Our homes are our castles. Many of the things we hold most dear are in our homes. Naturally, we want to protect these things that we love and cherish. But we’re not always at home. So how do we protect our homes when we’re not there? Many of us choose to employ a security system. With the rapid development of the internet of things, these alarm systems are now ‘smart’.
Smart devices have become ubiquitous in modern society. With the advent of smart devices introduced into our homes (think Amazon Alexa or Apple iHome), our security systems can be integrated into these devices and provide a measure of comfort if we’re away. Smart phones give us unprecedented access to information, communication and convenience—they also give us peace of mind when protecting our castles.
The Initial Set-Up
Many companies offer dedicated home alarm systems complete with professional monitoring 24/7/365. These systems come complete with motion sensors, cameras (with cloud access and storage), shock sensors, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, panic button key-rings and smart key access.
Systems like these are controlled by a hub that connects directly to the monitoring service. It has a battery backup in case of electrical disruption (such as being cut) and a SIM card for remote transmission access. It provides the homeowner with the peace of mind that their home or business is safe.
But what happens during a theft or a fire?
On occasion, despite your best efforts at protecting your castle, thieves will target your house and break in. Or worse, perhaps your house catches fire…So, what happens next.
A thief must gain access to the home. When he opens a door, window or tries to pick an electronic lock, the Control Panel sends notifications to the homeowner as well as the Alarm Receiving Center (ARC). As the homeowner, you can determine whether the notification is legitimate or if it a simple false alarm—perhaps your child didn’t know you’d activated the system.
If the notification stems from a legitimate security concern, you can immediately notify the authorities and let them handle things before you suffer the losses of irreplaceable belongings.
If (heaven forbid) you are home during an emergency, you can use the Control Panel to speak directly with the ARC. This helps authorities rescue anyone in the house during a fire or directs the police to the room(s) involved in an intrusion.
What if you can’t respond?
Even though we’re connected most of the time, we aren’t connected 24/7/365. Verisure is. If you’re at work in a meeting or on vacation deliberately away from your phone…you may not be able to respond to a phone notification. In addition to your phone notification, it also goes to the Alarm Receiving Center. The ARC can pull up video or camera surveillance and determine whether your home is in danger and react accordingly.
The rapid response to a real-time crisis could mean the difference between stopping a home invasion or perhaps minimizing fire damage.
Home Security Systems in the future will all feature smart technology. This technology could, quite possibly, save our lives and/or our castles. It provides the peace of mind that many homeowners seek.