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How to choose the right alarm system

Any home or business looking to boost their site security is faced with a bewildering array of brands and products. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of home alarm systems and business alarm systems to choose from and comparing, contrasting and selecting products that meet specific site needs requires an in-depth understanding of product features, integration requirements and ongoing monitoring and maintenance.

Six factors to consider when buying an alarm system

To help homeowners and business owners and managers to select the best alarm systems for their needs, Hikvision created this quick ‘how-to’ guide. It includes several key questions that prospective buyers need answers to before they invest in an alarm system or related equipment and how Hikvision’s AX PRO wireless alarm system meets these requirements.

1. Is the product range broad and varied enough to meet different needs?

Every home and business has different security needs based on the size of the site, the access points, perimeter vulnerabilities and the value of the inventory or property. This means that a host of different alarm system components could be needed – from movement sensors and magnetic door-open sensors to glass-break sensors, smoke detectors and many more.

To address this key question, Hikvision’s AX PRO wireless intrusion alarm system includes a variety of products to meet different security needs and deployments. This includes a compact panel hub for a wide range of detectors and peripherals, covering intrusion detection, video verification, smoke detection, flood detection and home automation.

2. Can wireless alarm detectors detect and transmit security events reliably?

Most alarm systems are now deployed wirelessly, which helps to reduce the need for cabling and complex installation processes. But while wireless technologies are very convenient, their effectiveness depends entirely on the reliability and stability of their wireless data transmission capabilities.

For example, to avoid connectivity blackouts, the Hikvision AX PRO intrusion alarm system uses Tri-X and CAM-X Wireless technology, which provides highly reliable, ultra-long-distance data transmission of up to 2000 metres. Our hub panel also uses Dual Radio Frequency Chips and Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology to block interference across channels and to ensure that multiple security alerts can be transmitted simultaneously.

3. Does the alarm system verify security incidents to minimise false alarms?

Homeowners and small businesses frequently waste time and resources following up on false alarms, whether they are caused by moving animals, falling leaves, heavy rain, or other non-threats. The best alarm systems overcome this challenge by verifying real security incidents in real-time – allowing homeowners or staff to respond faster.

In the case of the Hikvision AX PRO range, this is achieved with Intrusion Verification-as-a-Service (IVaaS) technology. This allows homeowners and businesses to view a short 7 s video clip or up to 20 photos to verify if an alert has been triggered by a real security threat. False alarms are further reduced with smart detection technologies such as ‘Pet-Immunity’, which ensures that animals won’t set off alarms.

4. Is the alarm system easy to install, configure and operate?

Homeowners and small businesses need security solutions that are very easy to deploy and use. However, many solutions are actually quite complex to install and configure, which creates additional workloads and stress.

To make things as easy and convenient as possible, the Hikvision AX PRO intrusion alarm system is designed to be extremely easy to install, use and maintain. The AX PRO wireless hub and detectors – including PIRCAMs, indoor and outdoor detectors and other peripherals can be installed using screws or glue (depending on the mounting surface).

The whole system can then be easily configured and managed via the Hik-ProConnect platform and Hik-Connect mobile app.

5. Can alarm detectors be integrated easily with other security products as needed?

For some applications, motion detectors or door-open detectors are needed, while other applications require integration with more security products, such as a CCTV camera to guard the perimeter and verify intrusion alarms. The challenge for homeowners and businesses is to choose alarm detectors, cameras and other components that can be easily integrated across different product ranges.

Hikvision enables this with its Hik-ProConnect platform, which allows installers, homeowners, or businesses to seamlessly integrate CCTV cameras with no complex configuration requirements.

6. Can the alarm system send alerts to professional alarm receiving centres?

For many homeowners and businesses, outsourcing alarm monitoring is an attractive option. However, this requires that alarm systems are fully compatible with the professional software platforms used at alarm receiving centres (ARCs) and other similar facilities.

The Hikvision AX PRO alarm system meets this need based on seamless compatibility with ARCs and professional monitoring services via the Hik-ProConnect platform. This means that homeowners and business owners can entrust security alarm monitoring to trusted third parties and handle emergencies more efficiently.

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