SafeMart's CEO

For those of you interested, here is a link to the LinkedIn page of SafeMart's CEO.

Home Security and CES 2010

Hey folks,

Just got back from CES 2010. As always, there were about ten million things worth seeing. However, my brain started shutting down after a while, so I didn't get through everything. But, what I did get through was interesting and I thought I'd share it with you. Ok, well actually I'm just going to share one thing with you, but it will comprise most of the cool stuff I saw: home integration.

In the past we've had home automation and home security. And, certain systems (the ElkGuard is the best example) allow for integration between the two. Other systems are, at best, clunky when it comes to custom home integration. But, that seems to be changing. Control4, DLink and a few others all showcased their complete home integration systems...and man, were they sweet!

So, just wrap your head around complete control, with remote access. On business in Switzerland and want to look in on your security cameras? No problem. While your'e at it, you might as well check on the thermostat, dim some lights and shut off the music you left on in the living room. And its all seamless. As the Guiness guys would say: Brilliant!

There were a few other things that I'll let you know about as we go forward. They should really make things interesting.

Until next time...

Home Security in 2010

Well folks, we're back now from a long hiatus. We've been working on a ton of great stuff over at SafeMart, from new monitoring options to better more advanced system packages. I wanted to highlight just a few products/services to keep your eye out for in 2010. (Note: some of these have been around for years, but are worth taking another look at). So, in no particular order:

1. Freeze Alarms: Ok, thats pretty boring sounding. Plus, they've been around forever. True, but most of us haven't seen a winter this cold in a long time. If you don't have a freeze alarm and you don't want to spend thousands of dollars when a pipe busts, you should get one. Available http://www.safemart.com/Freeze-Alarms/Basic-Feeze-Alarm-wVoice-Alarm-FA-B-CCA.htm for $65.

2. The DSC Alexor: This is a fairly new system. It was released with a lot of hype but sort of died out after that. I would say this: If you are in the market for a versatile home security system, that is super-fast, and can handle some decent upgrades, the Alexor may be for you. Check it out here http://www.safemart.com/Wireless-Home-Security/DSC-Alexor-2-Way-Wireless-Alarm-Kit-KIT495-1CP01.htm. Starts at $299

3. New Releases in Home Alarm Monitoring: I'm not going to get into this much, even though its the most exciting thing coming down the pipe, since its not fully live yet. Just check back at this link from time to time if you have a Honeywell system. We'll be offering you great products at an incredibly low price. Stop by and see us. And if you simply want central station alarm monitoring, click the above link. Its available at wholesale pricing.

Expandable Home Security

Part Five of a Five Part Series Taking a Quick Look at the SmartMoney System

Expandable home security is something that few homeowners think of, until its too late. But here's the reality: Things change. You may add-on to your home, realize you didn't purchase enough security devices, or your security needs may simply change over time. Either way, you need to expand.

With most companies, what does that mean? Well, it means that you're going to pay a premium, both for the device itself and to have them add it on.

What does it mean with the SmartMoney package? It means that you pay the same wholesale price as everyone else, and you don't pay a dime to have it programmed into your system. Should I repeat that?? You don't pay a dime to have it programmed into your system! Its the ultimate expandable system.

Still not convinced that the SmartMoney Home Security Package is the most innovative, hottest offering on the market? Click on the link above to check it out in detail.

Compare Home Security

Welcome to part four of a five part series in which we're taking an in-depth look at the SmartMoney Home Security Package from SafeMart.com.

Today we're going to compare home security options between SafeMart, Protect America and ADT on the basis of cost, but focusing also on monthly contract length and a few other factors. I'm not really going to give much commentary here. I'll just let the numbers speak for themselves.

Ok, so whats it cost? Well, this is where the affordable part comes in. You pay $78.95 down (plus the cost of any additional accessories), and then $29.95/month for the next 24 months. Its a low cost, short term payment plan option.

So, lets see how that price compares to Protect America or ADT?

For 36 Months (the length of ADT's and Protect America's contracts) the cost is as follows:

ADT: $1,419.64

Protect America: $1,078.20

SmartMoney: $875.80

Why is it so much cheaper? Two reasons: 1. Our monthly cost is less than ADT's. And our initial contract length (24 months) is less than both ADT and Protect America. 2. After the initial contract of 24 months is up, our monitoring cost goes to wholesale pricing: $9/month! With the other guys, your monitoring price stays high.

Just a few other comparisons:

Renters Allowed to Purchase Package?

ADT: No

SmartMoney: Yes

Protect America: Yes

Return Policy:

Industry Standard: 3 Days

SmartMoney: 3o Days

Thats some pretty powerful stuff. Oh, and one more thing. As opposed to many other companies, SafeMart allows you to add accessories to the SmartMoney package at any point during the two-year contract...for the retail cost. We don't charge you any extra fee to program them into your system. Now thats impressive!

Reliable Home Security

Today we'll examine part three of the five part series on SafeMart's innovative new home security package: SmartMoney

Every company's home security system is "reliable." And by that (including the scare quotes) I mean that every company claims their system is reliable. Ok, so lets look at this in two ways. If you're choosing a home security system, especially if you're choosing monitoring, there are two aspects to reliability: the reliability of the system itself (panel, accessories, etc) and the reliability of the company you choose. We'll examine both.

Lets start with the system itself. This is a generally true statement, so long as you're choosing a reputable company. If you're not, beware. I know of many companies who either sell older, dated models as the newest item out there, or they actually sell junk equipment. In choosing a home security system, make sure you choose the right system (Ademco Vista 20P, DSC 9047, either GE Simon system, etc). Don't go with knockoff names or systems that aren't big names in the industry.

Now to the second point: the reliability of the company. When you're choosing a system, its not enough to ensure that the system is top of the line; you need to make sure that the company you go with is top of the line as well. Why? Because you're relying on this company to help you get the best product, at the best price, with valuable, dependable technical support. And you want to make sure that if something happens with your system, you have someone who knows what they're talking about that you can call for help. Some of these companies you see running around probably won't even exist in six months. Is that who you want to trust with protecting your most valuable possessions?

Ok, now we've laid ground rules, lets move on to application. How does the SmartMoney Home Security Package fare with regard to reliability?

The DSC 9047 is an incredibly reliable system, recognized as such across the industry. The accessories that come with the system are similarly state of the art, and they are all backed up by solid manufacturer warranties.

Now to the company. SafeMart offers trained tech support and customer service. The SmartMoney package is programmed for you by trained professionals with a great deal of experience in the industry. If anything goes wrong, you can be certain that SafeMart will still be there, still offering the same great service they always have. But don't take my word for it. Look at our report on the BBB (hint, we have an A+ rating), or at the Inc 5000 (annual list of the fastest growing private owned companies in the nation...yeah, we're on there!).

Simple Home Security

Simple home security has never been easier... no really, I mean it!

Welcome back to part two of our five part series on SafeMart's new home security package: SmartMoney. Today we're going to be looking at the simplicity of the thing.

Lets run through an ordinary DIY purchase and installation, and then lets compare SmartMoney and see how it stacks up.

Ok, first the DIY. Once you've decided you want to go DIY, you'll need to choose your system, and your accessories. If you're ordering from a reputable company, you'll be able to get someone to help you do this. Once you've decided, you purchase your system, and wait for it to arrive. Now its at your house. You need to install the system. So, you read through the installation manual, and trudge ahead. If you chose one of the more popular systems from SafeMart, you'll receive an installation DVD that makes it pretty easy. Still, you have to program your entire system, install sensors and then do a test. At this point, if everything is working, you'll be ready for monitoring. And, again, if you went with a reputable company they should be offering you free tech support during this process. So, its not overly difficult, but you will have to do some wiring, be familiar with some industry terms to really follow the installation manual, and then actually program it yourself.

Now on to SmartMoney. With SmartMoney, once you decide you want to go with this system, you'll see an easy webform with your options laid out. No guessing as to which accessories go with the system, they're all on screen for you to see. What happens next is really what simple home security is all about. You'll receive an email with a list of all of the items you purchased. That email has a link to a pre-programming page. Here, you simply tell SafeMart which device is supposed to go where in your home. After that, they program it for you. When your package arrives, all of the sensors are already programmed in, and the system is ready to go. All you have to do is set time and date, change your user codes, mount the sensors and do a simple test. And, the SmartMoney package includes a DVD to walk you through even those basic steps.

So, what am I saying? Should you always choose SmartMoney over DIY? Absolutely not! For many people, DIY is the best possible option. They're inclined to "do it themselves" and they're ready for the task. It will save them some money and allow them to "get their hands dirty." But, if you're looking for a really simple home security solution, it doesn't get any better than SmartMoney. Stop by and take a look!