When most people think of a home security system, they usually imagine a few door sensors, some motion detectors, a keypad, and a sign out front. While all of those elements are still part of home security systems, today’s modern systems offer so much more than that.
Today’s home security ecosystem is one of startups, smart homes and connectivity. Devices from different manufacturers are capable of talking to each other. Cameras, thermostats and lighting can all be controlled from a central hub. And everything, everything, everything can be monitored from a phone.
Here are some of our favorite, and most important, aspects of today’s home security setups.
Wireless Communication
Older home security systems relied on telephone landline communication to get the word out from your home system to your monitoring company or emergency services. Today, many people don’t even have a landline, relying entirely on their cell phones for communication. And that aside, landlines are vulnerable to being cut by savvy criminals.
Fortunately, modern home security systems have kept up with the times, with most of them able to communicate with monitoring and emergency services via the internet or a cellular network. Some systems utilize cellular as their primary form of communication, while others use it as a backup in combination with a landline, but either way systems are both protected from physical tampering, and future-proofed against the declining landline.
More Than Burglars
Modern home security systems offer protection and monitoring for more than just burglaries and break-ins. Integration with smoke detectors for in-home fire monitoring, for instance, is available with many systems. These can even shut off your central AC automatically so that they don’t blow smoke through the house.
Camera systems have also gotten more affordable and connected in recent years, allowing you to discreetly shoot and record video both in and around your home, and view it all on your smartphone or tablet. Several camera manufacturers have even made their technology compatible with other smart home and security products, bolstering the ability to make cameras part of a custom and complete system.
Smart Homes
As mentioned above, “smart homes” are becoming all the rage, and more and more technology manufacturers are creating products that are capable of communicating with one another – but certainly not all of them do. When considering a home security system, make sure to make a plan for connecting various parts of your home, and look into equipment that will play nice together. Or... find a company you can trust to make the right recommendations for you.
While many of the pieces of the modern home security system can be gathered piece-meal, the only way to truly ensure a complete system that functions well as a unit is to bring in an expert who can help with professional installation and setup. They know what product is best and how to make it work best for your application. Talk to our experts for a consultation on how to get your new, modern home security system.