ADT CEO: Beyond the burglar alarm

BOCA RATON, Fla.—The future of residential security will be defined less by burglar alarms and more by delivering peace of mind through connected technologies, according to ADT CEO Jim DeVries.

As consumer expectations evolve and new technologies emerge, DeVries said security providers are increasingly expanding beyond their traditional role of intrusion detection and monitoring.

"More and more, we're a smart home company and less and less of a burglar alarm company," he said.

The shift reflects a broader change in how consumers think about security. Rather than focusing solely on break-ins, homeowners are increasingly looking for solutions that help them feel informed, connected and protected in their daily lives.

"I think more and more the product that security companies should seek to deliver is peace of mind," DeVries said.

That demand is driving greater interest in technologies that extend beyond traditional security applications.

Moving beyond burglary protection

One example is Origin AI's ambient Wi-Fi sensing technology, which ADT acquired earlier this year. The technology uses Wi-Fi signals and AI algorithms to detect and classify motion throughout a home without requiring cameras or wearable devices.

The technology has applications in areas including aging in place, fall detection, and alarm verification — addressing customer needs that have little to do with traditional intrusion protection, DeVries said.

"Approximately 80% of falls for the elderly occur in the bathroom," he said. "You would never have a camera in the bathroom, but Wi-Fi sensing can provide protection that the elderly customer otherwise wouldn't have."

The technology can also serve as an additional layer of confirmation for security events, helping improve alarm accuracy and reduce false alarms.

That same logic — solving problems consumers didn't know they had — is shaping how DeVries thinks about the next phase of the industry.

From reactive security to proactive awareness

DeVries believes the next stage of security innovation will come from the convergence of security, automation and what he describes as "awareness," delivering insights rather than simply reacting to events.

"I think an outcome of customer demand and the technology that's addressing that demand is around a shift from reactive to proactive information," DeVries said. "Identifying unusual activity, predictive maintenance needs, smarter automation, identifying problems before they escalate."

Ultimately, DeVries said the industry's success will depend on meeting customers where they are, whether through a professionally monitored security system or a single connected device.

"Whether it's a fully monitored system protecting the whole home or a single connected device, our job is to make sure it's backed by the right response and right technology to deliver added peace of mind," he said.

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Photo courtesy of ADT