| FirstAlert®
is a family of communications services designed specifically for
the security industry. FirstAlert is designed to be a cost-effective
alternative or backup to the transmission of alarm signals over
telephone lines.
There are presently
four types of network services available that utilize two different
fundamental technologies i.e. Wireless and Internet: What is unique
about FirstAlert is that a change in protected premise technology
does not require an equal change in Client station equipment in
order to monitor accounts.
This technology
protection is an important reason why so many Client stations have
chosen to become FirstAlert Client stations. As new technologies
or services become available, FirstAlert will expand to bring them
to you for use at the protected premise. New technologies will give
more subscribers access to FirstAlert services, and allow a broader
variety of information to be sent at faster speeds without requiring
significant additional investment and overhead at the Client station.
Network Architecture
In the FirstAlert architecture, although each of the networks are
independent of one another, subscriber radios and Internet transmitters
may send messages from one network. The FirstAlert National Data
Center (NDC) accomplishes this integration.
This
design offers the following important benefits:
1. Integration
of Multiple Networks One of the fundamental principles behind FirstAlert
is the integration of different network types. In the FirstAlert
architecture, member Client stations are equipped with FirstAlert
wireless or Internet receiving equipment or both. This equipment
communicates directly with the FirstAlert network. Depending on
its needs at installation at the protected premise, an installer
may choose to use any of the available types of subscriber radios
or Internet transmitters, whichever works best for that installation.
Although each of the different products may report through a different
network, the Client station does not need to incur the costs of
time, money, or labor to operate, maintain, and integrate all of
these networks. When a Client station signs up with FirstAlert,
it establishes a network connection scheme between the Client station
and FirstAlert and as a result gains access to any of its customers
at the protected premise through that scheme and the interaction
of FirstAlert.
2. Learn One,
Know Them All All of the different subscriber devices used for the
different network services have a similar look and feel. The same
programming tool is used for most of the devices. All signals are
delivered to the Client station in a uniform, familiar reporting
format. This assures that the Client station can receive signals
from any type of FirstAlert subscriber; past, present, or future.
Once equipped to receive alarm messages from the FirstAlert network,
the Client station can provide network services to any subscriber
without additional expense.
3. Supervision
and Speed of DeliveryFirstAlert radios and transmitters are supervised
on a regular basis. The supervision is performed automatically,
and is transparent to the Client station. The FirstAlert network
communicates with all FirstAlert devices on a regular basis, assuring
that they are operational. The FirstAlert network reports to the
Client station only when there is a problem. The Client station
does not need to worry about supervision or maintenance of the network,
since the network performs these functions automatically. The Client
station only receives the signals it needs: actual alarm or trouble
messages. When the network receives an alarm, it automatically and
immediately forwards the signal to the appropriate Client station.
The FirstAlert transmission generally will reach the Client station
before the traditional dialer-based signal, in cases where an FirstAlert
device and the digital dialer both send signals.
4. Secure, Redundant,
Wireless ProtectionNot all competitive wireless subscriber services
offered in the market are wireless at both ends. For example, due
to the design of the cellular network, competing cellular services
deliver signals to the Client station over the regular switched
telephone network.
In these cases,
the communications integrity of the Client station (and all premises
protected by that Client station) is vulnerable to the same weaknesses
as any landline-dependent customer (line cut, service outages, and
natural disasters). Limited services such as these protect only
a portion of the communications chain. Standard FirstAlert wireless
delivery, however, assures an end-to-end wireless system that provides
redundancy, supervision, and verification of message delivery.
It only makes
sense that the Client station should use wireless communications
to maintain the same level of security and performance in its communications
infrastructure as it does at the protected premises. In order to
maintain a redundant, invulnerable link to subscribers using wireline-terminated
networks, a service provider must maintain at least two physically
distinct and independent connections to every network type.
FirstAlert maintains
such connections at every level, saving the Client station the expense
and complexity of maintaining such an elaborate communications infrastructure.
FirstAlert’s connection to the Client station also has two
layers of redundancy: every Client station is equipped with a primary
and backup transceiver
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