Weather alerts introduced

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--Super-regional alarm company Security Networks announced Feb. 2 a new weather notification service that will offer valuable information to its customers and increase RMR.

What's going on outside, whether its another sunny day, or a record-breaking snowfall, is important to homeowners and businesses, said Rich Perry, CEO of Security Networks. “We protect our customers and this is another form of security,” he said. “I'm always looking for value-added products to offer to existing and new customers to enhance our security offering and I thought this was a bull's-eye in terms of that goal.”

The service is provided by Weather Decision Technologies, a weather forecasting company, which showcased its weather notification service at the ASIS show in September. The service is designed for residential alarm companies to sell to their customers and is built on the idea that today's consumers want more from their home security systems.

Security Networks' customers can sign up for two levels of alerts, a basic forecast or a more advanced warning system for severe weather. The alerts are sent via text or email.

Perry said his company beta-tested the system for 60 days and has rolled the offering out over the past couple months. “It puts me in front of my customers every day,” Perry said. “They see our name and our logo. It's not a passive service, it's a service they get on a daily basis.”

Perry said customers would get “a great value for the incremental cost of the added service.” He expects the weather alerts will make people and businesses value their alarm systems more and reduce cancellations.

Security Networks has about 45,000 accounts and offices in 15 states. All are located east of the Mississippi, with the exception of some accounts in Texas.

Mike Eilts, president of Weather Decision Technologies, said, “what we've done for Rich Perry is the first of what we hope to build for many security companies.” The alerts will bear “the security company's logo, its advertising and customized messages.” Text-to-voice messages, which the Security Networks' system has for tornado alerts, will say “this message is brought to you by Security Networks.”

“The service is white-labeled,” Eilts said. “The intent is to build it so each security company can provide alerts in the form and function, and with the look and feel they want them to have.” WDT  provides weather information to a number of non-security clients including FOX news.