| An astounding and unexpected number of people | | | | your PC has a backup power source.* You may |
| are dropping their (POTS) plain old telephone | | | | not be able to use 911 services.* Your signal |
| system, for the latest trends in phone | | | | may go through giving you a false sense of |
| service, VoIP. According to Frost & Sullivan | | | | security, as it may not work next time.* You |
| there were 100,000 VoIP users at the end of | | | | may have already switched to VoIP and not |
| 2003. Just halfway through 2004 the number | | | | realize that your alarm is not being |
| jumped to more than 500,000.The draw to such | | | | monitored.I myself have elected to utilize |
| a change is most often cost related. | | | | VoIP to save money on long distance. I also |
| Traditional phone companies charge use fees | | | | maintain a standard limited use phone line to |
| and by the minute charges, coupled with long | | | | take care of my security communications, 911 |
| distance fees. VoIP companies are charging a | | | | and phone backup should power fail. The |
| flat fee somewhere between $15.00 to $30.00 | | | | (limited use) phone line, cost me less than |
| US per month, for unlimited calls to anywhere | | | | $15.00 per month and is offset by the savings |
| in the US and Canada.VoIP works by digitizing | | | | on my long distance bill.Cellular |
| voice signals from your phone and sending | | | | communicators are available that will make |
| them over the Internet via your home or | | | | your alarm call over any available cellular |
| business computer. While people are | | | | network. The device will have to be purchased |
| scrambling to make the switch and begin to | | | | for about $200.00 to $500.00, and an |
| count the money they are saving, they may not | | | | additional fee of approximately $10.00 per |
| realize that there is a good possibility that | | | | month is added to your monitoring bill.Some |
| they are cutting the link between their alarm | | | | alarm companies offer radio signal |
| system and the monitoring station. Another | | | | transmitted monitoring services, which do not |
| link that is lost in most cases is | | | | depend on phone lines of any sort to transmit |
| traditional 911 services, as VoIP does not | | | | your alarm signal. The availability of such |
| capture data for emergency response.When your | | | | services is limited and depends where you |
| alarm goes off due to an attempted break in, | | | | live.Alarm companies of all sizes are working |
| is no time to find out that the monitoring | | | | with manufactures and providers of VoIP |
| response that you have been faithfully paying | | | | services to find ways to properly integrate |
| for is not available for you. The Alarm | | | | Alarm Systems with these phone communications |
| Company has no way of knowing that you | | | | industry changes. I would expect many changes |
| switched services. You should be sending a | | | | in the near future as this does not seem to |
| test signal monthly, to assure yourself that | | | | be a passing fad. Be on the lookout for |
| the system is working properly, no matter who | | | | information on these changes, so that you can |
| you are connected through. Be advised that if | | | | always make an informed decision.Matthew |
| you are using VoIP and the signal goes | | | | Francis 22 year veteran of the alarm industry |
| through, it does not mean that it will always | | | | |
| be as clear. The volume of traffic on the | | | | Installer, salesman, licensed alarm company |
| Internet can and will vary the quality of the | | | | owner, monitoring station designer, |
| digitized signal it sends.If you find | | | | promotions and marketing director with one of |
| yourself intrigued by this revolution in | | | | the worlds largest security dealers. He now |
| phone services and are dependent on alarm | | | | works as a consumer advocate, teaching |
| system dispatch as part of your security | | | | consumers how to buy or get systems for free |
| plan, you should consider the pitfalls and | | | | (without being taken). He is committed to |
| options.* If power fails to the premise it is | | | | being unbiased. |
| likely that your VoIP will fail also, unless | | | | |