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What did you think about the news that Google is partnering with ADT and do you think we will see other organisations strike up similar deals? What kind of impact could this type of arrangement have if it happened in the UK? Do you have any concerns about large corporations being involved with domestic security?
This partnership is not a threat to the professional Fire and Security Sector. It’s way more positive than that. The move by these two giants actually pulls focus on an untapped market opportunity – that of offering security solutions to those that would otherwise take their own chances and not invest in anything more than a Ring.com doorbell and a lamp timer switch. In the same way that Ring – after their acquisition by Amazon – are moving into CCTV and other security offerings, the professional sector has moved into tech that enhances the traditional security solution and provides consumers with the very best of both worlds. Everybody knows that people who bought their security products from B&Q were never going to be customers of Inspectorate-recognised companies, but it’s possible that the DIY sector products also encourage users to aspire to more professional systems, perhaps a gateway to professional security services over-time.
The Fire and Security sector has benefited greatly from the emergence of internet-based tech as complimentary services to time-honoured products, the latter licenced to meet very rigorous standards and codes of installation practice. It’s healthy for this to continue and provides professional Installers with essential add-on products whilst encouraging lower market tiers to have a greater awareness of the benefits of security products and services.
As with TV streaming services such as Netflix, many of these new services ensure that the monthly payment model is accepted and commonplace by a wider audience making it easier for Professional Installers to enforce stricter financial control over their customer base.
It is important that there’s no dumbing-down of overall security standards and that inferior systems do not pass themselves off as equivalent professional security solutions. It’s also worth noting that companies such as Google have vast resources, with the power to buy their way into sectors aggressively and at speed. We should not be complacent.
Our sector has long benefited from a tiered grading system for best practice since the first DIY stores set the challenge – some forty years ago – by stocking alarm systems. Despite this, expertise must be upheld within the professional installation community and will continue to provide plenty of opportunities for all new and existing enterprise to thrive in an exciting new world.
