Does anyone have experience with LiveWatch? They use Alarm.com as well (for extra charge). They give me better deals for equipment comparing to SuretyDIY (require 12 months contract but this is no brainer). However, their monthly cost is slightly higher than what SuretyDIY charges.
Any helps would be appreciated. Thanks.
Breakdown of features/cost for Livewatch
“ASAPer” is a gimmick. Something like a group voice chat after alarm event notification, to attempt to verify if its a false alarm prior to CS dispatch.
Available to all US (including FL and Canada residents
Month2 month/1yr equip lease
$19.95 CS monitoring only no interactive/remote alarm.com access/capabilities
$29.95 CS monitoring, basic interactive (alarm.com remote arm/disarm only), crash and smash
$39.95 CS monitoring, advanced alarm.com interactive, crash and smash, GEO location, empower home automation, weather, severe weather, image sensor
Add $5 for panel 2way voice communication
Add $10 Cameras (1,000 clips/storage, 1,000 clips uploads limit per month, up to 4 Cameras)
Livewatch uses Criticom Monitoring Services (CA, NJ, FL) (http://www.cmsn.com/) which is lacking CSAA Five Diamond certification, and is not IQ certified.
Breakdown of features/cost for Suretycam
not available to Canada, FL residents
$14.95/month2month- interactive self monitoring, remote access arm/disarm alarm.com, geo fence/location
$19.95/month2month- gold interactive, self monitoring, remote acess arm/disarm alarm.com geo fence location, image sensors, empower zwave home automation (hvac/tstat, lights, locks, garage), panel weather/sever weather alerts
$22.95/month2month- Interactive, 24-7 CS monitoring, crash and smash protection, remote access arm/disarm alarm.com, geo location services
$27.95/month2month- Gold Interactive, 24-7 CS monitoring, 2-way voice, crash and smash protection, panel weather/severe weather alerts, remote access arm/disarm alarm.com, empower zwave home automation (HVAC/tstat, lights, locks, garage), image sensors, geo location services
add $3 for Energy Feature/Metering (emPower Smart Energy Plus)
add $5 for Cameras (1,000 clips/storage, 1,000 clips uploads limit per month, up to 4 Cameras, additional $5 expansion option offering blocks of 5,000 clips with 4 more cameras)
UL Listed, IQ Certified, CSAA Five Diamond Certified Central Station (Monitoring America CO-OP)
Activation fee: FREE (for Gold)
CSAA Five Diamond rating certifies central stations that are committed to the highest training standards in the central station monitoring industry.
The IQ Certification Program gives consumers a way to identify alarm companies that are committed to providing them with high-quality security and life safety systems.
Ps- as for equipment (2GIG)
As for hardware/panels and gear… You can buy it anywhere…Newegg.com, eBay, amazon, buy2gig.com, and suretydiy.com, etc. You are not required to obtain the equip from suretycam or Livewatch in order to be monitored by them.
For the best deals and prices, see: http://www.2gigforum.com/threads/12-Where-to-buy-and-best-deals-prices-for-new-2GIG-panels-sensors-and-gear
As for GE/Interlogix & Qolsys… Gear and equip is not so widely available. There are no Secondary panels yet available for the Qolsys panel, and it (Qolsys) is still in my opinion, a bit buggy.
@riven
I am doing a little research on Livewatch ASAPer. Why do you feel it is a gimmick? It seems like a pretty cool service.
Livewatch ASAPer. Why do you feel it is a gimmick
The way the system works is that each contact is sent a link via SMS etc notifying them that an alarm has been triggered and that they should click the provided link. Clicking the provided link takes the contact to a chat room in which all of the contacts on the emergency contact list can communicate with each other to get an idea of what has happened.
Getting a sms link to click to go to a chat room is kinda gimmicky to me, if not generally useless.
How many people do you know that immediately stop whatever they are doing, pull over the car, stop feeding the baby, stop working, etc, to check an incoming text message? And then it also assumes that all contacts will immediately respond, and that they all have Smartphone/internet access at that moment to join a chat room.
If the contacts don’t respond immediately, then the ASAPer breaks down, and is effectively useless.
Most services already allow you to add contact notifications, which send out simultaneous alerts, and those alerts can be set up to include attached video and captured images to any device that has internet access and can receive email. With contacts also being voice called.
Do you remember Yahoo or MSN chat?
Honestly, I do not want a security system that is primarily dependent on chat room users in an emergency or life safety alarm event.
A gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something “stand out” from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use