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46 Security Dealer & Integrator / www.SecurityInfoWatch.com October 2016 Central Station Monitoring Resource Guide 2016 I t is an understatement to say that the home security space is getting crowded; in fact, it is a little like a poker game, where traditional security companies have been joined by new players who are bringing sizable bankrolls to the table. Established cable/broadband providers such as AT&T; and Comcast; worldwide brands like Google, Amazon, Samsung and Apple; and a growing field of DIY entrants are now placing their bets in home security and home auto- mation. at would seem to leave many existing security providers in a precarious position — searching for a way to effectively compete with only a fraction of the resources. e stakes are high, but experience means the established players have a major edge, according to Monitronics Secu- rity CEO Jeff Gardner. "Security companies have a wealth of knowledge in the space," he says. "Home security is what we do, and we do it better than any of the larger new players who want to invade our industry. ey don't come close to our level of expertise or customer service." at expertise is a huge advantage in many ways, particu- larly when it comes to controlling false alarms. at's where IQ — or "Installation Quality" — Certification can make a difference for both monitoring stations and security dealers. Industry statistics and internal data and research from Monitronics reveals that approximately 99 percent of alarm calls are false alarms. ey are a major source of conflict in the relationships between alarm dealers/system integrators, central stations, law enforcement officials and municipalities — not to mention customers who do not understand why their alarm sometimes goes off when there is no emergency. us, Monitronics encourages the companies in its autho- rized dealer network to become IQ Certified. e program recognizes security providers who annually meet rigorous standards and follow best practices for installation, moni- toring and customer education. "It benefits everyone when a dealer takes time to put the right system in place, performs a quality installation and trains the customer effectively," says Grant Graham, Monitronics' Director of Monitoring Operations. "Every dealer wants to keep a customer for as long as possible, so it makes a tremendous difference when the customer is happy from the beginning." Monitoring centers also can be IQ Certified, and Moni- tronics first achieved the designation three years ago. One of the requirements for being an IQ Certified-dealer is to use an IQ Certified monitoring facility. Monitronics is one of a handful of central stations nationwide — joining COPS Monitoring, Rapid Response, Cen-Signal, Dynamark and others — that have the designation. Inside the Program e IQ Certification program was started by industry pro- fessionals in 1997 to help create a standard for best prac- tices in the security industry. e program is endorsed by the Electronic Security Association (ESA), Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), Security Industry Association (SIA), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA) and the Canadian Security Association (CANASA). It provides specific guidelines and checklists for installation, as well as for training of techni- cians and customers. It is widely acknowledged that the major reasons for false alarms are user error and poorly installed or poorly designed systems. e idea is simple: Reduce the number of false alarms by addressing the main problems of poor instal- lation and inadequate training. "IQ Certification tries to tackle both of those drivers," Graham says. "It requires that all technicians go through base-level training. While states have different requirements for installation technicians, a lot of them don't require bur- glary technicians to get that level of education." What's Your IQ ? Installation Quality Certification identifies central stations and alarm dealers that have trained specifically to reduce false alarms By Robert Ogle The IQ Certification program recognizes security providers who annually meet rigorous standards and follow best practices for installation, monitoring and customer education. Photo: Monitronics