Here are three new ways manufacturers are developing innovative services.

While the industry has been buzzing about home automation merging with security for some time now, this transition has now come to the forefront as more manufacturers are adding home automation features to their security panels.

At the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) meeting in October, there was plenty of buzz about video alarm verification as participants engaged in healthy discussion and debate on the issue. While proponents of video verification are excited about the advancing technology and the possibilities verified alarm systems have to offer, advocates for more traditional systems are not so sure. However, forces outside the security industry may soon drive them to reconsider.

As the technology behind security and home automation platforms rapidly evolves, so do the methods for selling those systems. “The dealer community is now understanding that PCs, tablets, and smartphones are becoming part of the selling process and also the installation process,” says Steve Shapiro, ADT Security Services.

The fact is, we’re not getting any younger. As a nation, we are living longer and the largest segment of the population — the baby boomers — is hitting retirement age. In the United States, the age 65 and over demographic is the fastest growing segment of the population, and of that group the fastest growing segment is over age 85, says Ken Gross, president and founder of Medical Alert Monitoring Association (MAMA) and president of Broomall, Pa.-based Connect America.

As energy costs continue to rise in the slowly recovering economy, some homeowners are looking for ways to save money. At the same time, other homeowners have an interest in reducing their impact on the environment and reduced energy use. Security integrators who offer home automation along with energy consumption monitoring services and products can help these homeowners discover how they can conserve energy and save money while creating a healthy bottom line.

In the security industry, meeting a client’s security needs is only half the story. For a full-service central monitoring station like Safe Touch Security Systems, located in Jacksonville, Fla., servicing accounts requires more than effective monitoring and response.