more on POTS sunset April 14, 2017

KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ
ALARM - SECURITY INDUSTRY LEGAL EMAIL NEWSLETTER / THE ALARM EXCHANGE
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more on POTS sunset
April 14, 2017
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Next webinar April 18, 2017: See below for details.
Title: All You Need To Know About Alarm dealer program contracts - getting in and getting out
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7359323076355955715
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more on POTS sunset
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Ken
    In regard to the POTS Sunset there is a lot of misinformation out there.  Several years ago we were given incorrect information regarding alarm communication problems regarding these issues.
    Initially our problem was receiving alarm signals when the alarm panel was on a VOIP phone line.  We were told that alarm systems and VOIP don’t work well together.  Over the years we have experienced several problems regarding VOIP.  In our home city Tulsa, Cox Communications offers telephone service.  Their system is a VOIP system.  Alarm dealers install systems and hook them up to the Cox network and the alarms communicate with no problem.   This caused me to question what I had been told regarding VOIP and alarms.  Now I was told that the Cox network was a tightly controlled network so VOIP was OK.  This was mostly true.
    Over the years I have done a lot of research on this issue.  Now I think I have both a clear understanding of the problem and a solution.
    The Cox network is a tightly controlled network.  The calls never leave the Cox Tulsa network and are never on the internet.  What I have learned is that the VOIP problem is not VOIP but the call routing.  Alarms communicate just fine on VOIP.  However when a call is routed with no control the alarm communication may transition back and forth between SIP (VOIP) and TDM (POTS).  It’s this transition between the two technologies is where the problems occur.  Packets are dropped and the communication is scrambled.
    We have installed a new technology in our central station.  We have contracted with at telephone provider who offers controlled SIP service.  They have contracts with every telephone central office (CO) in the country.  They are able to take control of a call at the first CO and control the call routing to the destination, in our case the alarm receiver.  Now when one of our alarm monitoring phone numbers are dialed the call is routed SIP from subscriber to our alarm receiver.  We get a clean signal and no longer have communication problems regarding VOIP or POTS sunset issues.  We get our alarm monitoring traffic off of POTS at the first CO in the route.  In essence, we have sunset POTS for all of our alarm communication telephone traffic.
    The problem with VOIP is call routing not VOIP.
Ron Wies, President
Monitoring America Alarm Co-Op
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Response
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    The Standard Form Agreements and the Disclaimer Notice have been revised and no longer recommend POTS.  Rather we emphsize that the all communication pathways can potentially go down and the alarm will not communicate when that happens.  
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WEBINARS:  Sign up for any or all of the webinars that interest you.
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FREE Webinar Series "All You Need To Know About" alarm industry issues. 
Register for one or all.  Each presentation scheduled for half hour to hour.  Not recorded.
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Title: All You Need To Know About Alarm dealer program contracts - getting in and getting out
When: April 18, 2017 noon EST
Where: Your computer for power point, live video and call in on computer or phone
What will be covered: General discussion about honeypots/trappings of dealer program contracts and how difficult they are to get out of. 
Who should attend: Alarm company owners.
Presented by: James Babbitt, Esq. General Counsel, RMR Capital Group jbabbitt@rmr-capital.com; 952 467 8610
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7359323076355955715
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Title: All You Need to know about Internet security and why is it relevant for the alarm industry 
When: April 25,  2017 noon EST
Where: Your computer for power point, live video and call in on computer or phone
What will be covered: Discussion of securing Internet devices.  Attacks by Mirai and other botnets and disruption to Internet services around the world made possible because of the millions of poorly secured cameras, DVRs and other installed network devices. 
Who should attend: Alarm company owners, general and technical managers
Presented by: Securifi, a leading router and smart home hub company, soon to be offering its own comprehensive Total Security Solution (Monitored Security + IoT Security + Parental Controls + Malware Blocking) to the alarm industry.  Rohit Somani     rohit.somani@securifi.com    855 969 7328  
Register here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6899604070803705091
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THE ALARM EXCHANGE

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
516 747 6700
www.KirschenbaumEsq.com
oovoo account: KenKirschenbaum