DTE Smart Home Solutions

What a year 2020 was! The security industry, both residential and commercial, rode a roller coaster and began a transformation. Lifestyles and work activities were turned upside down with the onslaught and wide spread of COVID-19. Work environments transitioned to home and people hunkered down in their houses to ride out the pandemic. Everything has become digital and internet connectivity is expected and just as important as water and electric utilities. Different priorities emerged, leading to requests for services and DIY products for personal security, home control, connectivity, health and well-being. Security industry opportunities exploded, and imploded, in 2020.To get more news about smart home solutions, you can visit securamsys.com official website.

For security dealers, manufacturers, and service providers to survive, and hopefully thrive, during these tumultuous times they must take a proactive stance, understand what’s happening today and what’s coming, work hard at staying current, and change. The pandemic created new protocols to stay sat at work and on jobsites and finding qualified technicians is an ongoing problem too.

Last fall was Parks Associates’ eighth year completing its Residential Security Dealer Survey. The survey found: “The residential security industry has experienced the key conditions that disrupt markets as connectedness diffuses into nearly all U.S. homes, DIY systems available from retail mature, and players like NEST and Amazon enter the mix. Now, on top of adapting to these changes, the traditional sector must manage COVID-19 which inhibits in-home installation, places financial pressure on some customers, and requires careful handling of and help for company employees.”

Security is no longer thought of as just detection and protection, it has expanded to include video, access, home and building control, environmental monitoring, connectivity, analytics and alerts. Progressive security dealers offer many, if not most or all, of these products and services, and are constantly tracking trends to stay at the forefront.

To offset this decline, it is important to be aware of current and potential trends and the opportunities they create. Every company should consider if any of the new market options align with their strategic plan and if yes, incorporate new items into their offerings.

“With people staying home more, desire for security and peace of mind has created more interest in exterior protection and monitoring,” says Jennifer Kent, vice president of research, Parks Associates, Addison, Texas. “Increased sales of video cameras and smart doorbells have expanded DIY sales. Success can be attributed to flexible devices, relatively easy installation, and intuitive user interfaces.”

It may sound counter-intuitive, but DIY actually opens doors for security dealers as it can create new revenues through Do-It-With-Me, DIWM, or Do-It-Together, DIT. Here, the security dealer sells the DIY system, performs setup, delivers the programmed system components to the customer, and works with them to get it installed. Support often includes real-time chatting and video support.

As systems and products merge together, such as security, video, communications, lighting, and HVAC, things can get complicated. This issue of interoperability and the need for different apps for control of each system is now being addressed by some manufacturers.

For example, George Janelis, senior channel marketing manager at Resideo, Austin, Texas, says, “This problem is solved with the Resideo ProSeries Security and Smart Home Platform. It is a complete, end-to-end solution offering the same user interface on all methods of control — from the mobile app to wired and wireless touch screens. The modular approach addresses affordability by allowing dealers to select and include different capabilities such as Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, radio, and wireless takeover for past technologies. The AlarmNet360 Cloud Services and Solutions backend and video surveillance capability closes the deal with seamless installation and real-time data insights.”