ADT gives OK to digital providers

BOCA RATON, Fla.--ADT in November gave its official seal of approval to a group of non-traditional phone service providers--Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Charter, Cox and Bright House Networks--saying they meet a set of requirements to be a primary method of transmitting alarm signals for ADT alarm systems. The announcement is the first step in an outreach effort by the home security giant to let customers, and potential customers, know which digital phone services are OK to use with ADT security services, said Jason Nordin, group director of strategy and business development for ADT. It is also a likely precursor to other collaborative efforts between ADT and these phone service providers. ADT is "exploring partnership opportunities with the cable and telecom industry" that may include "co-marketing or other strategic efforts," Nordin said. What's the impetus behind this initiative? "Our first and foremost concern is the safety and security of our customers," Nordin said. "We started working with telecommunications and cable providers [last spring] to understand how different phone services were designed and operated," Nordin explained. Not all digital phone service providers meet ADT's list of characteristics. They include: a managed and maintained physical facilities network with certain disaster recovery capabilities; professional installation of IP-based phone service; and physical facilities networks with real-time transmission of voice signals carrying the alarm formats unchanged. Prior to this announcement, the two approved methods of alarm transmittal for ADT customers were POTS and cellular. This announcement represents a third accepted category: "managed facility voice network digital phone providers." Nordin noted that ADT always advises that customers purchase a secondary back-up method of connecting their alarm system to ADT's monitoring center.