U.S. Monitoring watches over dealers, adds video

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.-- U.S. Monitoring, based here, depends on its nationwide dealer network when determining services to offer. If a dealer sees something in N.Y. that isn't going on in Oklahoma, said Aaron Girard, general manager at the central, "we check it out." The relationship this UL-listed central has with dealers bodes well for its new offerings in video monitoring and video verification and two-way audio for medical monitoring, which the company rolled out this August for customers. "This is the wave of the future, especially with everyone going with some sort of video verification out there," Girard said. "[End users] think it is really neat that they can see video clips of an alarm. If they ever need anything there, they can send it to the agency and have a direct copy of the person breaking into the house." The service includes manufacturers' platforms such as OzVision, Bosch, Ademco and DSC and integrates into the central's automation software, Girard said. With this technology, "the operator doesn't have to go to anything else to see the activity. It pops up right on their screen." Prior to the roll out, Girard said that his dealers came to him with many questions about the new technology and services. He added that dealers and customers have seen it on the news, as more authorities having jurisdictions turn to ordinances with some type of alarm verification. "They are catching on. They want to know the options out there," he said. "Like how much does this cost?" Girard added, "when you are talking to new security dealers this [video monitoring/two way medical] is always a question. We used to never get it, and now we are getting it all the time." Two-way medical started as a turnkey service. Two-way service provides an opportunity for dealers who are not familiar with the medical market to get involved with it, Girard said. Although Girard did not reveal the number of accounts or dealers U.S. Monitoring works with, he did say that the central offers ample training sessions for dealers. "They get to see all the products out there, we have a big demonstration once a month to train dealers," he said. Although U.S. Monitoring's account base is split evenly between residential and commercial customers, Girard said he has increased commercial accounts in recent months. This summer's new services are just the begining for the Oklahoma central station. "It seems like we are always doing something new. I pick a project every month and kind of move forward with it," Girard said.