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Nov 2010

Posted by Jason

Monitronics named Alarm Monitoring Company of Year

Frost & Sullivan today announced that Monitronics has been named 2010 North American Alarm Monitoring Residential Security Company of the Year Award! We are absolutely thrilled and thank Frost & Sullivan for the honor.

About the award: The Excellence in Best Practices Awards are presented each year to companies that are predicted to encourage significant growth in their industries, have identified emerging trends before they became the standard in the marketplace, and have created advanced technologies that will catalyze and transform industries in the near future.

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Posted in: Business Security, Home Security, Industry Happenings

Nov 2010

Posted by Jason

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House Sitters – A Homeowner’s Secret Weapon Against Criminals

In this series of articles, we’re looking at the Bling Ring Burglars, a group of teenagers who went on a year-long crime spree, breaking into celebrities’ homes and making off with over $3 million in clothes, jewelry, money, and designer merchandise. As devastating as their adventures were to the victims, a closer look reveals that most of the burglaries could have been prevented.

In today’s article we’re going to take a look at the only one of their home invasion attempts that was foiled and why.

How a Hollywood Celebrity Avoided Becoming a Crime Victim

Thanks to the Internet and social media sites, the Bling Ring gang was able to research when their famous victims would not be home. The gang broke into Audrina Partridge’s home, for example, while she was at the Academy Awards, and they hit Orlando Bloom’s home while he was out of town shooting a movie.

When the gang went to the house of High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale, they had no reason to expect that this latest home invasion would be different than any of the others. When the kids got to the home, however, they found something they weren’t expecting. Something that made them abandon their plans and get out of the area.

What was this thing they found?

Well, it wasn’t really a thing at all. It was a person. Ashley Tisdale had a house sitter.

Whether the person in Tisdale’s house was an employee, a house sitter who had been hired to look after her place while she was gone, or just a friend who had been staying with Tisdale isn’t clear. She was a human presence, and the Bling Ring gang wanted nothing to do with her.

The Advantages of Hiring a House Sitter

Aside from just the home security benefits, there are several reasons to consider hiring a house sitter. Home owners routinely rely on house sitters to assist with the following situations:

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Posted in: Home Security

Oct 2010

Posted by Jason

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VoIP is a risky option for home security

Currently, burglar and fire alarm signals are transmitted from the home or business to a central monitoring station, like the one at Monitronics, over the phone lines. In many cases Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems will become a substitute for the current land line systems. VoIP is a new technology that converts your voice into a digital signal that then travels over the Internet (from your high-speed connection). If you are calling a regular phone number, as you are when your alarm calls our central station, the signal is converted to a regular phone signal before it arrives here.

Are you thinking about getting VoIP? You need to consider the quality and reliability of the phone line, which depends directly on the quality of your Internet broadband connection speed. If your computer or connection goes down, you’ve got no phone line and therefore no communication with your central station. That essentially means you’ve got no alarm system until your VoIP is back up and running.

This same risk applies to improperly installed VoIP phone systems, by either a consumer or a cable provider. If this happens, there is a significant risk that existing alarm panels will be bypassed and no longer be able to send an alert to the alarm monitoring station. This is a problem which can easily be remedied if consumers tests their systems on a monthly basis, especially after their phone services are changed or upgraded.

The alarm industry is proposing that Congress enact a provision which would require that before a VoIP system is activated, the customer is notified that the system needs to be tested.

We’re always here to answer any questions you many have about your alarm system and how VoIP might affect it. Call 800-447-9239 to speak with a customer service specialist.

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Posted in: Business Security, Home Security

Oct 2010

Posted by Jason

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Fire Prevention Week starts today

Fire is a risk all year-round, but cold weather brings special risks from heaters and seasonal accessories, like candles and Christmas lights. To that end, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has sponsored National Fire Prevention Week for nearly 90 years during the beginning of the cold season.

This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!” for Fire Prevention Week, October 3-9. Why focus on smoke alarms when most homes already have at least one? Because so many homes have alarms that aren’t working or maintained properly. Two-thirds of home fire deaths per year result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms at all or no working smoke alarms. That’s a startling statistic!

NFPA and Monitronics reminds families that we recommend installing smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside all sleeping areas, and on every level of your home, including the basement.

Did you know that smoke alarms can cut the chance of dying in a fire in half? But they must be working properly to do so. Major culprit? Missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Interconnected smoke alarms, like the kind you can get with a Monitronics monitored alarm system, offer the best protection. When one goes off, they all do. That can mean valuable seconds to get yourself and your family out of a burning structure.

Here are some tips from NFPA to help you make sure that your smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.

Visit www.firepreventionweek.org for more information.

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Posted in: Business Security, Home Security

Sep 2010

Posted by Jason

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Healthy employees are big losers

The journey to better health begins with a plan. In May, 28 Monitronics employees signed up to participate in Wellness At Work, a 12-week nutrition program that focuses on healthy weight loss by using a daily food card system.

The food cards provide a 1200-calorie meal plan that includes food groups such as meat, veggies, fruit, milk, starch, and fat. Most people are able to lose about one pound per week at this calorie level.

After 12 weeks, three employees reported impressive weight loss numbers by using the food cards and a variety of nutrition tips provided in the Wellness at Work program:

They were all rewarded with a $25 Academy gift card. In addition, Niki also received an Omron GoSmart pedometer, Christina received a Versa Tube exercise cord, and Traci received a Body Sport fitness ball.

“It was very cool to have this weight-loss program at the office—convenient and a time-saver,” said Niki.

Wellness Coordinator Donna Piket said that sticking with the nutrition plan and staying motivated was the key to success in weight loss.

“The MI Health program is all about supporting employees as they make better lifestyle choices, whether that’s tobacco cessation, weight loss, or diabetes management,” she said. “These three women showed tremendous sticking power and discipline as they worked toward their weight-loss goals. Congratulations!”

Donna is available to help any employee create a nutrition, fitness, or stress management plan, dpiket@monitronics.com.

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Posted in: Behind Our Doors

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