Partnerships proliferate at ADT

BOCA RATON, Fla.-- ADT has been particularly active on the partnership front recently; on Oct. 4 it announced a co-marketing agreements with Qwest Communications and on Oct. 29 it launched a joint marketing and master supply agreement with Multiband Corporation, a national provider of video, voice and data services to multi-family dwellings, headquartered in Minneapolis. "What's similar about this agreement and the [Qwest agreement] is that we're teaming up with an organization that offers video, Internet and phone service and bringing security together with those three services," said Jason Nordin, ADT group director for strategy and business development. "The difference is the type of business model," Nordin explained. While Qwest provides services directly to customers, Multiband provides services to the owner, builder or developer of multi-family dwellings as well as to apartment owners. "It's smart business for both of us," he said. "What we're hearing from the marketplace is that builders and developers want to bring these [traditional telecom and home security] solutions to homebuyers ... so they want to bring ADT into the mix." Nordin said ADT's national footprint is key to the efficient roll-out of a program of this scale. Qwest, based in Denver, provides voice and data solutions to customers in 14 Western states. "They protect folks in an online environment and we protect folks in a physical environment," Nordin said. "It makes sense for us to team up to give folks an attractive offer where they get service from us and Qwest." Under the agreement, Qwest customers can receive a $200 cash-back offer from ADT, when they choose any new Qwest service and purchase or reactivate an ADT security system. New Qwest broadband customers will also receive Windows Live services, which is a comprehensive Internet security, maintenance and data back-up service. Kim Schram, director Qwest Emerging Markets, said the reciprocal agreement "provides referrals for Qwest at the door, when customers are making buying decisions."