ADT

ADT announced today it’s offering a free upgrade for users of ADT Pulse, which it launched in October 2010. ADT's new automated “Home View” application will allow customers to “remotely interact with home devices via a personalized floor plan viewed on a mobile device or the Web,” the company said in its June 1 release.

Here are more details from the release:
 

This additional software feature allows ADT Pulse customers to easily and quickly map a virtual floor plan of their home and then remotely monitor and interact with their ADT Pulse devices via any web enabled PC, iPhone or iPad.

Once a customer sets up Home View via their personal ADT Pulse sign in page, they can view color-coded icons of their security devices, lights, thermostats and cameras. By clicking on the icons, customers can easily control their home’s lighting, climate and many small appliances. And if they have cameras, customers can quickly view real time video by simply clicking the video icons. A Home View video demonstration is available at www.ADTPulse.com/Home-View.

I’ve got a call in to Boca Raton-based ADT to find out more about how this new app can help dealers gain more business.

There’s a growing trend in the security industry of companies leveraging the latest technology by putting it in the hands of their frontline employees out in the field. A recent story I wrote about ADT putting iPads in the hands of its 4,000 sales reps to help boost sales is a good example.

Here’s another example, announced today by Vivint, the Provo, Utah-based home automation/home security giant. The company says it has developed a new app for field service technicians that makes them more productive.

Here’s more from Vivint’s April 11 news release:
 

The app was developed completely in-house, and was designed specifically to address the needs of Vivint service technicians, who are stationed throughout Vivint’s service area. By using the app, technicians can receive schedules, manage inventory and interact with the customer service center remotely – spending less time in planning and logistics and more time working with customers. Built using HTML5, the web-based application enables technicians to access the information they need to do their jobs quickly and efficiently from wherever they are on any internet-enabled mobile devices.

“What we’ve developed with this Vivint app has really increased the functionality of what we had been using before, and we couldn’t be happier with the results so far,” said Scott Taylor, director of field services. “This app will really help us give our customers the high level of service they have come to expect from Vivint. We’ve already seen response time increase by 20 percent.”

Since rolling out the new app, the first-time fix rate average for Vivint customers has increased to 95 percent. Other features that increase productivity and efficiency include a mapping option that provides the best route to get to a job and a tech-locating element that helps Vivint technicians connect with other technicians in the area.

So much to write about Day 2 at ISC West 2012, but here are some notes from the day:

Stanley held a luncheon reception to introduce the new combined leadership of Stanley CSS and Niscayah. The combined company serves 460,000 customers from 80 North American locations. The team includes: Marty Guay, VP-national accounts and market solutions; Mike Bishop VP-field operations; Pete Straka, VP-human resources; Steve Walker, VP ProtectionNet customer service centers; Damon Kanzler, VP-opeartions support; Joe Richards, VP-infomation technology, Felix Gonzales, VP-Strategic Initiatives& business development; Jim Kopplin, VP-field sales & integration leader; Tony Byerly, president North America; Ina Staris, senior legal counsel; John Nemorofsky, VP market solutions; Raymond Radis, VP-national accounts.

--I did a number of video interviews including ones with Jamie Haenggi, chief marketing and customer experience officer for Protection 1, where we talked about Protection 1's focus on national accounts.

--Sharon Shaw, PSA Security director of education filled me in on what's new at PSA-TEC this year for integrators.

--Kristen Simmons, founder of LiveSmart Security, and a veteran marketing executive of several Fortune 500 companies. Kristen will be delivering the keynote address at ESX this year and talking about the customer experience as the "next battleground" for security companies.

--Jay Hauhn, CTO for the newly named Tyco Integrated Security,  talked about what Tyco International's priorities once it splits into three separately companies and Tyco International becomes a pure play security and fire group for the first time.

I did several booth visits, but one of the most interesting was speaking to Yohav Stern, CEO of DVTEL. Stern talked about the company's new "TruWitness" product which turns a smartphone into a camera on your surveillance network. Stern also talked about how DVTel has changed in the past year since he assumed leadership. The  R& D team now has some simple but firm guidelines. Products being innovative is not enough, he said, they need to be reliable, scalable,  end-to-end solutions that are also open.