Top Features for a Security System of the Future

Tomorrows Electronic Security Systems Today

• Remote Control: Most alarm systems today have small keyring remote controls so you don't have to always punch in your code to arm and disarm your system. They usually give an indication of armed status and whether or not the system has been set off. This gives you the advantage of knowing if your system has been activated before interring the premises and unwittingly surprising a burglar. You would be able to call police first. You can also arm the system outside of the premises.
• Lighting Control: Many security panels have the ability to integrate lighting control into your alarm system. Most interact with the home automation products from X10 so you can have your home automation and security systems integrated. This allows you to have lights automatically come on when there is an alarm. Turn on the coffee pot in the morning. Turn on and off lights when your on vacation. If you have a remote you could arm the system and have the driveway lights and/or a porch light come on for a few minutes and then turn off allowing you to have lights the whole time. It could also turn off any or all lights in the house. Conversely, when you come home, you could disarm the system and have the driveway lights come on for a period of time, the kitchen lights come on and stay, or any combination of lights on or off. Most of the X10 items can be self installed, the integration with your alarm system would probably have to be done by a professional.
• Multiple communication methods: Most systems communicate alarm conditions over phone lines, but since regular phone lines are a dieing breed, security equipment manufacturers are going to alternate methods such as VOIP and internet. There is also cellular communications. These are sometimes more economical since you won't have a phone line to pay for, but the monthly cost is usually higher. Cellular is usually only used as a backup method, in case your phone or internet gets cut.
• Cameras: The amount of options available in cameras is huge. You can get wired cameras, wireless cameras, IP cameras, wireless IP cameras, wireless RF cameras and more. Cameras can all be low resolution where you might be able to see that someone was in the picture but not tell who they were or what they were doing. Cameras can be be high resolution where you could count the freckles on someones face. They could be cameras that need a lot of light to provide a decent picture or they can be low light. They can be color or black and white. Some may switch between color during the day and black and white at night since black and white cameras take less light. They may or may not have infrared LED's on them. Some will come with a SD card and record video locally. Then there are different video formats. PAL and NTSC. NTSC used in the United States and PAL used in Europe, Australia and other countries.
• Digital Video Recorders(DVR): Even if you have the best cameras you need to be able to record unless you just want to watch the kids in the pool from the TV in the bedroom or something like that. DVR's are kind of like cameras in the amount of options available. All record on a hard drive or some kind of flash media. Some have no drives and some have huge drives. The amount of recording time depends on the amount of hard drive and the number of cameras attached to it. Cameras can send video to the DVR with standard coax cable or over an IP network so DVR's will be either have standard coax inputs or be what is called a Network Video Recorder or NVR. An NVR gets the video signal from an IP camera over the IP network. Some NVR's will do both. There are also several different recording formats such as AVI, MPEG, MPEG4, MJPEG, H.264 and more. The number of cameras range from 1 to 16. Some you can access remotely over a network or phone line.
• Remote Access: Almost everything these days has an app that lets you access with your iPhone or Blackberry, and your security systems are no different. There are burglar alarms that can send you a text or email when the system is alarmed or when it is armed or disarmed. If you have cameras integrated into the system you can also get a picture sent to you phone. There is a virtual keypad for your alarm system that is accessible over the internet, so you can log on anywhere you have an internet connection and check the status of your system and either arm or disarm the system. You can also log on to the camera system and get video. This gives a home or business owner more flexibility in using their security systems.
  
  Say you want to know when the kids get home after school, have the system send you a text when the alarm gets disarmed and you get an email with a video clip of who entered the door. Your at dinner and you want to check on the babysitter, use your internet enabled phone to log on and check video. Get an email when the liquor cabinet is opened. Check on the vacation home. Check on the employees when you are not there. Forgot to arm the system, log on and use your virtual keypad. Log on and turn lights on or off. Turn on the hot tub. Possibilities are endless.