruder and burglar alarms are designed to suit your individual premises and require a lot of strategic planning (from where to place detectors to the type of detectors to use to prevent frequent false alarms, and more), but at the end of the day, no matter how sophisticated the system is…they’re only useful if someone can actually hear the alarm to enable them to investigate and report to the police.

So, right now, if you have an intruder alarm in your premises but you’ve got no way of monitoring it or being alerted if it’s been activated, then you’re missing a fundamental trick. There are two solutions you can choose from (but there’s nothing stopping you from also having both):

1. Install alarm monitoring

2. Control your alarm via your mobile app

Installing Alarm Monitoring

Your personal line to the fuzz…

Alarm monitoring for your burglar alarm means that your system is connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). Should the alarm be activated, the ARC will do one of two things: 1) call one or any number of designated keyholders and/or 2) alert the police. (The same can be done for fire alarms, whereby the fire brigade will be called to attend.) It depends how you want your alarm set up.

Many often require monitoring to be set-up for an emergency services response by their insurance (often determined by the contents of the building, such as sensitive data, high value stock and equipment, etc.). Others simply enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that if an intrusion takes places, the police will be on their way within moments of the alarm going off, helping to minimise the damage or loss, and increasing the chances of catching and arresting the perpetrator.

Connecting your alarm to the emergency services via an ARC is a fantastic solution, but those who take it on must know that three consecutive false alarms resulting in police attendances means they’ll have their monitoring privileges revoked for a period of six months (this doesn’t usually happen with ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the alarm by your security company, i.e. us!).

Popular device makes for monitoring include Dualcom (CSL Group) and BT Redcare.

You can simply connect your alarm to the ARC for a key holder response only, without the option for emergency services attending upon activating, however if this is the case, you might find the below is an even better solution for you…

Controlling Your Intruder Alarm With Your Mobile App

Stay secure with a single tApp!

Many business owners and managers and now turning to smart technology to control their premises.

Take one of our customers, Maria, an office manager for an IT company…

Maria required a solution which alerted her if the alarm was ever activated while the building is empty but didn’t want the ongoing cost of monitoring. Plus, she liked the idea that she could get notifications, and have the ability to arm and disarm the office from her phone, which is also handy to avoid disturbing nearby residential neighbours or the building landlord. She could even see if and when members of staff were arriving and leaving work.

This need arose following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown in March, which suddenly meant that Maria had no eyes on her building whilst she and other staff members were working at home.

Click here for 15 tips to protect your business during the Coronavirus pandemic.

WFP carried out a full system upgrade to accommodate these requirements, which meant that the intruder alarm could be connected to and controlled via a mobile app. In just a couple of days, Maria went from feeling blind and unprotected to nothing short of a demigod!

Plus, there’s no doubt that this solution will continue to be a lifesaver once we all return to work, as she’ll still need an eye on her premises at night, during weekends and when she’s away (finally!) sunning it up on a beach, once we’re all allowed to once again.

This is what Maria had to say:

WFP came on site recently to upgrade our existing intruder alarm system for our building after contact with our current maintainer confirmed they were closed due to the virus. We had an old key entry intruder alarm system with no monitoring capabilities, which was still working well, however with the Covid lockdown in place and our staff working from home, we decided we needed the ability to have access to the intruder alarm remotely. Rather than being called out during the lockdown period, we would be able to be notified of any alarm condition and re-set, set and disarm the alarm from an app.

Having designed a system to our specific requirements, the engineers turned up on time and with everything they required to do the job. They worked extremely quickly and efficiently observing the correct social distancing guidelines. Once they were finished, they explained how to arm and disable the intruder alarm and ran a series of tests. Everything worked as it should, explanations given were helpful and precise. We are very happy with the new installation.

Going Smart with Intruder Alarm Apps

There are a number of different alarm types which now accommodate mobile app pairing. The above case study used a Texecom intruder alarm system, accessories and mobile app. Others in the market include Honeywell and Pyronix (Hikvision).

Intruder alarms typically need replacing every 10 years. They can sometimes last longer if maintained well, but often the need for an upgrade is due to products becoming dated or obsolete/unsupported. (Imagine only 10 years ago in 2010, the Apple iPad was first introduced, kickstarting the “tablet” fad, which turns out is no longer just a fad as we’ve pretty much all got them today! A lot can change in 10 years…)

So, if your intruder alarm has been crying out for an upgrade, take the opportunity to get smart.

And if you need any help or advice, please get in touch!

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