American Response Center (ARC), Euclid, Ohio, has installed several manufacturers’ computer systems, software, receiver line cards, receivers and network interfaces throughout 2005, in an effort to provide reliable Internet monitoring services to its customers. The company has been working with AlarmNet, NetworX, Bosch and Guardian Mobile Monitoring Systems, to name a few that offer Internet monitoring products, in response to problems ARC has seen with systems transmitting alarm signals over the Internet.

“We had a dealer meeting this year and last year and the biggest thrust was problems coming up with VoIP [Voice over Internet Protocol],” said Jim Osborne, president of the third-party monitoring company.

DiAnna Robertson, vice President admin and Jim Beck, vice president operations, program an AlarmNet-i receiver.
One of the first steps that ARC took in response to a growing number of customers changing to VoIP, Osborne said, was to develop a letter for its dealers to give to customers, to explain the importance of keeping a phone line along with their options to ensure successful alarm signal transmission if the customer does have VoIP service.

ARC continues to offer its customers options from several manufacturers to ensure that alarm signals transmit successfully. In the future, Osborne said, “A substantial amount of traffic will be via the Internet. A lot of customers don’t have computers and aren’t looking at the Internet…but there are a lot that are going to. You have to adjust as you go along.”