LaserShield dealer forum motivates

ORLANDO, Fla.—Not often at security events do you get smoke, lights and a live appearance by Dr. Gadget all in one. But this second LaserShield Millionaire Alarm Dealer Forum, held Dec. 7 through 9 here at the happiest place on earth, featured three days of such well-orchestrated and high-tech presentations in an effort to educate and motivate potential dealers. LaserShield Systems, a developer of “PlugNGo” monitored security solutions, has “signed on over 100 dealers since our Los Angeles event in September,” said Paul Udell, northwest regional director for LaserShield, who also said that a large number of the dealers it recruits are new to the security industry. Dave Monroe of Durham, Conn., who had no previous experience in the security industry, became a LaserShield dealer in November after he saw a television program that recommended LaserShield and he, in turn, recommended it to his brother-in-law as a solution to protect his garage. His brother-in-law was so happy with the system that it motivated Monroe to pursue a dealership position. Monroe attended this weekend’s forum to “gain training guidance and direction,” he said. “LaserShield has been very receptive to whatever you need to be successful and they provide you with training and resources at a local level with their regional managers.” LaserShield’s unconventional approach to selling security systems began with its focus on marketing its product through radio and television advertising and selling its systems through retail outlets such as CompUSA and Circuit City. However, president and chief executive officer Anthony Dohrmann said in his opening speech of Saturday’s event that “people want to talk to an expert about their security system” and therefore LaserShield has begun building its dealer network. The company is also targeting its “instant” and “security-in-a-box” products to markets Dohrmann says the security industry has neglected: the renters and the middle- to low-income market. “Rental units are burglarized 71 percent more than homeowners’, but nobody’s after that market,” he said. In other efforts, the company announced it is currently developing and testing a Spanish version of its products, which it hopes to release in the last half of 2008; everything from the packaging and automated voice of the system to the live operator responding to an alarm signal will be in Spanish. The LaserShield system is exclusively monitored by Rapid Response, a monitoring company located in Syracuse, N.Y. “Over the last six years, we have invested $2 million to upgrade the proprietary interface between LaserShield and Rapid Response,” said Jeffrey Atkins, president of Rapid Response. Atkins also said that two years ago, Rapid Response began a full-time Spanish training class for its operators. In addition, LaserShield has partnered with other security companies to develop the technology needed to offer multiple communication channels for its systems. NextAlarm.com, a company that specializes in broadband communication technology, developed an IP solution for LaserShield. LaserShield also offers products that communicate via POTS and GSM cellular network.