News Posts

According to the September/October 2020 Security Market Index (SMI) released by the Security Industry Association (SIA), confidence is returning to the industry following the global health pandemic. Surveyed SIA members currently feel more positive about the industry than in recent months.

Selected SIA members were asked how they would rate current business conditions in the security industry. The options of "Excellent", "Good", "Average", "Fair", and "Poor" were available. The idea was to get a good gauge of the current industry outlook for security professionals. The table below outlines the submitted responses for this question.

According to these results, nearly two-thirds of surveyed security professionals view current industry conditions as "Excellent" or "Good". And perhaps equally as encouraging is the fact that none of the responding SIA members reported viewing the current industry conditions as "Poor". Needless to say, this paints a very positive current outlook for the security industry.

Back in April, we discussed how the DIY security industry was remaining strong in the face of the pandemic. We cited how well companies like ours were able to weather the storm and adapt to the changing times. At Alarm Grid, we provide all of our support online and over the phone. This makes our company best-suited for meeting the unique needs of our customers in an era of social distancing. Now it appears that the rest of the industry is catching up.

Alarm Grid is happy to see that many security professionals feel as confident in the industry as we do. We know that our company remains in a position to thrive, even as others face potential uncertainty in these unique times. Providing top-quality alarm monitoring service is as important as ever, and we will continue doing our part to meet the needs of all our clients. This includes our long-time customers, as well as those who are just now getting started.

If you are interested in joining the Alarm Grid family as a monitored customer, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We will be happy to work with you in determining the best security system and monitoring plan for your needs. Remember that we check email during our usual business hours of 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

If you follow this blog regularly, then you probably already know about the significance of the 3G and CDMA Sunset. Now, Alarm.com is taking their own steps to demonstrate the urgency by listing a "Trouble" status condition next to all 3G and CDMA accounts on the alarm dealer end.

Alarm dealers like Alarm Grid who provide service with Alarm.com will notice a "Trouble" status condition next to all customer accounts who are still connected using an AT&T 3G or a Verizon CDMA Communicator. The purpose of this trouble condition is so that dealers can properly notify end users who need to upgrade to LTE to avoid a loss of service. Cellular service providers are expected to shut down older 3G and CDMA Networks in 2022.

When a cellular network is shut down, all cellular devices designed to connect with the network will stop working. This includes cellular communicators for security systems. The 3G and CDMA shutdown will inevitably affect countless security systems across the country. Anyone still using a system with a 3G, 4G, or CDMA Communicator is heavily urged to upgrade to LTE as soon as possible.

While this news does not impact end users in any manner (including those still using 3G or CDMA), it does go to show how important this issue is. We have been doing our part by informing users about the importance of upgrading. Recently, our marketing team even sent out emails to customers still lagging behind to try and get the word out. We have also been regularly blogging about the subject.

Fortunately, most users with a 3G or CDMA Communicator can simply swap out their existing communicator for a new LTE model. The term LTE stands for "Long-Term Evolution", and an LTE communicator will keep your system online well into the very distant future. You may have heard about the rise of 5G cellular communication and think that LTE will soon be outdated as well. But the truth is that LTE will serve as a valuable backup to 5G. Both AT&T and Verizon have promised to keep their LTE networks online for many, many years, possibly decades.

If you need assistance finding an LTE communicator for your security system, then we are more than happy to help. We urge you to not wait until the last minute, as many users will be trying to upgrade at the same time. Upgrading early helps prevent a logjam when it comes to be crunch time later on, and it greatly reduces the burden on us. Please, contact us with your panel information, and we will assist you in making a seamless transition.

The best way to contact us regarding LTE upgrades is to email support@alarmgrid.com. If you are currently monitored with Alarm Grid, then we will be able to pull up your panel info. But if you are looking to switch to Alarm Grid, then please provide us with a picture of your alarm panel. This includes a picture of the inner circuit board if you have a hardwired panel. Remember, we check email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Alarm Grid has discovered a recent manufacturing mistake that has affected some Honeywell 5822T Garage Tilt Sensor units. The issue has resulted in the internal tilt detector for the affected units being positioned upside-down. We apologize to anyone who may have received an affected unit.

Inside every Honeywell 5822T is a pair of cylindrical metal pieces. These metal pieces represent the sensor's internal tilt detector that is used to determine whether the garage door that is being monitored is opened or closed. Because of a recent manufacturing error, the internal tilt detector for these sensors was positioned upside-down.

The following picture shows the tilt detection sensor in the proper position. Note how it is positioned facing the upper portion of the sensor.

And now here is a picture of a Honeywell 5822T where the tilt detector has been positioned improperly. Note how the metal cylindrical pieces are positioned facing the sensor's bottom.

At this time, we are not entirely sure of the date ranges for the affected sensors. So far, we have only seen incorrectly manufactured Honeywell 5822T units with a date code of D227, which represents August 14, 2020. We have also seen newer Honeywell 5822T units with a date code of D255, which represents September 11, 2020 that do not have this issue. Based on that info, it's likely that Resideo has already corrected the mistake in manufacturing, and we are only just now discovering the issue due to reports from customers.

Below is a picture of the date code for one of the improperly manufactured 5822T units. Note that D represents the year 2020, while 227 represents the 227th day of the year, or August 14th, with 2020 being a leap year.

The good news is that the improperly manufactured units are still usable. When using the 5822T as a garage tilt sensor (Loop 3), you just need to mount the unit upside-down so that the internal tilt detector is facing the proper direction. Normally, these devices are mounted at the top of the garage door with the arrow pointing upward. If you find that you have an affected unit, just mount the sensor in the same location with the arrow pointing downward. If you are only using the Honeywell 5822T as a wireless transmitter (Loop 1), then you can position it in any direction, as that function is unaffected by the manufacturing error.

The picture below shows the arrow on the outside of the Honeywell 5822T. The sensor is typically installed with the arrow facing upward, but an affected unit can be used for regular operation by being installed with the arrow facing downward.

If you have any questions about the Honeywell 5822T, please reach out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. This is also a great email to use if you are interested in starting monitoring service with Alarm Grid. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

There will soon be yet another update available for the Alarm.com Mobile App. This time, both the iOS and Android mobile app versions are receiving updates. According to Alarm.com, the new mobile app versions should be made available for free download sometime within the next week.

Alarm.com Mobile App Version 4.16 for iOS will add smart lighting control as a new Siri Shortcut option. This will allow a user to more easily set up their lights so that they can be controlled using Siri Voice Commands. We have found Alarm.com Siri Shortcuts to be very useful for easily controlling one's security system through spoken voice commands. For more info on using Siri Shortcuts with Alarm.com, please check out this prior blog post.

Alarm.com Mobile App Version 4.15 for Android will provide video doorbell support to the Shortcuts feature for the app. This will allow the user to access the live video feed for their Alarm.com Doorbell Camera with a long press of the app launcher icon. This is believed to be similar to the doorbell shortcut for the iOS version that was released in the prior update. In addition, Android users will also gain the ability to set an "Override Do Not Disturb" option to ensure that they do not miss critical alerts from Alarm.com. This option will be available from within the Alarm.com Notifications Page.

As usual, both the new iOS and Android App Versions will also include general stability fixes and improvements to help ensure seamless performance. These new app versions are expected to be made available sometime next week, so keep an eye out for them in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Alarm Grid will provide further updates if we learn anything else. If you have any questions regarding Alarm.com Mobile App Version 4.16 for iOS or Alarm.com Mobile App Version 4.15 for Android, or if you are interested in starting monitoring service for accessing Alarm.com, please do not hesitate to email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

The parent company of 2GIG is rebranding itself. The company will now simply be known as Nortek Control, rather than its previous name of Nortek Security & Control. Nortek is making this change to place an even greater emphasis on the diverse selection of products that it offers.

Nortek is arguably best-known for 2GIG, which focuses mostly on the security industry. This is, of course, the manufacturer of the popular 2GIG GC2e and 2GIG GC3e Alarm Systems. However, it's clear that Nortek wants people to be aware that they offer more than just security and access control products.

President and CEO of Nortek Control Chris Larocca said of the rebranding, "We address a wide range of markets, and we just believed that shoehorning ourselves by calling out one specific segment that we address in the company name really was not conducive to the other markets that we play in."

Nortek Control has product offerings and subsidiary companies in a wide selection of industries, including security, access control, electrical power, audio/video, health & wellness, and analytics. The company recently announced that it would expand its audio business by continuing to grow its SpeakerCraft and Proficient brands.

Alarm Grid carries many Nortek Control products on its website, most notably those from 2GIG. We also offer products from Linear, which is the smart home automation company of Nortek. Alarm Grid has praised many 2GIG and Linear products in the past for their strong build quality. The rebranding should not affect any existing offerings from 2GIG and Linear.

Nortek Control currently operates design and manufacturing centers in North America, Asia, and Europe. The company has millions of customers and clients worldwide, and they plan to continue providing innovative products across various industries. The rebrand also includes a new logo, which is the letter N designed to appear as an oscilloscope or infinity loop.

If you want to learn more about Nortek Control products, specifically those from 2GIG and Linear, then we recommend reaching out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. We are happy to help you find the perfect additions for your security and smart home automation needs. Our hours for checking email run from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Alarm.com has won a 2020 New Product of the Year Award from Security Today for their Wellness Camera, also known as the Alarm.com ADC-V622-WELL. The Alarm.com Wellcam won the award in the Fire & Life-Safety category. We congratulate Alarm.com and their Wellcam for their continued success.

With social distancing guidelines still in effect due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Alarm.com Wellcam has proven to be highly effective in helping many doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff communicate with patients, while still maintaining a safe distance. The product was actually first unveiled at ISC 2018 a couple of years ago, but it's good to see it really shine during an era of social distancing.

Alarm.com Vice President of Products Steve Chazin said of the award, "The need to stay connected with family and loved ones is greater now than ever before. Wellcam extends the power of modern security systems to help protect and connect people wherever they live. We're thrilled that Security Today deems Wellcam a New Product of the Year. This recognition underscores just how critical innovations like Wellcam are in helping all of us look after one another, regardless of whether we're feet or miles apart."

The Alarm.com Wellcam is loaded with excellent features that help it to thrive both as a wellness camera and as a security camera in general. The device offers 1080p recording capabilities, a 180° viewing angle, 6 MP zoom, and IR night vision of up to 15 feet. This helps ensure that the camera captures detailed video of any activity that occurs in the room. The camera also has a call-button on top that a patient or monitored individual can use to call for help, if needed. A built-in microphone and Bluetooth speaker allows the individual to engage in a two-way voice call with the monitoring party through Alarm.com. The speaker can also be used for entertainment purpose, including streaming music and podcasts.

Alarm.com originally designed the Wellcam for use with the Alarm.com Wellness Platform. But the capabilities of the device have really been put to the test with the ongoing pandemic. Needless to say, the Alarm.com Wellcam has passed with flying colors. Like all Alarm.com Cameras, the Wellcam is designed exclusively for use with the Alarm.com platform. You can get started using the camera by getting an Alarm Grid Platinum Plan or an Alarm Grid Video Monitoring Plan. More information about our monitoring plans can be found in this post.

If you have any questions about the Alarm.com Wellcam, or any other products or services relating to Alarm.com, please don't hesitate to reach out to us! The best way to contact us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

HomeKit users may notice two (2) new device categories in the platform. Apple iOS 14 has added device categories for both TV Set Top Boxes and Streaming Sticks. These categories will appear when you go to add an accessory and have a compatible TV Set Top Box or Streaming Stick within range.

The two new device categories have appropriate icons to go with them. It's possible that the new categories could have other implications for Apple HomeKit. Some have speculated that Apple may be in the process of providing HomeKit support to various streaming devices, other than their own AppleTV.

It is likely that HomeKit-compatible TV Set Tox Boxes and Streaming Sticks will behave in a similar manner as HomeKit-compatible televisions when used with the platform. The devices appear in the Apple Home App so that you can navigate and control the connected device through the app or by using the Siri Voice Assistant.

You will only find the new device categories when using HomeKit on Apple iOS 14, which was just made available last week. Alarm Grid previously covered how iOS 14 was set to introduce a new look for HomeKit on the iPad and facial recognition for HomeKit-compatible security cameras. Alarm Grid recommends the Honeywell Lyric as a HomeKit-compatible security system.

We are impressed with how Apple continues to update their HomeKit platform. We think it is a great resource for Apple users. If you have any questions about HomeKit, including the compatibility between the Lyric and HomeKit, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

2GIG and Nortek have announced that many of their products have been discontinued, effective immediately. This list is headlined by the 2GIG GC3, which has been replaced by the 2GIG GC3e. These products are no longer being manufactured, and new models will no longer be available.

Most of the products on this list are older products with proper replacements, as well as some unpopular products and products designed for markets outside of the United States. Although the list is quite extensive, there's really nothing too surprising here. Many of these products weren't even available through Alarm Grid, so not much will change in terms of our product offerings. The move simply allows 2GIG to dedicate more resources to manufacturing newer and more robust products.

The list of discontinued items can be seen below:

• 2GIG 2GIG-ANT1X External In-Wall GSM Antenna
• 2GIG 2GIG-CAM-101-NET Indoor WiFi Camera, Powered By Securenet
• 2GIG 2GIG-CAM-HD100 Camera HD100 Indoor W/Night Vision
• 2GIG 2GIG-CP22-345B GC2 345MHz security, 921 Z-Wave, Brazil
• 2GIG 2GIG-CP61-345C Control Panel 345 Mhz GoControl Pr
• 2GIG 2GIG-DW10-120PK Thin Door/Window Contact, 120 bulk pack
• 2GIG 2GIG-GC3-345 GC3 Panel (North America) 345 MHz
• 2GIG 2GIG-GC3GA-T GSM 3G AT&T Telular GoControl
• 2GIG 2GIG-GCKIT30IMG GC2 Image Sensor Kit; 1 GC2 Panel, 3 DW10 Sensors, 1 Image Sensor
• 2GIG 2GIG-GCKIT311 GC2 Kit 3-1-1
• 2GIG 2GIG-GCKIT410 GC2 Kit 4-1-0
• 2GIG 2GIG-GC-POTS GC2 Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) Module
• 2GIG 2GIG-KIT311-GC3 GC3 3-1-1 Kit
• 2GIG 2GIG-KV-T-GC3 GC3 Telus VKit: GC3-345 Panel and GSM/3G Telus cellular radio (2GIG 2GIG-3GTL-A-GC3)
• 2GIG 2GIG-LAN-GC3 GC3 Ethernet Module
• 2GIG 2GIG-LTEV-A-GC3 Alarm.com Verizon Cat-3 4G LTE Cell Radio For 2GIG GC3 With 2 LTE Antennas
• 2GIG 2GIG-MNT-250B 2GIG Camera Mount For Outdoor Mini-Dome, Series 250, Black
• 2GIG 2GIG-MNT-250B 2GIG Camera Mount For Outdoor Mini-Dome, Series 250, Black
• 2GIG 2GIG-RELY-KIT3 Rely 3-1-1 Kit for SecureNet Backend with Camera. Note: A KIT3 includes KIT2 (3-1-1 Rely for SecureNet) and the Camera
• 2GIG 2GIG-SDS1-345 Wireless Smoke Detector Sensor 345MHz (Smoke Ring)
• 2GIG 2GIG-TS1-SLO 2GIG 2GIG-Ts1-Slo (This is not the 2GIG TS1, which is still available)
• 2GIG 2GIG-Z-CT100 Ct100 Thermostat
• GoControl GD00Z-4A Garage Door Controller : GoControl Z-Wave Plus Garage Door Control. Plain white box. Frontpoint.
• GoControl WD1000Z-1 GoControl Z-Wave White In-Wall Dimmer Switch. 1000 Watt Max
• GoControl WD1000Z-R4 Retail Replenishment pack of 4 WD1000Z-1. Z-Wave white wall dimmer switch. 1000 Watt max. 300 Series. North American product
• GoControl WD500Z-1 Z-Wave white wall dimmer switch. 500 Watt max. 300 Series. North American product.
• GoControl WD500Z-R6 Retail Replenishment pack of 6 WD500Z-1. Z-Wave white wall dimmer switch. 500 Watt max. 300 Series. North American product
• GoControl WDKIT-AL WD 4 PC Trim Kit Almond, 1ea
• GoControl WDKIT-AL-R4 Retail Replenishment pacK of 4 WD ALMOND trim kits
• GoControl WI15VZ-1 Z-Wave 15 Valve Irrigation Controller. US

If you have any questions about these discontinued products, or if you are needing suitable replacements for any discontinued product, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Z-Wave Alliance has announced the specifications for the Z-Wave Long Range protocol. Users will be able to take advantage of a greatly extended wireless range and utilize many more nodes on their smart home networks. We're excited about what is coming to the world of home automation!

Z-Wave Long Range (aka, Z-Wave LR), will provide up to roughly four (4) times the range of existing Z-Wave Plus technology. This equates to roughly 200 feet between signal hops! The protocol will also allow for networks of more than 2,000 nodes, whereas the current limit is 232 nodes. Battery life is also being improved, as a typical Z-Wave LR device will be able to run for up to ten (10) years on a single coin battery. And like prior generations of Z-Wave, the Z-Wave LR devices will be backwards compatible with older controllers and hubs.

Executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance Mitchell Klein said of Z-Wave LR, "The Z-Wave LR specification is the first of many technical developments to come from within the new Alliance standards development organizational structure... As smart home networks continue to grow, mature, and add more complex devices, there is a need for more robust technology to support them. With Z-Wave LR, we are building upon Z-Wave’s legacy of strong networks by supporting more devices in a home or building with increased node counts and greater range. It’s more important than ever that IoT devices live on strong, reliable networks, and we’re excited to support this with the latest Z-Wave specification.”

We have heard talk of a Z-Wave 700-Series for quite some time, and it looks like it is now coming to fruition. Of course, we shouldn't expect to see Z-Wave LR technology popping up overnight, but it does appear that it is coming sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see which security systems are the first to take advantage of this exciting new technology.

If you have any questions about Z-Wave, or if you are interested in monitoring service that includes home automation functionality, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Kentucky will soon become home to the latest Alarm Grid office, as we have been diligently assembling a team of expert alarm technicians in the area. Our new hires need a place to work, and a new satellite office will soon be on the way. This is a big step in enhancing our support team.

Alarm Grid certainly tackled the pandemic without missing a beat. It seems that with more downtime, many people finally got around to setting up their own security systems. And with the growing demand and increased business, we had to make some new hires.Since our latest team members are all located in the state of Kentucky, we decided it was time to open an office there. We are thrilled to say that our new satellite office is set to open in October.

Our team has been working with an outstanding group of dedicated and experienced alarm technicians in Kentucky over the past couple of months. We have been developing and molding their skill sets to fit the needs of our growing company. Our new team members have really hit the ground running, as they have already begun to assist us in our regular support duties. We are ecstatic to have these new hires as members of the Alarm Grid team.

Right now, our new Kentucky hires are working in a temporary office, as they are learning everything they need to know to take on a full range of support duties. The permanent office is scheduled to open in October, and we are sure our new team members will be thrilled to finally get comfortable and situated. This has been a huge undertaking for us, and we're very pleased to finally have some results to show from all our hard work.

Not much is changing with the Alarm Grid South Florida Headquarters. Our Florida offices will continue to remain as the home for our Sales/Planner Team, our Content Team, and our Executive Team. Support and Activations will be split between Florida and Kentucky. If you haven't called-in to Alarm Grid support recently, you may notice some friendly new voices on the line. Whether you get a technician in Florida or Kentucky, you can rest assured that you will be receiving the very best customer support and service every step of the way.

Alarm Grid sends a special thank you to our new hires for working hard to get up to speed. We also thank our existing staff for their great job in training the new team members. And most of all, we thank our monitored customers for their continued support. We are proud to have all our monitored customers as members of the Alarm Grid family. If you are interested in Alarm Grid monitoring, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. Our business hours for responding to emails are 9am to 8pm ET M-F. Also check out this guide to learn more about the monitoring plans we offer. We look forward to hearing from you soon!