So are you trying to decide on which company offers the best security? is it Verisure or ADT ? Chubb or Verisure ? ADT or Banham ? Secom or Verisure ....? All of these companies offer home and business security, but who does it best? Who is the smartest company when it comes to response services? Well there is a lot to consider here. Lucky for you guys I have had the opportunity to get hands on with the Verisure Smart Alarm system which is new here in the UK.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE - VERISURE VS ADT

When it comes to alarm technology both companies use passive infrared detectors. ADT use classic PIR detectors that simply detect movement. Whether that movement is a cat, a dog, a large spider or a real burglar it will trigger. The problem with that is how do you know what’s actually happening?

The Photo Detector technology used by Verisure answers that question for you. They use image verification. Verisure will actually know what triggered your alarm and alert you and the police accordingly. Unfortunately, ADT does not use this photo detector technology and rely solely on a two trigger detection before taking any kind of action.

“ They say in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. “ Watch this video

One of the major flaws with classic security systems is with regards to their approach to police response.

On an event of a false alarm trigger, the police will attend but you will receive a strike on your account. Three false alarm police callouts and you will be out. In this scenario, ADT will no longer alert the police for you.

MONITORED VS UNMONITORED ALARM SYSTEMS

A big difference between ADT and Verisure is the level of services. ADT offer monitoring and self-monitoring services. Whereas Verisure does not. A self-monitored alarm is definitely a cheaper option, however, is it a smart move?

If you decide to go for a self-monitored security system you will be solely responsible for dealing with an intruder. Should you suffer a break in what would you do? Alert the police? Alert your neighbor or family member? Would you be comfortable confronting an intruder in event of a break in? Or would you prefer for your friends or family to do it for you?

The biggest vulnerability with an unmonitored security system is your reaction time. Can you respond immediately if you are in a meeting at work, or traveling on a plane or a train? What happens if your phone is on silent or out of battery? This is always going to be the biggest problem with self-monitoring

SECURITY ALARM RESPONSE TIMES

One of the most important deciding factors for most people is the alarm response times. ADT claims the fastest response time of 42 seconds. However, in the small print on their website, there is a little bit of grey area. The following phrase is an excerpt from the official ADT website.

“ In accordance with industry regulations, ADT will allow an alarm to activate for 120 seconds, in order to filter out false alarms. ADT will then respond in an average of 42 seconds of this confirmed activation being presented. Based on figures obtained for January 2017 ” https://www.adt.co.uk/24-7-security-support

So the reality is that they will allow your alarm to ring for 2 mins 42 seconds before taking an action. In that two minutes, the monitoring center will need to make a decision whether this is a real or false alarm. I could be wrong but nearly 3 mins is possibly enough time for an intruder to get in, grab some valuables and get away before anyone knows what's happening.

This reverts back to the main difference between the ADT & Verisure security devices. The Verification of a real alarm trigger.

Verisure Smart Alarms claim to respond to alarm detections within 45 seconds. They also claim to actually be able to take an action in less than a minute with their new Zero Vision fog barrier. More on that a bit later.

The main difference is that Verisure does not need to wait for 2 minutes to verify what is actually happening. As mentioned earlier the Verisure Photo Detectors will instantly send 5 photos to the Verisure alarm receiving center in the UK. These will then be verified within the first 45 seconds and then the wheels are in motion.

This means that in less than a minute you will actually know if you have encountered a real break in or a false alarm. The problem is, Verisure do not offer an official level 1 police response. However they can call the police for you, but will attempt to call you and each one of your key holders several times before they do so.

After this process, event of a real intrusion on your property, Verisure alerts the police and will tell them specifically what is happening. I bet police love the fact that they know they are not wasting their time & can actually arrest someone.

On the flip side In an event of a false alarm Verisure verify and inform you that you have encountered a false alarm. This is great as you can put your mind at rest pretty quickly, and carry on about your business. No stress!

AN INSTANT ACTION - VERISURE ZEROVISION FOG BARRIER REVIEW

So whatever company decide to choose, you will get some kind of response…but is it fast enough to prevent a burglary? The classic two trigger verification method is old fashioned way of eliminating false alarms. This is what ADT, Banham, Secom, and pretty much all the smaller companies still use today. It’s not perfect and maybe slightly outdated in 2019. With that said it can work successfully from time to time.

The more modern image verification method adopted by Verisure smart alarms fills in a lot of the gaps where the classic methods fail.

Real alarm detections are image verified and are also further enhanced by the audio verification from the Verisure Control panel. In fact, Verisure is so confident in the verification process that they claim that have an accuracy of 99.5%.

Due to their confidence in their alarm verification accuracy they one of the very few companies to offer an instant action Fog barrier. GET A FREE FOG BARRIER HERE

The Verisure Zero vision fog barrier is really quite unique and actually allows the company to take an action within less than a minute. Take a look at the video above if you haven’t already. The great thing about this approach is that an intruder can be considerably slowed down or scared off altogether.

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT USE WIFI CONNECTED ALARM

For those of you tech savvy shoppers out there, you will already know this. Any device connected to your WiFi will have some security vulnerabilities. Instances of cybercrime happen all the time. With many home broadband modems offering up WiFi hotspots to the general public, your packet date can be intercepted by a clever hacker.

What this means is someone could intercept your alarm login data or disrupt your system entirely via your modem. This is a risk that almost any alarm connected to your modem will have. What is the solution?

Currently, the most secure method is to use an encrypted GSM network connection. That way your data isn’t handled by your modem. This is something that a lot of companies use today, but before committing to the monitored alarm I’d recommend checking whether any of your alarm communications are done through your modem.

VERISURE SECURITY ALARM REVIEW - CONCLUSION

If safety and security is a priority for you then don’t cut back the budget on a good alarm system. Some security alarm service fees can seem a little pricey at first. Before you shy away from what is important put it into perspective by looking at the monthly prices of Sky Q or Virgin Media or the latest iPhone XS. These a luxury item but safety & security is a necessity and should be a priority to a lot of people.

The truth about Secom, ADT, Chubb and Banham security hardware is that it really hasn't evolved much over the last 20 to 30 years. Quite honestly alarms that offer just notifications, text messages & automated phone calls are not quite what I would call cutting edge security technology in 2019. In fact, they are quite likely to waste your time or put someone in danger.

Many companies now offer smart applications to control your system, but be aware of the communication methods used. Avoid WiFi dependant security alarms as there are too many vulnerabilities!

If you are the type of person who likes to do things properly I would recommend a monitored solution. The smartest approach is to go for a High-Security system which is connected to a response center. There are plenty to choose from out there so do your research. A good place to start is Trustpilot consumer review site.

Many monitored alarm companies offer emergency response services. Although only the Verisure security system can boast a 99.5% verification and this is key to response times. They also offer an instant reaction within 1 min using their fog barrier.

Response times are crucial when it comes to investing in an alarm. So Verisure is a safe bet.

When it comes to Monitored alarms Verisure clearly has the cutting edge technology and fastest reaction times. Yes, you can find cheaper alternatives out there but you will run the risk of dealing with intruders yourself. Or worse sending over an elderly relative to take a look (like in the video above).

Five MUST ASK security questions before you buy an Alarm

So that you don’t get ripped off! I’m going to arm you with 5 questions that you must put an alarm monitoring company before you part with any cash.

Question 1. If I am paying an UPFRONT fee. What is the payment for?

If you’re parting with your hard-earned cash, you should probably find out what you are paying for. Beware of security sales companies that charge you an upfront fee & even increase the prices as you add more equipment. Because you might find out later on that you didn’t, in fact, buy any equipment at all.

Some of these companies will not only ask for the equipment back if you stop paying their monitoring fee, but there’s a good chance they’ll hit you with a cancellation fee as well.

The sensible thing to do is to find out whether you are buying the equipment or just leasing it & where your money is actually going.

Question 2. Does the product & the alarm fitters hold NSi certifications?

Some companies will pretend that their installers hold the proper certificates, but actually…they don’t have any. This is an important question because a technician who doesn’t adhere to a standard could sell you a single motion sensor for a 10 bedroom mansion just to hit a sales target. The same salesperson could sell you 10 sensors for a one-bed flat just to make more commission off of you. And they can get away with this because their work is not being regulated by the Nacoss or SSAIB.

Question 3. What is the NPCC system type?

If it is a Level 1 police response that you are looking for. It is essential to check what the NPCC system type is. If it is anything other than an NPCC A system, it does not meet the standards required for a police response. Some companies can still call the police a regular civilian, but this will not warrant a rapid response. An actual level one police response alarm trigger with the highest priority by your local police services.

Question 4. Can you provide a URN number

Only companies that are recognised & connected to the police can provide a URN number. If a companies salesperson states that their system has a police response but can’t provide a URN, that is a red flag. As the person who told you that is most likely lying to you. If you encounter a scenario like this, you should think carefully about your decision.

Question 5. Does the company, the installers & the alarm recieving center ALL hold SSAIB / NSi Nacoss certificates?

This is an important question because many companies will advertise they meet NSi Gold standards as a blanket statement. But actually, there are three NSi certificates that you need to be aware of. One for the hardware itself. One for the installers & one for Alarm receiving centre monitoring. If a company has only one, you should be careful about committing to a subscription.

The Nacoss certification for the Alarm receiving centre is essential. Especially if you have a monitored alarm that involves placing cameras & microphones in the privacy of your own home. The last thing you want is a half-naked picture of you getting out of the shower popping up on a monitor at an alarm receiving center. Imagine you later discover it going viral on Facebook because of an untrustworthy alarm company.

This is why it is of the utmost importance that the security company you choose holds all three certifications. It’s up to you to ask the questions to find out.