You are looking to finally jump into the home security pool. Welcome. The water is warm. But before you actually invest any real money, you’re trying to figure out whether to go with a dedicated provider or a home security dabbler. For my money, the dedicated provider is a better option.
A dedicated provider is a company like Vivint. As one of the top two home security companies in America, protecting homes and businesses is all Vivint does. By contrast, consider one of the world’s leading dabblers: Google.
Why Google and Others Are Dabblers
Google is a home security and home automation dabbler because it is not their core business. And at its core, Google is an advertising company. You could even make the case that they have got into home security and automation only because it enhances their advertising business. But neither security nor automation is their specialty.
Amazon is another home security and automation dabbler. Likewise for Apple, Samsung, Roku, Spectrum, and any of the other companies whose core businesses are anything and everything other than security and automation.
5 Reasons to Go With a Dedicated Provider
Consumers choosing to go the dabbler route may do so for any number of reasons. Perhaps a homeowner purchases a smart speaker only to discover that he can use it to control his lights and thermostat. So then he decides to throw in a couple of cameras.
Regardless of the actual motivations, there are very good reasons to skip the dabbler approach and go with a dedicated service provider instead. Check it out:
1. Affordability
If I were a betting man, I would say the biggest reason people avoid dedicated providers is the perception that their systems and services cost too much. That may or may not be true. A consumer would have to do some diligent research, research that included comparing similar systems.
Still, dedicated providers can offer very competitive prices. We will use Vivint as an example. Their recently introduced HomeProtect package is priced very competitively. You can check it out on their website for yourself.
Everything you need to get started is included in HomeProtect. You also get the company’s ‘white glove’ installation. You can even reduce the cost of the hardware by signing up for three years of Vivint monitoring services.
2. Integrated Professional Monitoring
Speaking of monitoring, dedicated home security providers tend to offer remote monitoring through their own facilities or through contracts with monitoring specialists. Either way, the monitoring is fully integrated into their systems. You do not have to worry about whether your system is compatible. It is by default.
Build your own system using the dabbler method and you might not even be able to get professional monitoring. You might be left monitoring the system on your own. And if you can get professional monitoring, there is always a chance that whoever provides the service will bail on you at some point.
3. It Just Works
A huge plus in favor of going with a dedicated provider is knowing that the entire system will just work. Let us go back to a Vivint system that includes a smart hub, sensors for first floor windows and doors, a motion sensor, a keypad, and a camera.
The installation technician will ensure that everything works properly before he leaves. He will also train the consumer on how to use the system. From the consumer’s standpoint, there are no worries about setting up networks, ensuring passwords are right, choosing the best locations for each device, etc. The installation tech handles everything. And every piece of equipment works as it is supposed to.
On the other hand, one of the biggest challenges of working with a dabbler brand is ending up with devices that aren’t compatible. And even a system that is fully integrated today may not be that way a year from now. If the dabbler decides to discontinue a piece, the consumer is on his own.
4. High Quality Equipment
Dabblers like Google tend to support equipment from dozens of third-party manufacturers. Yet the quality of these third-party devices is never guaranteed. You get what you get with no helpful Google. That is not the case with a dedicated provider.
It is understood that Google does not endorse or develop equipment outside of its own brand. So any third-party brands a consumer might entertain fall outside any potential Google guarantee. Again, that is not the case with a dedicated provider.
Every piece of equipment Vivint sells a customer is backed by the Vivint brand, reputation, and customer service. Vivint insists on quality devices because it doesn’t want cheap components harming its reputation. A consumer might pay a little bit more upfront, but the extra expense is worth it.
5. Built-In Smart Home Integration
The fifth and final benefit of going with a dedicated provider is enjoying built-in home automation. For example, customers can buy an entry-level security system from Vivint with the knowledge that they can add home automation components later. Meanwhile, they also have the advantage of built-in services like automatic garage door closing.
All the little extras a dedicated provider offers do not come with dabbler systems. The dabblers need to rely too much on third-party components that don’t always fully integrate in a home automation system. And when a customer goes the dabbler route, all he is getting is the equipment. There are no services included.
Go With the Home Security Expert
Whether affordability is your big concern or you simply want a home security system that does what it is supposed to do, forget dabbling around the edges with a company that doesn’t specialize in security. Go with a home security expert instead.
You would not trust one of the dabblers to perform life-saving surgery or fly you across the ocean on a 787, would you? So why trust a dabbler with your home security? Go with a dedicated provider that does nothing but home security. You will be better off for it.
