The Monitoring Centre
SPECIALISTS IN ALARM MONITORING FOR
THE SECURITY INDUSTRY

WHERE YOUR SECURITY IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN
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#1   -   ADSL BROADBAND INTERFERENCE
There has recently been a huge increase in the deployment of ADSL broadband internet connections. ADSL modems are being fitted on phone lines at a rapid rate. In some cases these are causing interference to alarm control panels when they are trying to communicate back to base. This may be seen as an increase in comms trouble lights at the customers' residence and an increase in the number of bad transmissions being experienced at monitoring centre receivers. In some cases, alarm signals may be delayed or even prevented from being delivered.

A good line filter is a necessity whenever an ADSL modem is present on the phone line. Also note that sometimes the interference can even be coming from your neighbours' ADSL modem. A 2 line filter should be fitted when an alarm system is involved - see the attached documents.

We have attached some information that may help you overcome interference caused by ADSL modems on the PSTN lines.

If you can't get these MCM ADSL 2 line filters through your local security supplier, please contact us and we will point you in the right direction. The top of the range 2 line filter is approximately $33.00 inc 10% GST.

Please email back any odd experiences you are having with interference suspected of coming from ADSL or Cable modems - we will pass the information down the line.

The ADSLF In-Line Micro Filter/Splitter is a four wire device. It connects all four wires used in the Mode 3 connection thus giving an effective Central Filter to all of the Phones connected on return wires (1 and 5) of the Mode 3 connection.

ADSLF
If the ADSLF is installed in front of the phones, all phones will also be filtered from the ADSL signal.
An ADSL in-line micro filter separates the telephone service from the ADSL data. Without ADSL in-line micro filters, your voice calls will receive interference when ADSL is being transmitted. An ADSL in-line micro filter is required between each telephone device and the telephone wall outlet. This includes fax machines, fax/modems, answering machines, cordless phones and alarm diallers.

ADSLF SPECIFICATIONS SHEET
(IN PDF FORMAT - 408K)


FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADSLF - ENTER DETAILS BELOW

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#2   -   ADDITIONAL SECURITY

Over 10% of our Bureaus have clients utilizing other forms of primary communication between the clients site and The Monitoring Centre other than PSTN (Phone Line), the telephone line is used only as a backup for primary communication failure. To put that in simple terms..... They offered this extra service, their customers wanted it and your competitors are making extra revenue on these accounts. Are you one of the companies that are making this extra revenue?

If not, there is a painless way to offer these services to your existing customers, which is called value-added service. This gives you a second chance with this customer to increase your net profits, and what company that would not like (or need) to increase their monthly cash flow?

The first reason that it is painless is that you are dealing with your established customer who knows you. The second reason would be the way that this service is presented. Initially, you presented long-range radio as an added feature, which meant the customer had the choice of saying "yes" or "no." Saying "yes" meant they had to spend more money on top of the amount that they were already going to spend, so the answer was usually "no."

When a person is faced with a "yes" or "no" decision, saying "yes" means that they have to do something more, and it is going to cost more money. The normal reaction of everyone is to be defensive. However, if you are faced with a choice, your normal decision is to make the best choice and not to be defensive and say "no" to everything.

The sales technique that we recommend that you try is a combination of the above example, and the liability waiver technique representatives.

This is where you present the extra service as an added protection for the vulnerability of the telephone lines, and ask only want to know if the telephone line has a problem or do they want the control room to receive their alarm even if the phone line has been cut You give them a choice between the standard options Mobile Phone Backup, Securitel, Direct Line & Safecom, not a "yes" or "no" decision.

If the customer decides not to add this service, they would be required to sign a declination statement as shown below. Your sales technique would proceed as follows:

  1. You can present this choice on every new presentation, or you can contact your existing customers to set up an appointment to give them some additional information. Or, your service technician can do this when you have a service call or when you are performing annual (or biannual) preventive maintenance. Some companies have sold more radios through their service technicians than through their salespeople.

  2. You present the fact of the vulnerability of the telephone line, and the consequences if it is cut.

  3. Then you present the choices that customers have to protect them if this happens, which are:

    • Mobile Phone Backup (GSM).
    • Direct Line (Land Line - PSDN).
    • GPRS Solutions (DirectWireless™, Permaconn™, SurePoll™).
    • Safecom™ (Radio).
    • Securitel (Land Line - PSDN).

    There are numerous brands of Intruder Detection Systems on the market. They all do basically the same thing. When an alarm condition happens in a protected premise, the panel reports this condition to the Monitoring Centre for action. The main difference between the different panels is HOW they report to the Monitoring Centre. Listed below are the options available for the control room to know if the Telephone line is disabled.

    1. Mobile Phone - This form of Monitoring is available anywhere Mobile Phone phones can be used, and is a good option to have if telephone lines are not available. The user is liable in addition to the cost of monitoring the system for additional charges in the form of Network Plan Fees and call costs that the service provider charges. In the event of network congestion however the system may not report an alarm condition.

    2. Direct Line - Top of the line systems use a Direct Line system. This is a dedicated cable used expressly for the alarm panel and is only able to transmit a supervision signal to the alarm panel approx. every 10 seconds to make sure the line is all right. If no answer back is received from the alarm panel at the central station then a signal is generated saying there is a problem with that particular panel. These systems can be very expensive and are generally used in high-risk sites such as Banks, Schools, High Security Installations, etc. A very stable technology, but as with Securitel has one major drawback. If the phone line is unavailable, the Monitoring station knows that there is a problem with the telephone lines but that is all - the panel cannot report the alarm.

    3. GPRS Solutions - The GPRS Solutions is a complete supervised wireless primary alarm monitoring system with supervised PSTN back-up. GPRS Solutions transmits the signal through high security alarm transmission via the GPRS network to The Monitoring Centre

    4. SAFECOM™ Radio - Transmission offers the end user a level of security upto Direct Line Standard. These systems may also be DUAL - PATH. That means the system communicates with the Control Room primarily by an Intelligent Radio Network that may backup onto a standard dialer (Mode3) as a secondary communication medium in the event of a non-confirmation of an Alarm or Poll from the Control Room. Additional benefits include Non Telstra Network, No Ongoing Call Costs or Mobile Plan Costs. Utilizing advanced data transmission these networks offer the greatest available flexibility of system configurations.

    5. Securitel - These high-level systems use a supervised phone line. This system is fitted to a Voice line only and not only monitors the alarm panel but also the phone line integrity. Because it is a Supervised line, the Telstra Securitel Computer is able to transmit a signal to the alarm panel approx. every 30 seconds to make sure the line has not been cut. If no answer back is received from the alarm panel at the Securitel receiver then a signal is generated at the Central Station saying there is a problem with that particular panel. These systems are generally used in higher-risk sites such as, Jewelry stores, Sports Stores etc. This is a very stable technology, but has one major drawback. If the phone line is cut, the Monitoring station knows that there is a problem with the telephone lines but that is all - the panel cannot report the alarm. In addition to this the Telstra Securitel Computer is located in Melbourne. If a problem develops in this system there is no local redundancy for this service.

    They are not being presented with a "yes" or "no" decision. Instead, they are given a choice.

  4. If your customer declines all 4 options, they should be given a statement to sign, which is on your letterhead (A4), and in big print (14 point font). This statement can be called anything that you want, but for this example we'll call it a "DECLINATION OF ADDITIONAL SECURITY." For example:

DECLINATION OF ADDITIONAL SECURITY

I, ______________________________ , have been informed of the vulnerability of my telephone line being cut, and the consequences of the signals from by existing security system not being transmitted to the monitoring station.

I have also been presented with the option of choosing the Mobile Phone Backup, Securitel, Direct Line, a GPRS Solution or Safecom™, all of which would provide transmission of alarm signal to the monitoring station if my telephone line were to be cut.

I understand the risks, and I hereby decline all of these higher security options at this time.


Signature
Date
Witness
Date

This document is simply an acknowledgment that they have been presented with the fact that a cut telephone line will stop the transmission of alarm signals, and the prevention of this happening would be long range radio service. They understand the risk and they have declined to add this additional protection. The primary purpose of this document is psychological. I have been warned, and I chose not to do anything. If the line gets cut, and signals cannot get through, it is MY fault, not the alarm company's.

The normal reaction to a document like this is that the alarm company is not trying to "shove something down my throat." They know this can happen and they are "just trying to protect themselves." Maybe I should reconsider ....

There is another reason this technique should be used on all new installations. If you do not explain the vulnerability of the telephone line, and how long range radio can protect against the consequences of interrupted signals, and their line does get cut and they are subjected to a burglary, robbed (or worse), what happens when they find out that you neglected to inform them of this potential or how to prevent it? Nothing good!

SOME INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE USA

A Liability Issue Recent landmark lawsuits are bringing the subject of line-cut into broad public awareness. Now, those people who made terms such as "errors and omissions" and "slip and fall" so popular threaten to usher in the era of "line-cut fever." No doubt, the telephone line, which connects the premises alarm to the central station, is recognized as perhaps the Achilles heel of alarm systems. It's an issue not everyone wants to bring up. It is easy to understand the dilemma. There is no "feel-good" answer when it comes to line cut vulnerability. Broaching the subject inevitably means a higher cost to the customer. Discussing it may also jeopardize the sale and the client's confidence in you. Therefore, many dealers avoid the topic or do not present the facts to their clients objectively or clearly.

In the well-publicized lawsuits, the alarm system users convince juries that the alarm dealer had not adequately advised them of the potential for their phone lines to be cut, nor what the consequences could be. In these cases the courts judge against the alarm dealers, and award large sums to the victims. So, if you are the kind of dealer who doesn't mention the issue of line cut to your potential clients because you want to get a fast closing, and do not want to confuse your customer, you had better rethink your philosophy.

If you're a dealer who does bring up the subject to a customer, perhaps you should start indemnifying yourself in writing. The best option is to present the alternatives to each of your prospects as well as existing accounts and document that they understand the consequences in writing.

Here are some interesting facts obtained from a survey conducted by Skyview, commissioned by the Wireless Interest Group of The Security Industry Association (SIA):

  • In Minneapolis, a central station's incoming phone cables were attacked before a jewelry heist.
  • The same thing happened repeatedly in New York City.
  • Over the past few years, the main telephone lines into a well known alarm company have been cut several times, causing alarm service disruptions for thousands of customers in New York and Connecticut.
  • 39.9% of line-cut offenses happened to residences.
  • Violence occurred in 57% of the residential events, and 4% of the non residence events.
  • Although the number of crimes reported is "down," crime is more targeted, and criminals are more dangerous. o Commercial line-cut burglaries average over $31K per event.

The report concludes: "Failure to offer secure signalling becomes a liability when there is a threat to life. The minimalist approach is no longer good advice. A changed paradigm now holds in the public sphere. Advertising for Mobile Phone phones emphasizes the security aspects of wireless communications because the public expects reliability. Going forward, it is time for dealers to notify old and new clients about the possibility of losing their signal path. Circumstances have changed in the criminal world and in the legal arena. The point is not whether customers will choose to buy based on this information. The point is that there is sufficient evidence available to the general public, proving that dealers should know and tell about the threat of line-cut. To not tell customers about this risk invites depreciation of the industry and of dealer equity."



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This page was last modified on Wednesday August 22, 2007 at 00:32:07.