Video alarms vs standard alarm monitoring: What’s the difference?

Eye on your Brand performed an unsolicited comparison of Solink Video Alarms Service with a popular standard alarm service (this provider did not give permission to use their name). Here is a summary of the results, including the hard numbers that make Solink the clear winner.

Check out the full report to see how Solink Video Alarms Service provides clear ROI over standard alarm competitors.

Eye on your Brand, an industry leader in profit protection and maximization, compared Solink Video Alarms with their client’s standard alarm monitoring service to assess the relative return on investment of these options.

Setup

The test of Solink Video Alarms Monitoring vs. Standard Panel Alarm Monitoring was conducted in a national restaurant group with higher-than-average false alarms through standard panel alarm monitoring. During the review, neither the Video Alarm Vendor nor the standard panel alarm vendor was notified that the systems were operating side-by-side.

The comparison lasted approximately 45 days and was carried out at the following locations:

• Corporate Support Center
• Location A: NYC
• Location B: Connecticut
• Location C: Florida
• Location D: Texas
• Location E: NYC
• Location F: California
• Location G: Illinois
• Location H: California
  

Take a look at this article to see where you should place security cameras in your restaurant.

Services

Narrowing down the definition of cloud video security is, again, not an easy task. Many companies will define any security service that is enabled by the cloud as being cloud video security or security.

This could mean that simply offering cloud video storage is enough to be labeled cloud video security. Cloud video storage is using the Internet to offload some or all local video storage to the cloud.

Parameters

1. All locations have after-hour deliveries or third-party vendors accessing the site.
2. Both Solink and standard panel alarms were set to automatically arm and disarm on the same schedule.

Solink Video Alarms vs. standard panel alarms comparison results

Solink Video Alarms registered 36 alarm notifications and dispatched the police once. Conversely, standard panel alarms registered 25 alarm notifications and dispatched police 22 times. The three times standard panel alarms did not dispatch the police, it was because the phone tree for the Corporate Support Center manually stopped the police request.

The main arguments for solink video alarms

Here is a summary of the reasons alarm notifications were generated and the police were dispatched by standard panel alarms (SPA) and Solink Video Alarms (Solink).

Two main arguments for Solink Video Alarms become apparent from these results.

False alarm reduction

Overall, standard panel alarms dispatched the police 22 times, all of which were deemed false alarms. These false alarms had fines of $75 to $325 each. Solink requested police dispatch for zero false alarms, representing a $1650 to $7150 fine reduction compared to standard panel alarms.

Faster dispatch

Solink requested police dispatch on one occasion. An unknown male attempted entry into the Corporate Support Center at multiple doors. Solink provided access to the video via text message and contacted the Corporate Support phone tree to verify the alarm.

SPA never generated an alarm because the police arrived on the scene before the person gained access to the building.

In addition, during an extended roughly six-month period utilizing Solink Video Alarms, the police were dispatched three times, all resulting in arrests:

• In April 2021, two arrests were made for attempted burglary.
• In May 2021, one arrest was made for vandalism.
• In December 2021, police were dispatched for a suspicious person and vehicle. The person was later identified as a carjacker and was subsequently arrested.

To see how you can cut down on false alarm fines, sign up for a demo today.

Here’s a simple video alarms vs. standard panel alarms comparison chart:

Further arguments for Solink Video Alarms over standard alarm monitoring

Here is a summary of the reasons alarm notifications were generated and the police were dispatched by standard panel alarms (SPA) and Solink Video Alarms (Solink).

Faster dispatch and fewer false alarms are the main arguments for Solink Video Alarms, but other benefits were also found by Eye on your Brand. Here are some of the benefits mentioned in the report.

Better relationships with law enforcement

Solink Video Alarms provides police access to real-time video of an event in progress. Law enforcement can respond more appropriately because they know what is happening.

In addition, emergency responders will build trust in your alarm triggers because they know that they have been verified, which means they respond to each event as a real emergency.

Finally, the police know that you have video coverage of your premises. Having a reputation for being able to provide the evidence police need can lead to a better relationship with law enforcement. This can help with other parts of your business, for example loss prevention.

Video verification of alarms gives you the trust of law enforcement.

Lower upfront capital expenditure

While there is a cost to installing and managing cameras, Solink Video Alarms is compatible with most camera models on the market today. If you already have security cameras in place, the startup costs are minimal.

Security cameras replace the sensors. Instead of a panel, the system can be controlled using a mobile device or laptop.

In addition, Solink is camera agnostic, so you can use your existing security cameras.

Easier vendor relationships

Using Solink Video Alarms, vendors no longer need to waste time with alarm panel code compliance. This also reduces the chance of code errors, one of the causes of false alarms by the comparison standard alarm monitoring system during the comparison.

Solink Video Alarms makes it easier for vendors to do their job.

Greater utilization of security infrastructure

Security cameras are often underutilized because they do not provide simple functionality. Using Solink Video Alarms provides added value to expensive security infrastructure.

Once employees become accustomed to using security cameras as part of their alarm system, they’ll start utilizing cameras as part of their daily workflow. Indeed, being video alarms Solink provides a lot of great features that improve security, loss prevention, and operations.

More reliable alarm system

During the 45-day test period, Solink Video Alarms experienced no technical issues. Reliability is an important factor for a strong security system.

Conversely, during the same period, the standard panel alarms system was impacted by technical failures and panel code drops.

Fewer after-hours calls for staff

During the 45-day study period, the 25 alarm notifications generated by the standard panel alarm resulted in approximately 100 after-hour validation calls. In comparison, the 36 Solink Video Alarms notifications resulted in only three verification phone calls:

• Two of the calls were for an unknown light. This turned out to be a heat notification for an IT comm/server room when the remote heat notification system had failed. Thanks to Solink Video Alarm’s calls, IT was notified and responded immediately, resulting in no damage to equipment.
• The third call was for an unknown male trying to enter the support center, which the police responded to and arrived on scene before the standard panel alarms registered the threat.

Solink Video Alarms cut after-night calls by >95%, and all three calls had meaningful impacts on operations and security.

Safer and more secure environment for staff

The final results show that the people and property were safer when Solink Video Alarms was monitoring the restaurants. Solink Video Alarms led to five arrests, one before the standard alarm monitoring had even registered the threat.