Security Dealer & Integrator

JUL 2016

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10 Security Dealer & Integrator / www.SecurityInfoWatch.com July 2016 Following weeks of speculation, connected home security plat- form provider Icontrol Networks has confirmed it is being acquired by Comcast and Alarm.com. Comcast is buying the Austin, Texas- based company's "Converge" soware platform, which it currently uses to power its Xfinity Home touchscreen panel and back-end servers; while Alarm.com will acquire Icontrol's Connect and Piper business units. Comcast says it plans to strategi- cally invest in Icontrol's technology and employees as part of an effort to deliver new features, products and services to both Xfinity Home and enterprise-level Converge custom- ers. Additionally, Icontrol's employees in Austin will become part of a new engineering center of excellence being opened by Comcast in the city. According to Comcast Spokesman Charlie Douglas, there were three rea- sons why Comcast decided to acquire Icontrol. First, because the company has worked closely with Icontrol since the inception of Xfinity Home, he says bringing the company in-house will enable them to "control their own destiny" in the smart home market and enable them to invest in and fully control the product roadmap moving forward. Secondly, the deal will sup- plement Comcast's engineering talent pool with Icontrol's employees. Finally, by continuing to provide the Converge platform to other service providers, the acquisition will open a new line of business for the company. In a statement, Alarm.com President and CEO Steve Trundle said the acquisition of Connect and Piper — which the company is paying approximately $140 million for — would enhance the company's R&D; efforts. "is acquisition will enhance our research and development scale so that we can continue to deliver long- term value to our partners through innovative technology," Trundle said. Connect, based in Redwood City, Calif., provides an interactive security and home automation platform that powers several service providers' solu- tions, including ADT Pulse, with more than 1.6 million subscribers. Piper, based in Ottawa, Canada, designs, pro- duces and sells a Wi-Fi-enabled video and home automation hub. Comcast also believes the acquisi- tion will be a boon to its R&D; efforts, as engineers at the new office in Austin will be working to develop an array of new products designed to address the needs of security and the broader smart home market in general. "We are excited to roll up our sleeves and develop a robust roadmap where we've got great consumer experiences that will come forth as a result of their cre- ativity and innovation," Douglas says. While news of this deal may be a bit unnerving to other cable and tel- cos who use Icontrol as the backbone of their home automation offerings, Douglas says Comcast intends to con- tinue providing the same products and services to those customers. "Icontrol currently serves a number of cable companies and we will con- tinue to provide products and services for them — namely Rogers in Canada, Cox here in the United States and Charter, which just acquired two other Icontrol customers in Time Warner and Bright House," Douglas says. Douglas adds that continuing to develop and bring to market smart home products and services is one of their biggest efforts outside the com- pany's traditional phone, television and Internet services; and they see a lot opportunities to integrate Xfinity Home into other offerings. ■ Comcast, Alarm.com Carve up Icontrol Comcast acquires 'Converge' platform, Alarm.com purchases 'Connect' and 'Piper' business units Security Watch BY JOEL GRIFFIN, EDITOR, SECURITYINFOWATCH.COM » Read more on this acqusition at www.securityinfowatch.com/12224665. Icontrol's Converge software platform powers the Comcast Xfinity Home touchscreen panel.

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