What is the Difference Between ADEMCO and Resideo?

There is no difference between ADEMCO and Resideo. ADEMCO was actually the original name of Resideo. In fact, some long-time installers and end users will still refer to Resideo products as ADEMCO. Other notable names in this company's long and rich history include Honeywell and Pittway.

The roots of the Alarm Device Manufacturing Company, or ADEMCO, go back to 1929. The company was founded when hardware store owner Maurice Coleman started building custom alarm systems for business owners. Coleman ended up being a true pioneer of the security industry. Many of his original creations are still on display to this very day at the Honeywell Security Museum in Melville, NY. ADEMCO would later go on to become the essence of Honeywell's security division.

But before ADEMCO was acquired by Honeywell, there was one other major player along the way. The Pittsburgh Railway Company (PRC) was founded in 1950. In 1963, PRC acquired ADEMCO. This gave PRC a tremendous footing in the security and fire protection industries. They took the market by storm and achieved great success. In 1967, the company changed its name to Pittway.

Throughout the 1970s, Pittway became one of the industry leaders for smoke detectors. The company notably acquired BRK Electronics in 1970, which allowed them to add ionization smoke detectors to their lineup. Their smoke detectors began being sold in Sears Department Stores, allowing their products to flood the market. Millions of people added smoke detectors to their homes and businesses by purchasing Pittway Ionization Smoke Detectors from a Sears Store.

Pittway continued to use the ADEMCO name for many of its security products. In the late 1980s, the company formed ADEMCO Distribution Incorporated, or ADI. This division is still going strong today, and it serves as a major distributor for security products. A few years later, the company unveiled the ADEMCO VISTA Series. These systems are still widely used and sold today, with a few upgrades of course.

Corporate conglomerate Honeywell acquired Pittway in 2000, and all ADEMCO products had their name switched over to Honeywell. Then in 2018, Honeywell spun-off its security division to become Resideo. Today, the security company that Maurice Coleman founded in 1929 is effectively Resideo. As part of an agreement, Resideo may continue to use the Honeywell name. This is why you will sometimes see Resideo products being sold as "Honeywell Home". But Honeywell itself is no longer involved in security. That company is Resideo.

Today, if you hear someone calling a Resideo product an "ADEMCO" product, there really is nothing factually incorrect about that. ADEMCO, in essence, is the original Resideo. Many people who were involved with ADEMCO or who used ADEMCO products look back fondly on the time when the company was just a division of Pittway and making great strides in the security and fire protection industries. You will still hear the ADEMCO or Honeywell names being tossed around in place of Resideo. Really, any of the names can properly identify the same company.