"What Home Security Monitoring Company is best for our Family?"

The type of Home Security Monitoring Company that is best for you will be specific to your needs. Monitoring Companies can generally be divided into two groups.

The first group of companies handles the system installation, hardware, and the monitoring. The second group of companies only handles the monitoring aspect of a security system.

Bigger/ All-In-One Security Company

ADT and Protection One are some of the bigger security companies that handle all of your security needs. They can help in designing your security strategy. They will install the devices and hardware for your security system. They also handle the monitoring of your system afterwards.

These companies work well for people who do not want to spend too much time in dealing with their entire home security system. One company will deal with all aspects of the system, including monitoring.

There are some positives in working with these companies because they are a one-stop shop. If something goes wrong with the system, there is only one company to call to fix the issue. Because the company controls and has knowledge of the entire system including the hardware and devices, they can and will fix the system. They are able to troubleshoot over the phone and fix the issue right over the phone or will send a technician out if needed.

Another positive with working with this type of home security monitoring company is that their sales people/consultants are familiar with the industry. They can help devise an appropriate security strategy with the right devices, which is a definite big help for people who do not have the knowledge themselves.

A negative in working with these types of companies is that they are inflexible in working with other companies in monitoring your system. These big companies expect you to work with them for installation, hardware, and monitoring. They have the panel and installer codes for the security system so you are dependent on them for their services.

Another potential negative in working with this type of company is dealing with their salespeople.

First and foremost, they are looking to get paid. The security industry is a tough industry with many competitors and services. There is a chance that you will be dealing with aggressive salespeople who might not have your best interest close to their hearts. They might oversell you devices that you might not need. They might 'stretch' the truth regarding terms on the contract. You need to be aware of this type of behavior and check the fine print.

Strictly a Monitoring Company

Then there are companies that focus on the monitoring aspect of a security system. Examples of these types of companies include Alarm Relay, AlarmMonitoring.com, and Criticom.

This type of home security monitoring company works well for people who have either installed their own system or have existing hardware in place.

A positive in working with this type of company is that you can work with multiple types of security system hardware. You can design and install your own security system from the multitudes of security product options available. Also, if you have leftover hardware from a previous system, you will be able to connect with one of these companies.

The monthly cost of this type of service with these monitoring companies is usually less than the all-in-one security companies. Since you are dealing with the installation and hardware of your system, you can expect to pay about 1/3 less.

A negative in dealing with these companies is that you will need to take care of any issues with the system. Because these companies only deal with monitoring, there is a chance that there will be an issue with the hardware that they will not be able to fix. You will probably get some guidance from the home security monitoring company. But for the most part, you will need to be prepared to be able to diagnose and fix the issue on your own.

Summary

In summary, the all-in-one security companies are best for people who do not have the know-how or time to deal with their security needs.

The strictly monitoring companies are best for people who know their hardware and systems and are comfortable in troubleshooting and fixing if the system should malfunction.