Are you prepared for the next sunset? Companies across the United States are beginning to sunset their 2G and 3G networks in favor of 4G and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technologies. Verizon has announced that it will cease to support 3G devices on its network after December 2019, T-Mobile one year later and Sprint a year after that. With the new sunset approaching, now is a great time to talk to your customers about a system upgrade and new features that are available.

WHIRC can help you take an old system and make it new again with interactive services through SecureNet, AlarmNet, Telguard, Uplink, or any third-party provider that we are integrated with. This will update the functionality of the system to be able to use apps and additional features without updating the whole system. 

A study by Parks Associates noted that only 23 percent of current security subscribers have an integrated smart home device. By switching your customers to interactive services, you can maintain and grow your customer base. This happens because interactive products make the customer sticky to the dealer as customers will come to depend on this technology that they will use every day. These add-on products are also key to driving new recurring monthly revenue.

This year, one of WHIRC’s goals is to get our dealers ahead of the sunset and help them prepare. We are doing this by implementing new technology like SecureNet, which is a more universal platform to transition older systems into a more interactive system. WHIRC is fully integrated with most third-party communication vendors.

At WHIRC, we work with distributors and manufacturers to ensure pricing competitiveness. As a WHIRC partner, you receive discounts from distributors. If your customers do have to replace gear due to the sunset, you can take advantage of our partner pricing and get it at a discounted rate. You may choose to pass those savings along to your customers as a further incentive to move them to an interactive system.

The security industry has dramatically changed, and interactive services are here to stay, which can be a terrific way to attract new customers and retain existing customers. The national churn rate in the alarm industry lingers around 10 percent, but with interactive services that are used daily, a customer becomes tied to the services and to the dealer.

Parks Associates, Inc. found that 40 percent of consumers who currently have security systems are interested in energy management, versus 25 percent of those without a security system. Adding interactive services will allow users to control the lights and temperatures in their home, while increasing a dealer’s recurring monthly revenue. WH International Response Center (WHIRC) recommends focusing on the fact that these products are affordable and will be used daily. They also integrate with the customer’s existing security system.

Most interactive services have a dashboard for dealers that can help you navigate your customer base and point out customers who are not fully using the system to its capacity. WHIRC recommends marketing to those customers and encouraging additional features to enhance the customer experience. And it’s not just for residential customers. With integrated access control, video and security, interactive services are a great fit for commercial applications.

With your partnership, WHIRC is determined to provide the services needed for your success. We are currently integrated with most of the major interactive services and will soon be integrated with SecureNet Technologies to offer a solution that is more versatile and has panel compatibility.

SecureNet is fully integrated with the DSC iotega, 2GIG GC2, 2GIG Rely and Alula Helix. SecureNet also has an IGM that will allow dealers to update their legacy systems, re-engage their customers, and improve customer retention. SecureNet uses a fully encrypted VPN communication from the security system to the central station. It comes with the SmartLink App for interactive security, video monitoring, home control and built-in automation. Dealers can manage contacts, set notifications and the app has the ability to be custom branded.

For more information or to get set up for SecureNet services, contact Rick Stevens (612-868-0010) or Cody Decker (763-477-3124) today.