KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ ALARM - SECURITY INDUSTRY LEGAL EMAIL NEWSLETTER / THE ALARM EXCHANGE You can read all of our articles on our website. Having trouble getting our emails? Change your spam controls and whitelist ken@kirschenbaumesq.com ****************************** Death of digital dialers / Collections / ISC Private meeting September 24, 2024 ***************************** Death of digital dialers ***************************** Ken, First, let me thank you again for your forum and the great service it provides to the electronic safety and security industry. I joke about starting in the industry when baseball was a relatively new concept. Kidding aside, over more than a few decades I've witnessed an amazing technology evolution in all areas of the industry. In that time offsite communications from a protected premise to a monitoring center has evolved from Direct Wire, McCullough, Direct Connect, tape dialers, one way private radio, two way private radio, digital dialers, internet communications, cellular communications, etc... Several manufactures of control equipment (burglar, fire) are now evolving away from including digital dialers in their systems, or making it an add on option, and telling their dealers to use cellular or internet for offsite communications. Here's my concern: For some installations cellular or internet is not a viable solution. Some have a high level of risk and will not accept the possibility of cellular jammers. (Yup, they're illegal, but anybody with access to Amazon and a handful of dollars has a wide number of choices available.) Other installations don't have access to reliable internet. Or when they do, the internet connection is not provided with UL /ULC Listed routers or sufficient backup power. Possible solutions include private two way radio systems, or other transport methods. But to get full data transport, i.e. individual point information from the control panel to the monitoring center, you need a digital dialer in the control panel talking to an interface. Lacking a digital dialer, you're forced to use relay logic between the control panel and the transport system. Now you're limited to the number of inputs available on the transport system, typically eight or less. The elegant control system that can monitor and report a large number of unique conditions is reduced to reporting alarm, trouble, supervisory, restore. Not an ideal situation for large, complex systems or high risk environments. In the building automation industry there are standards like BACnet or MODBUS. They allow independent systems to communicate with each other. E.g., "The conveyor system is experiencing a heavy load, tell the air handling system to increase air flow." To the best of my knowledge, there is no existing industry protocol that would allow tested and accepted (think UL / ULC Listed, NFPA compliant, FM Approved) interfaces between control panels and alternate transport systems. After all that bloviating, two questions for your audience: 1) Are you aware of any data level interface system (UL Listed, NFPA compliant) that could accomplish what I've described above? 2) If not, why has the industry neglected the concept? Thanks, Dennis C. Calvey "Semi-retired and still causing problems" P.S. I communicate regularly with retirees from the industry that have relocated to far parts of the globe - Australia, the Philippines, Costa Rica and more. They still follow your newsletter and send their thanks as well... ************************** Ken Grateful for what you do for the industry. Christopher Geymuller ProNet Security Solutions TX, OK AR **************************** Response **************************** Dennis, thanks for sharing your experience and expertise. Your two questions are technical above my security clearance and hopefully we will hear from the industry notables and other experts with answers. This does tie in nicely with yesterday’s article all but mandating video or audio verification before PD will respond. Will the digital dialer go the way of the land line dialer? I suppose; hopefully alternatives will be available. As far as you retirees, get back to work – I could use more clients!!! At least share your knowledge with those who can benefit from your wisdom [which enabled you to retire….] Chris, thanks for taking the time to comment; I appreciate it. ********************** Comment on Collection advice you can bank on from article on September 4, 2024 ********************** Ken Thank you and Mitch; Two very wise and experienced veterans. From a dealer’s perspective have accurate receivable reports and jump on 30 days overdue at once. It will not solve all problems; it will greatly reduce many. Jim Wooster Sr Alarm Financial Services jtwooster@alarmfunding.com cell 917 747 5379 *************************** Response *************************** I started representing my first alarm client in 1975 and it started with collection work. This client introduced me to many more. He couldn’t understand why I was collecting for all the other companies and not him. Slight reflection revealed the reason. He would try in house efforts to such a degree that by the time he send the matter to me I would get the same response from almost every customer: “I hate that guy and would rather pay a lawyer any amount before paying him anything”. Within a year of going after my first alarm collection case I was appointed as a Bankruptcy Trustee, which added a very different perspective on debt collection issues. Collecting from your defaulting customers is a specialty in the law and it’s very difficult. It involves psychology, social services, business acumen, and knowledge of the myriad laws and pitfalls that “debt collectors” have to deal with; it requires knowledge of the alarm industry, how systems work and what alternatives may be available besides full scale lawsuit, such as reinstatement and saving the customer. You need a knack for this work, a talent. So, first of all, you don’t have it. You’re in the alarm business and know how to design, sell and install and run a company. Your in-house collection staff don’t know how to do it because they don’t see enough of it and they aren’t trained on what’s necessary once the customer differences rise to the contentious or litigious stage. If you have someone like that, than lucky you, but they still can’t take it to the level of litigation. You’ve got a talented professional collection staff available to you. It doesn’t cost more than others. Its success rate is, I am confident, much higher than any other “collection” outfit you know of. If you use Kirschenbaum Contracts™ that you obtained from K&K [not from someone else] you are invited to use the K&K Collection Department. Contact K&K head paralegal Kathleen Lampert at 516 747 6700 x 319 or KLampert@Kirschenbaumesq.com to learn more or get started. Concierge Client can also contact Concierge Program Coordinator Stacy Spector, Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304 or SSpector@Kirschenbaumesq.com. I’ll also be available for private meeting [free] at ISC east. [plan is to meet just outside the exhibit hall in the Javits Center]. Call Stacy to schedule an appointment. ************************** Schedule your free private meeting with KK at ISC East *************************** If you're interested in a private [yes, it's free] meeting at ISC East [we will be meeting just outside the exhibit hall] please contact Stacy Spector,Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304 or SSpector@Kirschenbaumesq.com. Concierge Clients will have priority. **************************** Help this forum grow - and thanks to those who have already responded ******************** If you are on The Alarm Exchange you should welcome exposure on this forum provides. Send in your email lists. Thanks ***************************** K&K Holiday Party - Save the date: December 12, 2024 ******************** STANDARD FORMS Alarm / Security / Fire and related Agreements click here: www.alarmcontracts.com *************************** CONCIERGE LAWYER SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THE ALARM INDUSTRY - You can check out the program and sign up here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/concierge or contact our Program Coordinator Stacy Spector, Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304. *********************** ALARM ARTICLES: You can always read our Articles on our website at ww.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-articles updated daily ******************** THE ALARM EXCHANGE - the alarm industries leading classified and business exchange - updated daily ************************* Wondering how much your alarm company is worth? Click here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/what-is-my-alarm-company-worth ****************************** Getting on our Email List / Email Articles archived: Many of you are forwarding these emails to friends or asking that others be added to the list. Sign up for our daily newsletter here: Sign Up. You can read articles and order alarm contracts on our web site www.alarmcontracts.com ************************** Ken Kirschenbaum,Esq Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum PC Attorneys at Law 200 Garden City Plaza Garden City, NY 11530 516 747 6700 x 301 ken@kirschenbaumesq.com www.KirschenbaumEsq.com
