New & Noteworthy

ENJOY YOUR VACATION. WE GOT YOU COVERED!


Hope you're enjoying your summer holidays!

While you're away - Reed has you protected 24/7.

Our monitoring team is always ready to respond to alerts they receive from your alarm system, fire system and camera system.

If you can't be reached, we will immediately dispatch the proper authorities.

See you when you get back.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Team @ Reed Security


PS: If you don't already have a security system we provide free quotes

TOP 5 WAYS TO MANAGE MULTIPLE BUSINESS LOCATIONS WITH ALARM.COM


As your business grows, so does the work it takes to manage it - especially when you scale up to multiple business locations. 


The complexities of adding new stores, restaurants, warehouses or other premises can create an overwhelming workload (or worry-load) that you'll need to solve. This could mean a new hire, or a new technology solution to help you scale more efficiently. 

Alarm.com for Business, with its award-winning multi-location management features, should be at the top of your list. It reduces complexity by giving you and your team a single point of control for essential functions including security, employee access, video monitoring, and energy management for every location in your business. 

Whether you're managing two locations or two hundred, using Alarm.com for Business to take care of them will save you time, money and worries.  Here are five big benefits you'll discover. 

1: Automatic security lets you "set and forget" at scale 

Protecting your people and property is a complex task that Alarm.com makes easy. Our automated security safeguards, which include automatic system arming and door locking at closing time, only need to be set up once. Once Reed Security adds Alarm.com technology to your latest location, it takes just seconds to automate its security by applying the rules you've set up for the rest of your business. 

This doesn't just apply to the alarm systems across your business. You can quickly create cross-location rules to regulate employee access, get activity-triggered smartphone alerts, or save energy by automating your Alarm.com smart thermostats

2: Access control with user codes improves and streamlines your security 

Outdated access technology weakens your security and gets harder to manage as your business grows. Our smart access technology does the opposite, protecting your business with centrally controlled smart locks, easily managed user codes, and the option of a full keycard-and-reader solution. A single login is all you need to control employee access anywhere your business. 

Alarm.com user codes are easy to set up, revoke, and manage in bulk.  You can assign employees to customized access groups, with pre-set permissions determining which location(s) they can access and when—enabling you to streamline and scale your access control to tens or hundreds of employees. 

3: Smart business alerts keep you on top of any emerging issues  

Unlike traditional security technology, Alarm.com for Business is proactive, alerting you to problematic or unexpected activity at any business location, even when disarmed. The more locations you're taking care of, the more valuable this becomes. 

For example, you can set up a single "late opening" alert, then apply it to every location—eliminating the need to check this important detail for every location, every day. You can know right away if a door is propped open, if an off-limits area is accessed, or even if a thermostat is tampered with. You can also set up highly customized video alerts to capture specific activity—take a look:


4: Multi-location video gives you a real-time view of everything 

The bigger your business gets, the more important it becomes to see what's going on. Alarm.com gives you a single video monitoring dashboard that combines security camera feeds from different locations, side by side, making it easy for you and your team to stay on top of things.  

With four video streams on a single screen, and the ability to set up and toggle between custom, multi-location video groups (e.g. "front door cameras", or "kitchen cameras") it's simple to monitor activity across your business in real time. 

5: Customizable permissions let you delegate with clear boundaries 

The bigger your team, the more you'll benefit from Alarm.com, especially when you delegate its different functions to managers, or to specialists like a loss prevention officer. With multiple levels of user permissions, Alarm.com makes it easy to give team members access to the features they need, and no more.

 

You can give a manager the ability to set up or revoke an employee's access, but only at that manager's location. You can give your loss prevention specialist access to every security camera feed without giving them control of your smart thermostats. As the primary account holder, you'll always retain the ultimate ability to increase, decrease, customize or remove your team's permissions. 

Want to save time and money with smarter business security? 

If you would like more information on Smart Home or Business Security please Contact Us for a Free Security Evaluation. 


SASKATOON SECURITY INQUIRIES

Reed Security Headquarters

Call 306.653.3200 or 1.844.384.SAFE (7233)

SuRe InnoVations

Call 306.974.0888

PRINCE ALBERT SECURITY INQUIRIES

Call 306.922.7200

CALGARY SECURITY INQUIRIES

Call 587.393.2800

REGINA SECURITY INQUIRIES

Call 306.206.0700


Source: ALARM.COM



REED SECURITY EXPANDS - WELCOME HIGHMARK HOME SYSTEMS SUBSCRIBERS


Highmark Home Systems Ltd. has sold its security monitoring services to Reed Security.

You will be in great hands! Reed Security has received 20+ Award Recognitions for the way they look after People (Customer Service, Quality Management, Marketing, New Direction, and Small Business of the Year).

Dave Sammartino will be staying on through a transition arrangement to ensure a smooth handover of the business. Dave Schlegel is your local Reed Security Authorized Dealer and has 10+ years security sales, installation and support experience.

No major changes are planned, however we will be seeking customer feedback to identify how additional customer value can be created.

Dave Sammartino
Owner
Highmark home Systems Ltd.


Virgil Reed
Owner
Reed Security

SALES, INSTALLATION, SUPPORT

Contact Your Local Reed Security Authorized Dealer
Dave Schlegel
587-393-2800
dave.s@reedsecurity.ca
reedsecurity.com/calgary

BILLING, ADMINISTRATION

Contact Reed Security Head Office
306-653-3200
administration@reedsecurity.ca
reedsecurity.com



WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T HAVE A PHONE LINE?

Are WIRELESS Alarm Systems Better Than Wired Ones? – Part 2

In my last blog, we took a look at why all-in-one, fully-wireless alarm systems are so popular, but also why they don’t hold up very well in extreme circumstances. There are other aspects of the system, however, where “wireless” can be a very good thing, including communication. Today we will take a look at how an alarm system communicates with the monitoring station, and the potential benefits to communicating wirelessly. 

There are essentially three different communication methods available to today’s alarm client, and we’ll look at the pro’s and con’s of each of them.


1. Phone Line

Since the inception of electronic alarm systems in the 1920’s, phone line has been the “traditional” method of communication. Every house and business always had a landline; therefore, it was cheap to implement for the Alarm companies. The technology currently in use hasn’t changed much in decades, and is essentially the same as that used by a fax machine.

The problems with this communication method are two fold: the signals are sent slowly (takes around 30-60 seconds for a single signal to be transmitted), and it relies entirely on your phone line. Should the line go down, or should a smart criminal cut the lines coming into the building (I’ve seen it happen), the alarm cannot communicate. Many phone systems also require power, so a power outage renders your system inoperable.

Not only that many people are cancelling their landlines. I cannot tell you the number of times a client has called me up saying “my alarm system isn’t working”, only to find out 30 seconds later that they cancelled the home phone line a month ago! There are cheaper, internet-based alternatives to phone lines (known as Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VOIP), but most alarm systems aren’t compatible with them.

Pros: cheapest option available

Cons: can be cut easily; relies on power; slow to send signals



2. Internet/Wi-Fi

In the case of internet communication, the alarm system is wired directly into your router provided for you by your Internet Service Provider, or ISP. Wi-Fi operation is a little simpler, as no physical connection to your router is required. Again, this is a cheap option, because the chances are you’re already paying for internet. However, like the land line before it, this method relies entirely on your internet. If the internet goes down, if there’s a power outage, or if your Wi-Fi drops, the Alarm System cannot talk to the monitoring station.

Pros: utilizes the internet you already have in the house; much faster than phone line

Cons: relies entirely on your internet connection; must be directly wired into your network



3. Cellular

These communicators are essentially a small cell phone, and use their own SIM card to communicate over the cell network. The signals are transmitted very fast, and the communicator itself can make use of the Alarm System’s backup battery, meaning that you never lose connectivity, even during a lengthy power outage. Of course, these are still dependent on cell towers, and in rural settings or in deep basements there can be issues getting a signal; but for reliability, these are the best option currently available, and will only improve as the cell coverage and signal type improve. Right now, most use the 3G network, but as things most into 4G, LTE, and beyond, expect these communicators to keep getting smarter and smarter.

Pros: completely stand-alone (does not rely on your phone or internet); much faster than phone line; no wiring required

Cons: more expensive monthly

 

Note: I should point out that most internet/Wi-Fi/cellular communicators now offer (at an added cost) the ability to use “Crash and Smash” technology. This means that if someone breaks into the property intent on finding and disabling the communicator before the alarm goes off, the system now sends an “Alarm Pending” signal to the servers, which is then forwarded on to the monitoring station 4 minutes later if no other signals are received. This is a great backup, but 4 minutes is still a lot of free time for someone to have roaming around your property unchecked!


Bottom Line

The bottom line when it comes to communicators is that again, you want something that will ALWAYS send a signal, no matter what the situation or who is trying to compromise your system. There is no one option that is completely flawless, but it’s pretty obvious to me that the Cellular option has the lowest risk-to-benefit ratio. Unfortunately, it is usually the most expensive option, so you have to decide for yourself whether the reliability and speed is worth the extra money. I should also note that any of the non-landline options also open up the door to use smartphone and tablet apps to monitor your system, and send you notifications via text or e-mail if something goes wrong. In todays connected world, having that functionality is almost a no-brainer.

My recommendation: pay the extra few bucks every month and get a cellular communicator that you can not only trust, but offers you the benefit of being able to check in on your system when you’re away.

Dave Schlegel
Owner
Oxford Security Systems
Reed Security Authorized Dealer

  

REED SECURITY OPENS CALGARY OFFICE

Dave Schlegel is a friendly and helpful security technician with over 10 years experience. He recently opened Oxford Security Systems and became a Reed Security Authorized Dealer in Calgary, Alberta.

Now Open: Calgary

MEET DAVE

Dave Schlegel joined Reed Security when he and his wife moved to Saskatoon to complete her post-secondary education. Calgary was always home though, and in 2016 they moved back to be close to friends and family. 

Dave's experience in Saskatoon convinced him that Reed Security is a really great company that goes out of their way to look after it's People and Clients - so why not bring it to Alberta? After all, Reed already protects a number of clients in Calgary and the surrounding area. 

Dave's expertise is helping People and solving problems. In addition to having a diploma in Electronics Engineering from SAIT, he has 10 years installation experience with just about every brand you can imagine. He ran the Support Department in Saskatoon, and as such, knows first-hand many of the problems that people experience, and has become an expert at system design. 

"We guarantee the solutions we propose are Affordable, Innovative and of the highest Quality."


SOLUTIONS


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  • Your Name Here...


Contact Us today for a FREE Security Evaluation

OXFORD SECURITY SYSTEMS
1105, 6027-79th Avenue SE
Calgary, AB T2C 5P1
Call 587.393.2800

SASKATOON
Call 306.653.3200
PRINCE ALBERT
Call 306.922.7200
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LOCATIONS

SASKATOON SECURITY
Reed Security Group (HEADQUARTERS)
14-1724 Quebec Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7K 1V9
Ph: 306.653.3200
1.844.384.SAFE (7233)

Sure Innovations
1701 Saskatchewan Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7K 1P7
Ph: 306.974.0888

Nine Yards Technologies Inc.
Ph: 306.341.2477

 

REGINA SECURITY
ViboPulse Services
Ph: 306.206.0700

WINNIPEG SECURITY
Guardian Advanced Solutions
Ph: 204.250.7510 or 204.878.0061

PRINCE ALBERT SECURITY
Thor Security Ltd.
1-243 South Industrial Drive
Prince Albert, SK S6V 7L9
Ph: 306.922.7200

 

NIAGARA REGION SECURITY
Alltech Smart Security
Ph: 289.990.3234

KAWARTHA LAKES REGION SECURITY
Dot Communications
232 Kent St W Unit 4
Lindsay, ON K9V 6A4
Ph: 1.833.368.2666

 

CALGARY SECURITY
Oxford Security Systems
#501, 2903 Kingsview Blvd SE
Airdrie, AB T4A 0C4
Ph: 587.393.2800

EDMONTON SECURITY
Ph: 1.844.384.7233