In an effort to expand its addressable market by offering services to a new segment of consumers beyond traditional home security, ADT is introducing several new technology-based offerings. At CES 2017 the company announced the launch of ADT Anywhere, a new family safety service and mobile app built in conjunction with partner Life360; integration with Amazon Echo; and nationwide availability of ADT Canopy, a month-to-month contract service with 24/7 professional security monitoring via LG Smart Security.
The new ADT Anywhere app, which will be available in summer 2017, is designed to offer customers peace of mind by combining Life360’s proprietary family location technology, 24/7 crash detection and roadside assistance with professional panic response monitoring via ADT Canopy.
“We recognize the need to feel secure doesn’t stop at our customers’ front doors,” said Jay Darfler, senior vice president, emerging markets. “ADT Anywhere serves as a natural extension to our security services, empowering customers and their families to feel safe and secure, wherever life takes them. ADT Anywhere is more than just a family locator; it turns your smartphone into an on-the-go mobile security device with ADT’s 20,000 employees standing by to help, 24/7.”
Key features of the app include a family map with always-on location and check-ins, private messaging to stay in touch, and 30 days of location history; automatic notices when loved ones arrive or depart designated places like home, work or school and when smartphone battery life is low; local crime alerts and sex offender information; and an integrated ADT Canopy panic button that provides 24/7 professional emergency response from ADT.
In addition, ADT Anywhere provides peace of mind for the entire family when loved ones are on the road. Leveraging smartphone technology, accelerometers and Life360’s proprietary location technology, the app automatically detects speed, when phones are used during a drive or even when a car accident occurs. In the event of a detected crash, 24/7 live agent support will automatically dispatch emergency services to the location if necessary.
ADT also welcomed Amazon Echo and Echo Dot products to its Pulse ecosystem, ADT’s remote home security monitoring system that gives consumers the power to control their home security preferences, regardless of location.
The company reported that customers have been asking for Alexa integration for some time, and beginning January 2017, ADT customers were able to integrate home automation skills with Amazon’s Alexa app to arm and disarm their home security system through simple voice commands and a secure PIN. In February 2017, ADT will offer the Amazon devices directly to new and existing customers, facilitating product set-up and additional support for those who purchase the device through ADT.
“Incorporating Amazon Alexa devices into our offerings is the perfect example of people and technology coming together to ensure our customer’s smart home is a safe home,” said Jamie Haenggi, chief marketing officer, ADT. “Amazon’s vision to simplify the home automation experience through voice-enabled action matched perfectly with ADT’s passion for security and customer service, providing us an exciting opportunity to extend our footprint in the security and automation space.”
Mike George, vice president, Amazon Alexa and Appstore, said, “With Alexa, customers now have access to more than 5,000 skills — ranging from music, to news, to smart home security, and more. In fact, smart home has been one of the most-used Alexa features. We’re excited to work with a leading security company like ADT to expand the Alexa smart home experience through their new skill launching this month.”
ADT Pulse connects with a variety of smart home devices to create a smarter, safer home. Delivering seamless security and home automation, the ecosystem features 24/7 fast-response burglary and theft monitoring, secure real-time video, remote arm and disarm, remote door lock and unlock, and climate and lighting control. This spring, ADT will introduce Pulse 8.0, providing customers with a revamped design and more intuitive experience to manage their security and lifestyle needs based on preference, the company reported. In addition, users will soon find tips and troubleshooting options right on the home screen and can use 3D Home View to check each room for reassurance.
Finally, ADT announced the nationwide availability of ADT Canopy, a month-to-month contract service with 24/7 professional security monitoring via LG Smart Security, an all-in-one security and home automation device with full HD video capabilities. ADT Canopy will also extend its intrusion detection and panic response service offerings through new partnerships with leading smart home and consumer electronics brands, including Samsung, NETGEAR and Glympse.
The LG Smart Security device can now be purchased online through Amazon.com, and ADT Canopy security and video services can be added directly through the ADT Canopy for LG Smart Security mobile app, which is available for free download on Apple App Store and Google Play.
“Our core belief behind delivering ADT Canopy is that everyone deserves to feel safer, no matter where they are. With availability on new smart devices, no long-term contract, and monthly costs under $10, customers can receive a potentially life-saving service designed to meet their needs,” Darfler said. “Since its inception more than 140 years ago, ADT’s top priority is the safety of our customers.”
The company reported the LG Smart Security hub offers 24/7 professional monitoring through ADT Canopy for those living in one-bedroom apartments at an affordable price. “For most,” a company spokesperson said, “the first time professional security monitoring is considered is when you move into a single-family home. These new offerings introduce ADT as a security brand much earlier in the purchase consideration lifestyle, and give us an opportunity to earn their home security business when appropriate.”
At launch, LG Smart Security customers will have the option to choose from intrusion detection and secure video storage solutions based on their lifestyle, and what they need protected. LG Smart Security will also serve as a smart home integration device allowing consumers to integrate other connected products and control them through the dedicated ADT Canopy for LG Smart Security mobile application.
As wearable technologies continue to enter the market, ADT Canopy will serve the growing segment of on-the-go consumers who want professional security monitoring on the connected and wearable devices that fit their lifestyle, such as smartwatches.
When ADT Canopy launched in January 2017, the Samsung Gear S2 and S3 smartwatches were the first wearable devices to include this new level of personal protection. The ADT Canopy app will provide key location information to ADT, triggering a call from ADT’s professional security agents to the individual or their designated emergency contact.
The company plans to continue integrating more devices with Pulse and offer ADT on demand through its Canopy platform. Future integrations of the Canopy platform include: NETGEAR Arlo, enhancing the customer’s ability to use the existing Arlo self-monitoring application with 24/7 professional monitoring and response. Glympse, a location technology service, is also partnering with ADT to integrate with the ADT Canopy professional monitoring platform.
This new partnership will make ADT Canopy’s Mobile Panic service available to Glympse customers in the mobile, IoT, automotive and enterprise segments, allowing users to notify ADT’s professional monitoring agents of emergency events with real-time location updates, either directly through an automotive system or an ADT panic button integrated directly into a Glympse-enabled mobile or auto app or partner service display. — By Tim Scally, SDM Associate Editor
Editor’s Note: To read more about security dealers integrating voice control with their offerings, read “‘Hey Google, Alexa — Security Dealers Are Ready for Voice Control” on page 79.
