Don't Rip and Replace: A Guide to Modernizing Your Business Alarm System | ASI
When you look at that old keypad on your wall, it's easy to assume that upgrading your business's alarm system means a massive, disruptive, and expensive project. Most people picture technicians tearing open walls to replace every wire, door contact, and motion sensor.
Fortunately, that's rarely the case.
Basic System Anatomy
The "brains" of your security system is the main alarm panel, usually hidden away in a utility closet. This panel dictates your system's features, like app control and smart notifications. The sensors on your doors and windows are the "nerves." In most situations, we can give you a complete system modernization by simply upgrading the brains and reusing the perfectly good nerves.
Depending on your existing equipment, there are two common, cost-effective paths to a modern system.
Path A: Instantly Modernize Your Panel with an Alarm.com SEM
This is the ideal path for businesses with a reliable, hardwired alarm panel that simply lacks modern features.
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Businesses with common legacy panels like the Honeywell Vista series, Interlogix panels, or many existing DSC PowerSeries systems.
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The SEM is installed right next to your current panel. All of your existing wiring, door/window contacts, and motion sensors stay exactly where they are. There is no disruption to your facility.
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For a fraction of the cost of a full replacement, your system is instantly modernized. You get all the benefits of the Alarm.com platform—remote arming/disarming from your phone, real-time notifications, user code management, and more—all while leveraging the hardware you already own.
Path B: A Seamless Upgrade for DSC PowerSeries Owners
For the many loyal customers who have a DSC PowerSeries system, there is a direct and powerful upgrade path available.
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Businesses with a DSC system that has failed, is too old, or is ready for a complete panel modernization.
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We replace the old panel with a new, state-of-the-art DSC PowerSeries NEO panel, which is designed with backward compatibility in mind.
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We carefully disconnect the zone wires from your old panel's terminals and reconnect them to the new NEO panel. Your existing hardwired door contacts, motion detectors, and other sensors are all reused.
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You get a brand-new, top-of-the-line security panel and the option to add devices that use PowerG, the most secure and reliable wireless security technology on the market.
What Makes PowerG Superior?
Military-Grade Encryption: PowerG uses 128-bit AES encryption, making it nearly impossible for intruders to jam your signal or hack your system.
Unprecedented Wireless Range: Its signal reaches much farther than traditional wireless, ensuring reliable protection for even large commercial buildings without the need for multiple repeaters.
Two-Way Communication: The panel and sensors are in constant conversation. The panel actively acknowledges every signal from the sensors, confirming that messages are always received and eliminating the uncertainty of old one-way systems.
Extended Battery Life: This constant communication allows for intelligent power conservation. Sensors use adaptive power—only transmitting with the minimum energy required to reach the panel—resulting in battery life that can last up to 8 years, reducing your maintenance costs.
Conclusion: A Smarter, More Accessible Upgrade
Re-using this existing hardware can significantly reduce the overall cost of the project, allowing you to invest in the smart features of a new system without paying to replace perfectly good locks.
Modernizing your business's alarm system is not the disruptive overhaul you might fear. Whether through a simple enhancement module for your Honeywell panel or a strategic panel replacement for your DSC system, the goal is the same: to provide you with a smarter, more reliable, and more convenient security solution in the most cost-effective way possible.