LaserShield and NextAlarm.com team up, offer "cost effective monitoring" for VOIPers

LAS VEGAS -NextAlarm.com, announced on May 8 at The Cable Show here an agreement with LaserShield Systems whereby LaserShield will market its new Sparrow device, which plugs into a client's Internet router and transmits alarm signals over NextAlarm's "Alarm Broadband Network." "Because 35,000 customers a month are switching to VOIP and because they're in a market segment where they're trying to save money, we now have an element of cost- consciousness among consumers who are looking for security products," said Alex Elliot, chief executive officer and founder of NextAlarm.com. "They have lowered their phone bills and are buying LaserShield's self-installed security system, the first realistically priced product of its kind on the market." He added, "We're very excited about our agreement with LaserShield. With this venture, LaserShield subscribers will benefit with a VoIP solution for alarm monitoring." VoIP and digital phone subscribers who buy LaserShield's system will be able to use the Sparrow translator device to have their system monitored by the Rapid Response monitoring service. "Working with NextAlarm in this strategic venture gives us two powerful benefits," said Anthony Dohrmann, chief executive officer and chairman of LaserShield Systems, in a provided statement. "It provides a cost-effective virtual monitoring platform for our overseas subscribers who want to 'self monitor' their alarm, where either traditional authorities are not available, or police corruption is a concern. For our professionally-monitored customers in the United States, we estimate that nearly one-third of our sales inquiries require a VoIP solution for monitoring, as they have given up traditional phone service." NextAlarm also announced that it would be adding affordable video monitoring service to its VoIP-based alarm monitoring services for homes and small businesses called NEXTVIEW, which works with existing alarm systems. For more on this story, see the July issue of Security Systems News