Affiliated Monitoring LLC - Experts & Thought Leaders

The Orange County Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications Division became the 146th Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the United States and the 14th ECC in the State of North Carolina to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Implementation of ASAP "The ASAP program provides our ECC with most accurate and timely alarm notifications possible while reducing the workload of our Public Safety Telecommunicators. The implementation of ASAP provides significant benefits to our Department, our partner public safety agencies, and the community we serve," stated Christopher H. Ward, Division Chief – Public Safety Communications for Orange County Emergency Services. Orange County went live on July 22, 2024 with the following companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Alert360, Securitas, Holmes Security, Brinks Home Security, Dynamark Monitoring, United Central Control, Protection One, Guardian Protection, National Monitoring Center, Johnson Controls (Tyco), Vivint, CPI Security, Wegmans Security, Affiliated Monitoring, ADT and Security Central with Alert360 being brought online soon.

The Buncombe County Public Safety Communications Centre (BCPSC) became the 145th Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) in the United States and the 13th ECC in the state of North Carolina to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).  Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm monitoring centres to Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs).   Agreement with MCP TMA signed a multi-year managed services agreement with MCP in June Buncombe County went live on June 21st and 22nd with the following alarm companies: Rapid Response Monitoring; Vector Security; Alert360; Securitas; Quick Response; Brinks Home Security; Dynamark Monitoring; ADT; Protection One; Guardian Protection; National Monitoring Centre; Vivint; Johnson Controls (Tyco); Security Central; United Central Control; CPI Security; and Affiliated Monitoring. TMA signed a multi-year managed services agreement with Mission Critical Partners (MCP) in June to power the growth of its ASAP Service. The goal of the new partnership with MCP is to expedite the expansion of the ASAP Service and drive the development of a cloud-based solution. The next-generation solution will allow for the real-time sharing of rich data, including camera video streams, live location, health information, photos, and interior blueprints, dramatically improving situational awareness for emergency responders.

The Glenview IL Public Safety Dispatch Centre and the City of Allen, TX Police and Fire Communications became the 140th and 141st Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in the United States to implement The Monitoring Association’s (TMA) Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm monitoring centres to Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs). ASAP-enabled monitoring centres The Glenview IL Public Safety Dispatch Centre is the first ECC in the state of Illinois to implement ASAP. Glenview went live on January 9th & 10th, 2024, with the following companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, Security Central, Quick Response, Securitas, Everon (formerly Protection One), Guardian Protection, Johnson Controls, Alarm Detection Systems, United Central Control, National Monitoring Centre, Affiliated Monitoring, Vivint, Brinks and ADT. Vector Security will be on board soon. Eighty percent of the alarms in the U.S. are monitored by ASAP-enabled monitoring centres “TMA is especially pleased to welcome our first ECC in the state of Illinois to ASAP,” stated TMA President Steve Butkovich. “A total of 22 new ECCs went live in 2023. ASAP now covers over 15% of the U.S. population, which accounts for over 52,000,000 people nationwide. Eighty percent of the alarms in the U.S. are monitored by ASAP-enabled monitoring centres.” TX Police and Fire Communications The City of Allen, TX Police and Fire Communications is the 17th in the state of Texas to implement the ASAP. The City of Allen went live on January 17th, 2024, with the following companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Security Central, Johnson Controls, Securitas, Dynamark, Alert360, United Central Control, Everon (formerly Protection One), Guardian Protection, National Monitoring Centre, Affiliated Monitoring, Vivint, Brinks and ADT. “We are excited to be live with the ASAP-to-PSAP program at our agency. We look forward to having a partnership with the alarm vendors via ASAP-to-PSAP to help better serve our responders and citizens within our community,” Jennifer Qvist, police specialist for the Allen Police Department.

There is a growing trend towards more outsourcing of the monitoring function among security companies. Technology developments are accelerating and increasing the need for monitoring companies to invest. The barriers to entry are higher than ever. These are some of the trends covered in a discussion at Securing New Ground 2019 titled ‘Monitoring: New Models and New Monetisation Strategies’. A panel of monitoring company executives addressed topics centered on how the industry is changing and evolving. New entrants in the monitoring space New entrants in the monitoring space face barriers to entry, in particular the need for more investment"“New entrants in the monitoring space face barriers to entry, in particular the need for more investment in infrastructure and expertise,” said Spencer Moore, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Rapid Response Monitoring. ”Because of the expense of new technologies, more full-service monitoring companies are outsourcing the monitoring function to existing wholesale monitoring companies.” “The cost of entry has gone up, and companies are trying to preserve capital,” agreed Jim McMullen, President/COO at COPS Monitoring. “Larger companies are realising wholesale monitoring does a better job from a customer service viewpoint. We are more focused on monitoring and the quality of service. It takes a lot of money to keep up with the cyber world,” added McMullen. Wholesale monitoring companies Wholesale monitoring companies are finding that they need petabytes of storage space, among other expensive requirements. “The trend is toward technology evolving quicker, and that often requires investment and training in a monitoring center,” said Daniel Oppenheim, CEO of Affiliated Monitoring. “Because trying out new technology is so important, wholesale monitoring centers often find that they serve as a ‘laboratory’ to experiment with newer technologies. Limited trials often expand later to broader outsourcing of a company’s monitoring services”, said Oppenheim. Automated Secure Alarm Protocol “What people miss out on is that monitoring is quite complex, and there are specialised services and skillsets, and barriers to entry from a regulatory perspective,” said Moore. Adding value to the monitoring function is The Monitoring Association’s ASAP-to-PSAP service Adding value to the monitoring function is The Monitoring Association’s ASAP-to-PSAP service. The national service saves time, improves accuracy and increases efficiency in communications between monitoring centers and public safety answering points (PSAPs). The service uses the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Public Safety Answering Points Up to 60 PSAPS have joined the programme, although the low number is misleading, given that a single PSAP could represent the ‘City of Houston’. (There are an estimated 6,000 total PSAPs nationwide). It has taken six to eight years to develop the program from its genesis to where it is today, when more participation is finally creating a critical mass. Technology is fundamentally changing monitoring companies. “We used to be a services company powered by a little bit of technology, but we’re now moving toward a technology services company,” said Moore. Critical ‘filtering service’ Monitoring provides a critical ‘filtering service’ between public requests for emergency service and those tasked with providing the services. In effect, monitoring centers work with manufacturers to make them more resilient to false alarms. Monitoring companies also provide a human touch in a time of need, and emotional empathy. Today, emergency information is being transmitted to PSAPs electronically, which saves time and money. The current low-taxation environment means there are fewer resources for municipal governments, so cost savings make a difference. Monitoring, a specialised skillset Increasingly, monitoring is becoming a business that requires a more specialised skillset Increasingly, monitoring is becoming a business that requires a more specialised skillset. Regulation, and the need for increasing investment, is driving consolidation. “With a decreasing number of monitoring companies, there are fewer customers for software developers and other tools. Less outside innovation makes it more likely monitoring centers will have to ‘go it alone’ and develop software and other tools internally,” said Oppenheim. Importance of monitoring systems “In effect, consolidation will serve to limit technology choices, and to increase the need to in-source a lot of expertise”, agrees Moore. Tying monitoring systems into other software systems is another continuing challenge. “People want our system tied into their system,” said McMullen. “I have two people who focus full time to tie our systems into other systems. There will be more computers talking to computers.”

Affiliated Monitoring’s UL-Listed monitoring centre with a second floor dedicated to areas for security company meetings Central monitoring stations have innovative approaches to assist security installing companies in growing their account base, adding value and boosting recurring monthly revenue (RMR). These companies do much more than simply monitor accounts – today they provide a host of services to give security installing companies the added edge in an extremely competitive marketplace. Affiliated Monitoring, Union, N.J., is a privately owned company that’s been in business for more than 38 years. Its primary goal is to keep innovating, so its security installing company partners can leverage new technologies, add customers and keep attrition rates low. Focus on interactive services One of the oldest, continually running central monitoring stations in the industry, Affiliated Monitoring hasn’t stood still. Instead, it’s found new ways to provide the best and latest technologies to its dealer base. In May 2012, Affiliated Monitoring opened a new 80,000-square-foot UL Listed, CSAA Five Diamond Certified and FDNY Approved monitoring centre with a communications infrastructure second to none. The central station was also built with an entire second floor reserved for dealers, with conference and breakout rooms they can use free-of-charge for customer meetings.    Michael Zydor, managing director of Affiliated Monitoring, says one of the keys to the company’s longevity and success is staying at the forefront of technology and providing the services and metrics dealers need to compete effectively. The company monitors a full range of interactive services and security, as well as fire, Personal Emergency Response Systems, video and two-way audio. The latest communication technologies are also available, including Internet/cellular monitoring, as well as web and mobile access. “Technology is changing rapidly, every 12 to 18 months, but we have everything the dealer needs to compete effectively,” he says. Michael Zydor, managing director of Affiliated Monitoring, says one of the keys to the company’s longevity and success is staying at the forefront of technology and providing the services and metrics dealers need to compete effectively Zydor says he sees traditional security dealers taking advantage of new ways to gain RMR with central station monitoring, especially interactive services, now a standard offering of the majority of those companies. Beyond security “Dealers know they need an offering for the customer that’s more than security -- a full suite of home automation services – in order to compete today. Their mindset has changed; they know security is vital, but customers want home automation along with protection. They are leading with interactive services and the full functionality customer's desire, like turning locks on and off remotely, or checking when their children arrive home from school. And that’s what Affiliated Monitoring delivers,” Zydor says. He adds that interactive services put smaller security companies on par with larger firms, while allowing them to parlay the added edge that comes from a higher level of responsive service. Adaptation to technology change Affiliated Monitoring also helps security companies adapt to the fast pace of technology with free training and education. And as another value-add, the company provides health reports that aggregate critical metrics and data on accounts so they can manage their customers better – and hopefully keep them for life. Zydor says the rapid transformation and sophistication of the security industry makes it an exciting time to be in the business “These reports provide a snapshot of activity and insights into which accounts may need assistance so they can go out to these customers and work with them to avoid cancellation and attrition.,” says Zydor. “From the feedback we’ve received, that’s proved invaluable. They have an in-depth look at how their accounts are behaving on a monthly basis.  Dealers have a host of other services from Affiliated Monitoring as well, including access to their accounts from our dealer apps or website where they can test systems, check history, and perform other functions -- on demand, all day long.” Zydor says the rapid transformation and sophistication of the security industry makes it an exciting time to be in the business. “Our business is a partnership with our dealers, and the two are intertwined. We work with them and they give us the feedback we need so we can keep providing best-in-class service to our dealers.”