Tag: AT&T
A Lack of Trust
September 28, 2022Ken Showers, Managing Editor
Last week I wrote a story about the anti-trust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against Swedish company Assa Abloy to prevent their acquisition of the hardware and home improvement division of Spectrum Brand Holdings.
To give you an idea of the tone for this blog my other titles were, “Passing Go” and “Hungry, Hungry Hippos”.
Preaching a parable about corporate greed would be misplaced in a B2B focused publication however, so I would instead...
Mobile PERS market welcomes the Brighton Sky LTE 4G solution
December 16, 2019
UNION, N.J.—The broader trend among consumers toward wearable technology, like exercise trackers and smart watches, is also being felt in the personal emergency response system (PERS) industry. This demand from consumers has been filled by mobile PERS devices that have GPS or other location awareness technology, and communicate to the monitoring center over the cellular network. Increasingly, consumers, including seniors, want the ability to summon help for health or safety reasons while they're...
TMA issuing Certificates of Verification to qualifying alarm companies
October 9, 2019SSN Staff
McLEAN, Va.—Announced in April, The Monitoring Association (TMA) reached an agreement with AT&T to provide qualified alarm companies with a TMA Certificate of Verification that will enable them to apply for eligibility to use FirstNet services for alarm transport communications. TMA has started issuing these certificates.FirstNet is the nationwide public-safety wireless broadband network platform, built and deployed through a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership between the First Responder...
TMA to support alarm companies participation in FirstNet
April 17, 2019SSN Staff
VIENNA, Va.—The Monitoring Association (TMA) and AT&T have agreed to collaborate on the verification of eligibility process that will facilitate qualified alarm companies to use FirstNet services to provide an enhanced communications experience, all in the support of the public safety mission.“I am very pleased to announce that TMA will be assisting in the approval process for security alarm companies to transmit signals over FirstNet,” said TMA President Ivan Spector. “This...
AT&T's Petersen explains Digital Life 'seamless hub' strategy
February 18, 2015Amy Canfield
ATLANTA—AT&T's plan to become a central, seamless hub that integrates a variety of systems into its Digital Life platform is becoming a reality, according to Kevin Petersen, SVP, AT&T Digital Life.Petersen, who heads up AT&T's home security and automation business, told Security Systems News that AT&T has always planned for Digital Life to be an open-standards, managed platform. What's new is the telecom's partnerships with Lutron Electronics, Samsung, Qualcomm Life and LG Electronics. With...
Report: MSOs in best position to benefit from smart security
November 18, 2014Amy Canfield
AUSTIN, Texas—Multiple-service operators—the cable companies and the telecoms—are leading the way in integrating security equipment and home automation at the future expense of traditional monitoring companies and high-end providers according to an IHS report.As a result, the industry can expect to see further acquisitions and a consolidation of the market “sooner rather than later, and smaller companies will fade away,” according to the report's author Blake Kozak.“Who...
AT&T Digital Life expands in Indiana
August 7, 2014SSN Staff
DALLAS—AT&T, based here, announced in late July that it was expanding its home security/home automation service, Digital Life, to cover the Indiana communities of Michigan City, La Porte, Rolling Prairie, Westville and Union Mills.
As of July 25, customers there were able to receive a live demo and purchase Digital Life in company owned retail stores or purchase the product online. With the new additions, Digital Life is now available in 82 markets across the U.S.
With Digital Life, customers...
This Blog's on Fire (And Other Stuff)
Good news for security companies: Cable Guy's customer service ratings fall to new lows
May 21, 2014Tess Nacelewicz
Professional security companies proudly point to the good service they give consumers as an important differentiator between them and their giant cableco and telecom competitors. And a new consumer satisfaction survey suggests they don't have to worry about losing that edge to the Cable Guy anytime soon—because it shows new dips for Time Warner Cable and Comcast, and AT&T and DIRECTV don't fare too well, either.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index released its annual measure of the communications...
AT&T to buy DIRECTV for $48.5b
May 19, 2014Tess Nacelewicz
DALLAS, Texas and EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—AT&T plans to buy satellite television provider DIRECTV for $48.5 billion, the companies announced this week. The deal will allow AT&T to expand its broadband network to more than 70 million customer locations, the companies said.Both companies have home security/home automation offerings—AT&T has Digital Life and DIRECTV bought LifeShield Security last year. And according to Tom Kerber, director of research, home control and energy for Parks Associates,...
Readers ponder effects of ADT small business strategy
May 7, 2014Leif Kothe
YARMOUTH, Maine—When it comes to commercial business, an overwhelming majority of readers—90 percent—says it's best to provide security solutions that are distinct from security and automation packages offered for the home.What's more, 82 percent of respondents to the latest SSN News Poll believes different business categories necessitate different bundled solutions tailored specifically to that vertical.“I think ADT has the right strategy here,” one reader said. “If...