The Three Types of Alarm Monitoring – Which is best?

Despite the fact that there are many, many alarm companies in the U.S., and that Utah seems to be the capitol of the alarm world, when you boil it all down, there are really about three different types of alarm monitoring to choose from.  We’ve done our best to summarize the choices here so you can see which type fits your lifestyle the best.

While we are a little biased on who we think you should choose for monitoring, we don’t really have a preference on any of these three types of monitoring.  They all have their place in the world, and we offer versions of all three.

1 – “No-Contract”

2 – “Contract”

3 – “Self Monitored”

 ”No-Contract” Alarm Monitoring Option

This option is just as it is titled – alarm monitoring without the burden of being tied into a long-term contract with any company.  Usually month by month, with some companies providing discounts for paying quarterly or annually.  A “contract” typically is required, in the sense of signing a document agreeing to the price, terms, and conditions of the monitoring, but not locking you into any specific time frame, the contract will explicitly indicate that you are on a month to month service and may cancel at any time.

This choice is usually best for those who already have a security or fire alarm system installed in their home or business, and are just looking for the monitoring service.  Very rarely will you find any company willing to give you a “free alarm” with a month by month monitoring agreement.

You will usually get the best service out of this type of contract, due to the fact that there is nothing keeping you from going to another company if your current company isn’t making you happy.  The same goes with price increases – if your monitoring company threatens to raise your rate, you simply remind them that you are free to change to any other company in a heartbeat.

“Contract” Alarm Monitoring Option

This is probably the type of alarm service of which most people are familiar with.  Typically you get this option when you sign up for a “Free Alarm” offer.  Much like the cellular telephone companies, when you sign up for a 3 – 5 year monitoring agreement, they company will give you a free basic alarm system in exchange.

This may be a good method for those who are on a tight budget, but still want the peace of mind and convenience of an alarm system.  In essence, this is a loan.  Your credit will typically be pulled, and if you qualify, you will receive a free alarm system, usually around $700 – $800 worth of equipment, up front.  You then pay for that system over time via the monitoring contract.  In actuality, the system isn’t free, you are just buying it over time.

Usually this isn’t a bad deal – in fact, Vantage Voltage offers these packages ourselves.  For around $15.00 a month more then you might pay for monitoring alone, you can “finance” a “free” system.  Not too bad.

What you need to watch out for:  Most companies, even once your contract is up and you have paid for the system, will not lower your monitoring rate.  The best thing to do is to cancel service after your contract is up, and sign up for a “No-Contract” monitoring option in order to reduce your monthly bill now that your hardware has been paid off.

“Self Monitored” Alarm Monitoring Option

Cell phones are barley even a phone anymore, you can do so much more with your phone then anyone imagined you could even 5 years ago.  The last statistic I heard, was that there are over 5 Billion cell phones in use, with only a little over 6 Billion people on the planet!  That’s insane.  But, that is the direction that everyone is taking these days, and why not integrate you alarm system into your phone as well?

With services such as Alarm.com, you can have your Smart Phone become a total control center for your alarm.  You can be notified of any system event, such as actual alarms, troubles, or status changes in your system.  Even with the system disarmed, you can be notified of a liquor or gun cabinet being opened, or notified when a child comes home and uses their code to shut off the alarm.

This service can be used to self monitor your alarm system. (But can also be bundled with either of the two options above.)  Rather then paying for a monitoring service, you can be the one to receive and respond to all signals from your alarm system.  This can save you money in the long run, as the service fee for this is typically half of what you might pay for traditional alarm monitoring.

Notifications can come in the form of email or text message, but there is also a free app for Android, Blackberry and iPhone.

Keep in mind, however, that you are it.  If you are unavailable, outside of the coverage area, or just turned off your phone for some peace and quiet, you won’t be protected.  With traditional monitoring, someone is always there 24/7 watching your alarm, not so with a self-monitored solution.  Also, a commercial fire alarm system cannot use this option – they must be tied to a UL Listed, professional monitoring center.