Not always. Alerts to your own phones work for many businesses, and you can add monitoring later if you find you need it.
What is the difference between monitoring and phone alerts?
With monitoring, a trained operator sees the alarm when it comes in. The operator verifies it, then calls the people on your list, and calls police if the situation needs them.
With alerts, the alarm sends a message straight to you or the people you name. Nobody else is involved. If you are asleep, on a job site, or out of signal, nothing happens until someone reads the message.
What do phone alerts do well?
Alerts are fast and there is no monthly monitoring fee. You see what triggered the alarm as soon as it happens. If the back door of your shop in Morden opens at 2 a.m., you know it.
They also suit a small team. You can set the alarm to alert more than one person, in order, so one missed call doesn't mean a missed alarm. You can arm and disarm from your phone, or let the system arm on a schedule.
What is the weak spot of phone alerts?
They depend on a person reading them, every time. Phones get switched to silent. People go on holidays. The one person who always answered retires.
Too many false alerts make it worse. After a few nights of being woken for nothing, people stop looking. That is the most common way a business alarm ends up ignored. Good sensor placement and a sensible contact order help, but they don't remove the risk.
When does monitoring make sense?
Monitoring is worth it when you can't be sure someone on your team will answer at 3 a.m. Some common cases:
- Nobody lives near the property, such as a storage building outside Carman.
- The owner travels or is out of reach for days at a time.
- What's inside is costly to lose, like fuel, tools or stock.
- Your insurer asks for it. Many insurers discount monitored alarm systems, so ask yours what they need.
Monitoring starts at $32 a month, depending on what is monitored and what is bundled. See all starting prices and what moves them.
What doesn't monitoring do?
It is worth being clear. Monitoring responds to alarm signals. Nobody watches your cameras all day.
Police response also has limits. It depends on the local police service and whether the alarm is verified. Monitoring gets the call made by someone who checked first, but it can't promise how fast anyone arrives.
Can I start with alerts and add monitoring later?
Yes. Many businesses start with alerts to their own phones. If that stops working, or your insurer asks for monitoring, it can be added at any time. The panel and sensors stay the same.
Before you sign with anyone, ask whether the system keeps working if you drop monitoring. With our systems, it does.
How do alerts and monitoring work with cameras?
If your alarm is tied into cameras, an alarm can come with video. That helps either way. You can glance at a clip on your phone and see a deer, not a person. An operator can do the same before deciding who to call.