SmartTek Systems Grants OnWatch of Australia Exclusive Rights

Continuing its aggressive expansion, SmartTek Systems, Inc., a provider of mobile, smartphone-based, personal security, announced it has signed an agreement granting OnWatch PTY, Ltd. of Australia exclusive distribution rights in that country for its trio of apps. Onwatch, established in 2004, is a privately owned and accredited central alarm monitoring center located in the Double Bay area of Sydney, Australia. The Onwatch agreement marks the first of several international agreements SmartTek says it is working to establish.

“Using the SmartTek Systems app & infrastructure we see exciting new opportunities to offer our customers better protection and innovative new services, the sort of added value that is impossible to provide with traditional systems and through conventional suppliers,” said David Sweet, managing director, Onwatch Pty Ltd Australia. “This move will position Onwatch as a leading player in the Australian mobile PERS market and signals a fundamental change in the opportunities for the provision of Personal Safety and Medical Emergency services. It heralds a step-change in the Australian mobile Personal Emergency Response Service market.”

The trio of apps is comprised of the previously announced SmartAlert: a panic, safety, and mobile personal emergency response system (mPERS) designed to preserve the user’s personal privacy; SmartGuard: designed to give families peace-of-mind by providing optional location information about family members; and SmartTrack: a powerful fleet-tracking and mobile productivity solution for small businesses. Pilot testing of the new app offerings has been ongoing with central stations for months and the service will soon be ready to come to market.

“The landscape of the alarm industry is changing not just in the US but internationally and the agreement with Onwatch will keep SmartTek at the forefront of bringing that change to a global audience,” said SmartTek Co-founder Barry Schweiger, co-founder and former president, Fire Burglary Instruments, Inc. “By extending protection services to subscribers and their families when they are out of their homes, at school, work or out enjoying themselves, security companies can practically guarantee increased RMR and lowered attrition rates. We see this as a very strong closing tool for dealers.”

“SmartTek’s turnkey platform removes the obstacles that previously prevented central stations from entering the mPERS market,” said SmartTek’s Technical Consultant Mark Fischer. “We’ve eliminated the prohibitive hardware, software, and maintenance fees other solutions impose. SmartTek’s software integrates with virtually any existing central station automation system. We even provide the PSAP database, and were still able provide the service at what we believe to be the lowest cost per app.”

SmartTek’s Apps eliminate the need to purchase any additional equipment, and there are no additional cellular charges to the central station, dealer or subscriber. Dealers simply have their subscribers sign up, download and install the app on their iPhone or Android smartphone and they are immediately protected.

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities