Press Releases Posts

Alarm Grid has obtained an extremely limited supply of the brand new Resideo IPCAM-WOC2 WIFI, outdoor, 1080p camera, compatible with Total Connect 2.0. After the announcement in March, 2021 that the IPCAM-WOC1 was discontinued, Resideo and Honeywell Home were left with no outdoor camera option.

Our blog in March announced that the Honeywell IPCAM-WOC1 would be discontinued. At the time, we didn't know why the camera was being discontinued. There wasn't a lot of information available then about why it was discontinued, or whether there would ever be a replacement. With Alarm.com releasing new variations of their cameras at a fast and furious pace, we were left to wonder what Resideo was thinking.

In July, 2021, we passed on to our readers that either the IPCAM-WOC1 (also sometimes referred to as the Lyric OC1) would make a return, or if not a return, that it would possibly be replaced with something very similar. It came to light that the reason the outdoor camera had been discontinued in the first place was that certain components involved in its production were no longer being produced.

Resideo was unable to source those same components elsewhere, so they are preparing to release the IPCAM-WOC2. This camera is technically not even released yet, so we don't have official documentation, with the exception of a Quick Install Guide, which frankly, contains several errors. For starters, we know for a fact that the image of the camera and its components used in the guide is incorrect. This document, much like the camera itself, will soon be receiving a face lift.

Some of the things that we know are updated in the IPCAM-WOC2, as compared to the IPCAM-WOC1 are: The Bluetooth Antenna is internal on the IPCAM-WOC2. It was external (part of the big wiring bundle) on the IPCAM-WOC1. The WOC2 will support Audio Analytics, with intelligent sound detection. The WOC1 did not support audio. The IPCAM-WOC2 comes with a 16 GB MicroSD card pre-installed, the IPCAM-WOC1 came with a 8 GB card. These are just a few things that we know about, when the full specs are released, we will update our product description with the full gamut of features and specifications.

If you've been waiting to get your hands on an outdoor 1080p camera that's compatible with Total Connect 2.0, now is your chance to pick one up. Given all the supply chain issues revolving around the global chip shortage, this is one of a handful of products that we know is currently in stock. But you had better hurry, because supplies are extremely limited. Once the units we have in stock are gone, we will likely have to wait for the full product release before we can offer any more.

We've actually heard this before. In December of 2020, we reported that Alarm.com would begin phasing out support for Edge Legacy in February of 2021, with support for that browser ending in April. However, apparently, those plans were thwarted and the new deadline is now on the horizon.

So, what is Edge Legacy, anyway? Well, when Windows 10 first launched back in 2015, Edge Legacy, then called Microsoft Edge was a part of that browser package in the same way that Internet Explorer had always been a part of the prior Windows releases. The original Edge was a HTML-based browser that Microsoft hoped would change the game for them, however, it was universally panned. I think I speak for everyone when I say, "Hated it!"

In January, 2020, Microsoft re-launched Microsoft Edge. This new version is built on Chromium, which is an open-source browser platform that was originally launched by Google, and serves as the backbone of Google Chrome as well as Opera, and Vivaldi. Since it's open-source, anyone can take it and make what they want with it.

Now that Microsoft has "embraced" Chromium, all modern browsers use open-source base platforms. Also, the use of Chromium means that the new Edge works with Chrome extensions. One of the big changes with Microsoft Edge is that it gets updated regularly and automatically, as opposed to updates being rolled out bundled with Windows updates. Microsoft stopped supporting Edge Legacy as of March 9, 2021.

So, back to Alarm.com and their announcement. Beginning Monday November 1, 2021, if a user logs into Alarm.com using either the Edge Legacy or the Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) browser, they will receive a pop-up message suggesting that they switch to a more up-to-date browser. They will continue to be able to log in using the current browser for the next two (2) months. After two (2) months, January 1, 2022, Edge Legacy and IE11 will no longer be supported for use with Alarm.com.

It is suggested that users choose Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, or Microsoft Edge (the newest version) when accessing Alarm.com. Any of these compatible browsers on the most current version should provide a good, quality user experience when using Alarm.com. If you're not sure whether you have the Edge Legacy browser, or the Microsoft Edge browser, you can see the difference in the logos below.

So, what do you think about this announcement? Will it affect you or anyone you know? Some users, those that are resistant to change, may run into some issues with this. If you happen to be the technical support friend or relative everyone calls when they have a problem, you may hear about it. Let us know what you think in the comments below. We enjoy a robust dialogue with our customers!

Update: All US versions of the Qolsys IQ Panel 4 are now available, and the links for each panel type, along with a description of each, are available below!

Qolsys announced several new products at ISC West in August. However, product availability, including for the IQ Panel 4, has been nil. We now have one iteration of the panel that has limited stock available. The Qolsys IQ Panel 4 with Verizon LTE and Interlogix/GE SRF support in White.

The Qolsys Roadmap for product releases got a little rocky this year. We expected the Qolsys IQ Hub in the late Spring, with the Qolsys IQ Panel 4 to be released in the late fall. That's understandable with all the things that have been going on. What with the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the recent global chip shortage, we consider ourselves fortunate to be seeing stock on existing products, let alone newly announced ones.

At this time, we have limited stock available on one specific version of the Qolsys IQ Panel 4. This is the panel with built-in WIFI, a Verizon LTE cellular communicator, and support for both PowerG and Interlogix/GE and Qolsys 319.5 MHz wireless devices with the panel in White. Eventually, there will also be another version with these exact same specifications, but with the panel in Black.

As the rollout continues, and the component availability and manufacturing bottleneck abates, we will eventually see several other variations of this panel become available. You can see a list of all of them below:

Qolsys IQ Panel 4 Variations

If you click on any of the links above for products that aren't yet available, they will show up as discontinued on our site. Once they become available, we will blog again, and those links will become live. This way, you can come back to this post at any time and check availability on whichever panel variation you happen to be interested in.

In addition to the options shown above, the Qolsys IQ Panel 4 currently uses the same User Interface (UI) as the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus. Eventually, they will offer a new look, and users will be able to choose between the new or the existing look. The panel has an 8 MP camera, which can be adjusted for tilt, increased signal range for all wireless cards that are built into the panel, more advanced speakers, three microphones, and many more hardware upgrades.

For those who may not know, Qolsys sought to make it easy to replace an existing panel that uses wireless sensors, without having to replace all of the sensors as well. So if you currently have an older Qolsys panel, or an Interlogix or GE panel, all of which used 319.5 MHz wireless sensors, then you would want to choose the corresponding Qolsys IQ Panel 4 in the color, and with the cellular communicator that best suits your needs.

Honeywell 5800 Series and 2GIG wireless both use 345 MHz wireless sensors. 2GIG has a lineup of encrypted sensors that also operate at 345 MHz, and those sensors will NOT be compatible with the Qolsys IQ Panel 4 that supports this frequency, but most other uni-directional 345 MHz wireless devices that work with either of these two product lines should also work with the Qolsys IQ Panel 4.

Older DSC panels used wireless sensors in the 433 MHz range. As you can see from the chart, there will also be a version of the IQ Panel 4 that supports these devices. DSC is also the manufacturer of PowerG wireless devices. All of the IQ Panel 4 variations will support PowerG. The idea being, once you replace the older panel, and begin to utilize the older RF sensors with the new Qolsys IQ Panel 4, if you need to replace the older devices, you can choose to replace them with the same older model sensor, or you can replace them with a PowerG version, which supports 128-bit AES encryption, and will have a range up to 4,000 feet with the IQ Panel 4. You can read all about why we love PowerG so much in this earlier post.

Qolsys released an RF Compatibility Document for firmware version 2.6.0. Both the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus, and the IQ Panel 4 will use this firmware. This is the base version for the IQP4, so any devices listed on this document as compatible have been tested by Qolsys engineering and are known to work. Uni-directional devices (those that only transmit to the panel, but don't receive any information from the panel) that are not on the compatibility list may or may not work. Bi-directional devices such as the Honeywell 5800RL, 5800WAVE, or 5828 will definitely NOT work.

Resideo's Pro Series Products, including the PROA7PLUS with Amazon Alexa built in, the PROWIFIZW, PROLTE-A, PROLTE-V and all of its other peripherals have won CEPro's BEST Award for Best Integrated Security System/Module/Device/Surveillance Cameras system. This is a big win for Resideo.

Each year, CEPro Magazine announces the winners of their BEST Awards at the CEDIA Expo. CEDIA is the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association. It represents professionals in the home automation/smart technology industry. This is the biggest trade show geared specifically toward smart home and automation integrators.

The CEDIA Expo, owned and operated by EmeraldX, LLC. was held in Indianapolis this year beginning on September 1. The 2021 show returned to an in-person format after the 2020 show was canceled due to concerns about COVID-19. Exhibitors and attendees alike were happy to meet in person once again.

The Integrated Security System/Module/Device/Surveillance Cameras award is given in the Control and Automation Category. Some other awards in this segment were for Lighting, Lighting Controls & Accessories, which was won by the Alisse Wall Control which is offered by Lutron Electronics, Motorized Shade Controls & Accessories, which was awarded to Somfy Systems for their PoE Touch Panel Room Controller. There were a number of other categories and winners.

Resideo's Honeywell Home Pro Series Products offer a comprehensive platform to support existing legacy RF sensors using the PROTAKEOVER module (available separately or in one of our kits). With the PROTAKEOVER, a customer can replace an older alarm system that used older wireless technology without having to also replace every single sensor.

This saves both time and money, allowing the customer to concentrate on adding more automation devices, or new sensors in areas that weren't protected before. For example, by not having to replace all of the existing burglary sensors, a homeowner may be able to add smoke detectors or other life safety sensors that are tied to the alarm system where they didn't have this type of protection on the older system. The PROTAKEOVER can support wireless devices from the Honeywell or 2GIG 345 MHz lineup (one or the other, but not both), sensors from the Qolsys or Interlogix/GE 319.5 MHz lineup, and 433 MHz Bosch, or 433 MHz DSC sensors.

The PROA7PLUS comes with the PROWIFIZW already installed. This module adds support for WIFI (802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz only) as well as Z-Wave (908 MHz North American frequency). One of the big differences between the PROA7PLUS and the PROA7 is that the PROA7 does not have a WIFI module installed from the factory. Support for WIFI can be added using the PROWIFIZW, or if Z-Wave is not going to be used, then the PROWIFI can be installed. This modular design means that you will only pay for what you intend to use.

The modular design also means that if a component should fail, only the component needs to be replaced, rather than the entire panel. In the future, when technology changes and either WIFI or cellular technology requires an update, only the modules will have to be replaced in order to keep the panel current. If you've ever had to replace a panel with numerous security sensors, or Z-Wave automation devices, you'll know that this alone makes the Pro Series panels worth considering.

With built-in Amazon Alexa for both the PROA7PLUS panel itself, and the PROWLTOUCH Pro Wireless Touchscreen Keypad you can control the system as well as automation devices using just your voice and the Total Connect 2.0 Skill for Alexa. Some of the Alexa features supported are flash briefings, weather, time, add to calendar, create shopping lists, answer general questions, and more. Some features that are not supported are the ability to read books aloud (Audible) and the ability to place calls or Drop-in to another Alexa device.

Tell us what you think of the Resideo and Honeywell Home Pro Series Panels. Do you think these new panels are worthy of accolades? Have you had an experience with one of these systems that you'd like to tell us about? Leave a comment below, we'd love to hear what you think.

Entergy Mississippi utility subscribers will soon be eligible to sign up for the Alarm.com Give Back, Get Back Program. The program allows Alarm.com users with a smart thermostat to receive incentives for allowing Entergy Mississippi to adjust their thermostat during peak summer months.

For enrolling in this program, Entergy Mississippi will send subscribers a one-time $50 sign-up incentive. In addition, subscribers who remain enrolled will receive a $25 bill credit at the end of each year that they are enrolled. If for any reason a subscriber decides they do not wish to remain in the program, they can opt out.

To be eligible, users must meet the following criteria:

• Be an Entergy Mississippi residential customer with the electric service in your name.
• Use an eligible internet-connected smart thermostat for cooling.
• Allow Entergy Mississippi to make brief, small thermostat adjustments on days of high energy demand.

Once you sign up, it will take about four (4) to six (6) weeks from the time you are accepted into the program to receive the $50 incentive check. The $25 credit at the end of the year will be applied directly to your utility bill. The adjustments Entergy will make are of four (4) degrees or less and will only occur during peak hours of electric demand beginning on June 1 of each year, and ending on September 30. Most customers will never notice a difference in their comfort.

Just about any thermostat that can be used with Alarm.com will qualify to be used with this program. Below is a list of approved thermostats:

Eligible users can opt into this program directly from the Alarm.com website when any compatible Alarm.com thermostat is used. Just go to the Thermostat Card after logging into your Alarm.com account. This must be done from the website, it can't be done from the app at the time of this writing. Click the > symbol on the Thermostat card. If you have an eligible thermostat, you should see an option for Give Back, Get Back. Click this option, then click Settings and Notifications and follow the instructions.

If you're not in the Entergy Mississippi market area, never fear. You may still live in an area where the Demand Response Give Back, Get Back program is available. We've written numerous blogs in the past for different areas. Alectra Utilities in Ontario Canada, LA Department of Water and Power in California, Duke Energy of Indiana, and Magic Valley Electric Coop, Delaware Electric, and Wabash Valley, and Baltimore Gas & Electric are just a few of the places whose utilities participate in this program. Alarm.com continues to add partners as time goes on. If you don't yet have a smart thermostat that supports this feature, now may be the perfect time to upgrade to one! Then, by this time next summer, the thermostat will likely have already paid for itself.

What do you think about Alarm.com's Give Back, Get Back program? Is it something you fell is worthwhile? Perhaps you're already enrolled in the program in another market. Leave us a comment below and let us know what your experience has been like. It may seem like a very small contribution toward lowering your carbon footprint and contributing to conservation, but every little bit helps. Until next time, stay safe!

Update February 2024: We Won! For now, at least. LOL. It has been confirmed by Resideo and now a customer, that the weather is now working. This is on the older style Tuxedo Touch WIFI keypads. We have been fighting this fight to keep the weather going on these keypads. It took a while for Resideo to resolve this, and we appreciate everyone's input and patience. So go and enjoy it while you can.

For now, the weather, and hence the Sunrise/Sunset feature is working on older Tuxedo Touch WIFI keypads, but there is no guarantee that it will continue to work. Resideo never rescinded their original Technical Notice about discontinuation of this feature and if the weather feature stops working again, they will likely fall back on this notice to say that it is not meant to work.

Update November 2023: After daylight savings time ended on 11/5/2023, we received multiple reports of the weather no longer updating. We have reported this to Resideo and they are looking into the issue. We will continue to provide the most accurate information we have. We appreciate your patience in this matter.

Update Christmas 2022: It appears the weather stopped updating on Tuxedo keypads once again around Christmas, 2022. However, it appears that as of January 3, 2023, it is back up and working again. This feature has been hit or miss for a while now, and officially, it's not supposed to be working. The last official word from Resideo was in September, 2021, where they said the older style Tux keypads would no longer support weather and only the newer Tuxedo keypads would support it. You can read that notice here.

Newer style Tuxedo Keypad:

Older style Tuxedo Touch WIFI:

Update April 2022: Per Resideo, though this feature seems to be working again, it is not officially fixed until we receive a new Technical Bulletin from them saying that it is. For now, if your keypad is not displaying the weather, refresh the weather on the forecast page. Do this by pressing the refresh button in the lower-left corner of the forecast screen.

Update December 2021: This issue has been resolved and the weather feature is now working as expected again.

Original Post 09/09/21: For some time customers have been reporting issues with the weather feature on the TUXWIFI products from Resideo. Either the weather is blank, or it doesn't update properly. This week, Resideo released a technical bulletin advising that the TUXWIFI product line no longer supports weather.

Alarm Grid first reported on this issue in a blog back in April of this year. At that time, there was some hope that the issue would be resolved, but it appears that is not the case. The older Tuxedo Touch line, the TUXWIFIW the TUXWIFIS, and the VAM no longer support the weather feature or the Sunrise/Sunset programming feature as of October 31, 2021. Any scenes that were previously created using Sunrise or Sunset as a triggering event will no longer work. According to the notice, the issue has to do with the weather information provider that was originally used.

It should also be noted that these products have been discontinued by Resideo as of July 2020. That means that once stock of these items is depleted, they will no longer be available for sale. Customers interested in a new Tuxedo keypad should look to the Honeywell Home Tuxedo or the Resideo Tuxedo instead. The only difference between these two products is the branding on the front. The new, redesigned Tuxedo will continue to support the Weather Feature, including the Sunrise and Sunset scheduling option.

We know this is probably not the news those of you with one of these keypads, and who uses these features, wanted to hear. You can read the full technical notice from Resideo here. Tell us what you think in a comment below. One good thing is that pricing is much more reasonable on the newer Honeywell Home Tuxedo, than it was on the original TUXWIFI. So replacing an older model with a newer version won't be as painful as it would otherwise have been.

Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana on Sunday, August 29, 2021. It hit the shore as a Category 4 storm and slowly lost strength as it traversed the state. Sunday evening it slowed to Category 3, but continued to pummel the state and dump huge amounts of rain.

Over one million homes and businesses are without power in Louisiana, with over 400,000 in New Orleans alone. In addition, it has been reported that the New Orleans Emergency Communications Center (911 service) has been experiencing technical issues that will make it even more difficult to reach help in the event of an emergency. Officials have asked people experiencing an emergency to please go to the nearest fire station, or approach a nearby police officer for assistance.

In St. Charles Parish, the phone lines to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are currently down. This, according to a post on the Facebook account for the St. Charles Parish. Officials there posted that if assistance is needed, please call 911. If you need to report something to the EOC or Public Works, such as live wires down, or other hazards, then please email help@stcharlesgov.net.

In neighboring Mississippi, nearly 50,000 locations are without power. American and United Airlines canceled outbound flights from the Jackson - Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport on Monday, August 30. Tennessee officials are imploring their residents to prepare for the impact of now Tropical Storm Ida. The remnants of the storm are expected to hit the west and middle portions of the state Monday evening into Tuesday August 31, 2021.

Tennessee had flooding emergencies the weekend of August 21, 2021, and the impact from Hurricane Ida is expected to affect those same areas. The Tennessee Emergency Management Association asks residents to do the following:

• Know the flooding risk for your area.
• Have a plan in place if Flash Flood warnings are issued and you must evacuate.
• Have multiple ways to receive weather information and updates, be sure at least one method operates on battery power and has fresh batteries.
• Download the ReadyTN app, or any app that provides you with accurate weather updates to your smartphone. Be sure your phone is charged.
• NOAA weather radios can provide alerts and warnings for your area and can operate on batteries.

Hurricane Ida brought torrential rain, damaging winds, and a tremendous storm surge to coastal areas of Louisiana. In addition to locations in Louisiana, there is a storm surge warning in effect for areas of Gulfport and Biloxi, MS, and Mobile, AL. The forecast is for many of these areas, in addition to storm surge, to get 8 to 10 inches of rain.

Alarm Grid would like to extend our condolences to anyone who is affected by Hurricane Ida. Our headquarters is in Florida, and though we weren't in the path of this storm, we understand what it feels like to be in your shoes. Please follow all guidance provided by officials in your area, and if there is anything Alarm Grid can do to assist you with your alarm during this stressful time, please let us know.

Significant, prolonged power outages, such as those that coincide with hurricanes will likely exceed the available backup battery for your alarm system. Most modern systems have a feature built into them that shuts the panel down before it has a chance to completely discharge the battery. This "battery-save" feature should allow the battery to charge back up once AC power is restored, and prevents the necessity of replacing the battery after a prolonged power outage.

If the power outage lasts more than 24 hours, expect the panel to power down, and when AC is restored to power back up with a low battery condition being displayed. The low battery condition will last for some time, up to 24 hours. If, after 24 hours, the low battery condition persists, then contact your alarm dealer for troubleshooting and possible battery replacement.

If you are in the area affected by the storm, and you have ordered products from Alarm Grid, please understand that shipping times will be affected. Packages that are being shipped to Hurricane Ida affected areas will arrive later than expected and it's possible that tracking information may also be in disarray for a time. We apologize for any inconvenience and will get your products to you as soon as humanly possible.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to send us an email to support@alarmgrid.com. We're here Monday - Friday from 9 am to 8 pm Eastern Time. We'll get back to you as quickly as possible. You can also give us a call at 888-818-7728. We sincerely hope that you, your family, your pets, and your belongings are safe.

2GIG has announced the release of their first big firmware update for the 2GIG Edge. This update adds support for image sensors in the form of the 2GIG-IMAGE3. In order to support image sensors, the 2GIG XCVR3-GC3 must be installed. Image sensors can be used without losing any other features.

The 2GIG Edge is a great addition to the 2GIG panel lineup. It has built-in facial recognition, Z-Wave Plus V2 (700 Series) support, up to four (4) Smart Area partitions, Bluetooth disarming, and so much more. One of the disappointing aspects of the panel rollout, is that it didn't support image sensors at the time of its release. That problem is now rectified with the new 3.1.0.011 firmware.

If you have a 2GIG Edge, then there are a couple of ways that you can get your panel updated. Alarm.com is still in the testing phase with this firmware, so it can't be pushed remotely quite yet, but remote over-the-air (OTA) updates will be available soon. Once this form of upgrade is available, you'll need to request the update from your alarm dealer. If your panel has a WIFI connection, the update will be completely free. If your panel connects to Alarm.com via cellular only, then a small fee will be incurred when updating OTA.

If you're an Alarm Grid monitoring customer, you can request the upgrade by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. Once the update is available, we'll verify the cost, if any, and if you give the go ahead, we'll push the update to your panel, and pass the cost along to you on your next monthly monitoring bill, with no markup. Remember, there will only be a fee if your panel connects to Alarm.com via cellular only. The cost for this type of update varies, depending on the size of the file to be downloaded. It could be as little as fifty-cents, or as much as a few dollars.

The other way that your panel can be updated is via USB. There is a USB port on the top of the 2GIG Edge. You can download the firmware update files from Alarm Grid here. This is a free download. Use a standard USB drive with at least 1GB capacity, and not more than 16GB capacity. Be sure the drive is formatted using FAT32, and that it has only one (1) partition. The file you download should be saved to the root directory of the USB drive. Full instructions for downloading and upgrading can be found here.

Once the file has been downloaded to the USB drive, remove the drive and take it to the 2GIG Edge panel. The USB port is on top of the panel, covered by a rubber boot. Remove the boot, and insert the drive. A message should appear on the panel, letting you know that an update is available. Press "Update", enter either the Installer Code (default 1561) or Master Code (1111) and the update will then proceed. Be sure the panel has AC power, and that AC power is not interrupted during the update process. The panel will reboot and provide a message letting you know when the update is complete. Remove the USB drive and reinsert the rubber boot.

If you have a 2GIG Edge Remote Keypad, it will be updated by the 2GIG Edge panel, once the panel has completed updating. Be sure the keypad has AC power and that it is connected to WIFI and to the Edge panel. You can verify this by making sure the keypad shows the panel home screen, and the proper panel status. Once the panel has been updated, it should automatically update the keypad. Again, once the firmware has been installed, the keypad will reboot to complete the update process.

In addition to support for image sensors, this firmware also corrects a few known issues regarding WIFI connection problems, and both remote keypad and main panel touchscreen issues. You can read the full firmware Release Notes Here.

So, what do you think about this firmware update? Do you have a 2GIG Edge and want to share your experience with it? Have you been anxiously awaiting image sensor support? Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts. We always look forward to hearing from you.

One of Alarm Grid's best partners Qolsys has announced that their upcoming IQ Panels with PowerG support have officially received UL certification. It appears as though the company is currently on track to have these new systems ready for a public release later this summer season.

PowerG is a wireless sensor lineup from DSC. These are state-of-the-art security sensors that boast some highly impressive capabilities and features. They operate at a considerably higher frequency (915 MHz) than most other wireless sensors, meaning that they will not interfere with other devices. The range of these sensors is absolutely insane, as they can operate from nearly half a mile away from the panel when used indoors. The sensor also use 128-bit AES encryption to prevent them from being hacked or spoofed. Needless to say, we are very excited that Qolsys Systems will soon be able to support these sensors.

Qolsys previously announced at ISC West 2018 that a PowerG daughtercard would be made available for their IQ Panel 2. By installing this daughtercard, the system will be able to support PowerG sensors. Qolsys will also likely produce IQ Panel 2 Systems with the daughtercard already integrated, and also possibly other PowerG-compatible systems as well. So far the PowerG lineup includes outdoor PIR motion detectors with integrated cameras, outdoor siren/strobe devices and a door contact with a wired input for long-range expansion.

ISC West 2018 was also when Qolsys announced that they would soon be offering legacy daughtercards for the IQ Panel 2. These daughtercards are available in 319.5 MHz (Qolsys and Interlogix/GE Sensors), 345 MHz (legacy Honeywell and 2GIG Sensors) and 433 MHz (legacy DSC Sensors). Please note that the system will only support one PowerG daughtercard and one legacy daughtercard at any given time.

Alarm Grid will make sure to keep you up to date with any of the latest news regarding Qolsys and PowerG support. Keep an eye on our blog for more information.

We are getting a lot of callers asking us whether we as a company support the NRA. It began a couple weeks ago after our competitor, Simplisafe, pulled their discount for NRA members. Whatever the motivation, we don't envy their position. This is a hot-button debate right now, and being accidentally caught up in the fray of a political discussion as a company is unenviable. We do not make guns, we have nothing to do with guns, and we as a company do not wish to alienate anyone on either side of the debate.

We are a diverse company with a lot of people who hold a lot of different opinions on the subject matter of guns. We have not probed or asked what people’s positions are. But discussions have happened around the office. We are sure that some at Alarm Grid are vehemently opposed to gun rights. Others may be members of the NRA. We haven't asked. What we have appreciated is that the conversation internally has always been very respectful.

As a company, our position is that we want to make sure your home is as secure as possible so that no matter what gun laws are, you have a layer of protection that will make it unnecessary to ever have to use them.

Alarm Grid attempts to remain above the fray when it comes to political topics. As a company, our expertise is in dispatching the police when someone is breaking into your home. We would be remiss, however, if we did not give due credit to the country we are founded in and due respect to the laws of that country for the success of our growth.

We hold in high regard the rights endowed to us. As to the administration of those rights, the debate about guns themselves, their lethality, background checks, mental illness issues, etc, we will leave up to the people of this great country and the courts.

Our only hope is that the debate, is respectful, open, and fact-based.

Our headquarters is just down the road from Marjory Stoneman Douglas. We are deeply connected to the area. Many of us know students who go or went there. Our connections to the tragedy are numerous and direct. Everyone at Alarm Grid harbors deep sadness at the events that unfolded there.

It’s our prayer that this never happens again.

As a company, we have encourage our staff to get involved however they see fit. This is literally something that happened in our community and strong emotions directed at solving the problem are to be expected. But we do our best to respect one another’s views.

We have never given NRA members any kind of discount. We don’t plan on doing it. But that’s not because we dislike the NRA. It’s because we do our best to offer great prices to every customer. And most discount programs require us to pay to be involved.

That’s not how we do business.

We’re not venture backed, we don’t have giant amounts of investment. We’re just a good ole American business started by some entrepreneurs in South Florida. We really do try to remove politics from our business because taking political positions would alienate many of our customers, and, more importantly, our employees. #respect