uControl announces cable partnership

AUSTIN, Texas--UControl, a provider of home security and automation solutions, told Security Systems News on June 4 that it has partnered with broadband service providers to launch its recently released home security, monitoring and automation platform. Jim Johnson, president and CEO of uControl, said he could not disclose the names of the broadband providers, but said they would be offering uControl’s product as a bundled service package to customers. “Our arrangement with broadband providers is analogous to their arrangement with other companies that help them launch services like high speed data, VoIP and cable TV,” said Johnson. “We sell them the software and hardware and they pull together the other pieces to launch this service.” Johnson said the company has spent the last two and a half years developing the product, which it unveiled at The Cable Show in New Orleans on May 18, combining an alarm system, communications gateway and home automation platform with a touchscreen panel. The system can integrate with existing alarm panels from Honeywell, DSC, GE and Bosch or be installed as its own independent wireless alarm system. For the initial deployment, the system will be professionally installed by technicians, but Johnson said he believes the system could eventually be a self-installed product. “The broadband providers are developing this service offering so it is everything you get with home security today, plus,” he said. “They’ll use third-party central stations to dispatch police and fire and, in addition to that, have the ability to control the system from the Web or from your mobile phone.” UControl will market its systems primarily through broadband providers, but “if traditional integrators and dealers are interested in that, we’ll certainly talk with them, but most of the interest right now is coming from broadband service providers.”