Hipster Startup to Crush Caveman Alarm Companies

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on Feb 24, 2013

A Chicago startup who you have never heard of is threatening to crush your alarm business, viewing you as a 'caveman'. The company, Scout, is a DIY product that is fully specified, installed, and configured by end users. They claims cutting alarm companies out of the picture is a huge benefit: even portraying them as Cro-Magnon beasts that lack style and skill when designing systems, eventually forcing customers into 36 month contracts, POTS land-lines, and intruding installers. The promotional screencap below makes plain Scout's disdain for traditional alarm companies and their products:

Who ** *****?

***** ******** ** ***** *****, ***-******* ******* *******, *************** ** * ******* ******* ****/*********, ****** **********, **** ** previous ************ ******** ********. *** ******* ******* ** **** *** *** *** management **** ** *** **** ******.

****** **** **** ************ ******* ******* *********************, ***** ****** ******** ****** *** *** *******, **** $***,*** USD *****. *** ******* ** ******* **** '***** ******* ****' that *** ******* *****-******* ********* ************** *** *** **** ********** *********.

** *** **** *****, *** ******* ** ***** ** ******* featured ** ***** ********** **** ************ ********* *********************. ****, *** ******* *** * ***** ********* *****:

Product ********

**** *******: *** ******* '**** ***' *****, ************* **** ******** * ******'* ******** *******. *** **** ******* is ******** *** **** ******, *** **** ** ********* ** an ******** ********* ******. *** **** ******* ***** ***** ************* to ***** *** **** ** ** ******** *** ******.
**** *****:** **** ** * ******* ******, * ***** **** *******/**** reader ** ****** ** **** *******. ***** ***/****** *** ****** using ****** ****** **** *** *** **** *****, ***** ******** a ** ** *********** *****. *** **** ******* ******** *" x *" * *.**"
****/***** ******:*** '********' ****** *** *****, *******, *** ******** ******* ******** 2.5" * *" * *.**". *** ******** ****** *******
****** ******: *** *** **** *** * ******* ******** ***** ** 20' - **', *** *** ** ******* ** ****** **** or ******* ***** ***********.

***** ** ********* ** **** ***** **********:

*** ******* *** ********, ******* ******* ******* **** ** ****** of ******** ** ******** ********. *** ****/***** ******* *** ******* by ******** ********** *********, *** **** ***** *** ****** ******* via ******** **** * **** *****. *** ****** ****** ******** an ****** ****-******** ***** *** ********* ** ******* ** ***********. The ******* ********* **** ***** ****** *****, ********* *****-*****, *****, and ** ******* *** ***** ******* *** *** ******.

Pricing

*** *******'* ******* ** ****** "***-******" *** ****** ********** ******* ranging******* $*** *** $****** *** ******* *****. ***** ******* ******, *** ** ********* mix ***** ************ ********* ** *** ****'* *************. *** ******* has *** ******** ******* ****** *** ***-***** ******.

How ** ******* **** ***** *** *******

*********, ******, ***** ** *** *** ***** *** ***** ****** on *** ******. *******, *** ******** *** * *** ********* differences:

****** *******:**** *** ********* ******* *** ***** ******* **** ** ******* for-fee ***-** ******** *** ******** ******* *** ****** ** *** management.
***** *****/****** *****: **** * ****** *******, *****'* ***** ****** ***** ******* 256. **** *** ********* **** * ***** ****** ** *******, many ********** **** **** ** *****.
*** *******: ******* *** ******* ***** ******* * **** ******** *** dialer *******, ** **** **** ******* **********. ***** ******** ** optional *** *********, *** **** *** ******* ***** **** ***** only *** ***** ***.

*** ********** ******** ******* ***** *** ***** ****-********* ***** *********, see *** "*** ***** **** ********" ******.

Scout ********

*** *******'* ************** ******** ** *** ****** ******** ****** **** uncommon ******** ******** ** ********* ********* *******:

**** ** *******: *** ****** **** *** ******* ****** *** ******* ** the **** *******, *** ******* *** ** ******* ****** ***** adhesive *******. **** ** ***** **** ** ****** ** ******** sensors, **** *** ** ****** ******* *** ******* ***** ******.
*******: ******* ******** ******* '****** ***** *****', ***** ****** ******* in * ***** ** ****** ***** *******, ******* *****, *****, and **** *****. ***** ****** * *********** ********* ******** ** 'cool ******', ****** ***** ** * '*****' *******-******** ******.
****** **********: *** **** ** *****'* ******** **** ** *** **** proliferation ** ****** *********** *** *******. *** ********* ****** ** primarily *************, *****/********, *** ******** ***** ******** *** ******. ****** 'traditional' ******, ***** ******** *** ******* *** ****.
**** *******/**********: ***** *** ********* ******* *********** *** '**** ***********', ********* alarm ********* *** ********* ** **** ******* ******* ********** ********* as ** **** ****** ********. **** ******** ** '****-******* *** full ********* *** ***** ***** **** ** **** ** *****, often ********* ** ********* ** *******. ***** ********* '****' ************ labor *** *********** ********* ** **** ** **** ***** ******* incumbent ***** ****** *****. ** ********** *****, *** ******* *** plans *** * ********* ******, *** ******* ** ******** ** fall ***** '******' *****, ** **** *** ** ** ********* equipment ***** ***** **** **** *** ******* *******.

Potential ********

*******, **** *** ************** ********, **** ********** **** ** *** should ** ********* **********:

******* ****: * **** ******** ** * ******** ****** ** *** reliance ** ******* *****. **** ******* ** ********* ** *****'* note **** "** ****** *** ********* ** **** *** ** 12 ****** **** ******* ***." ** ******** *********, **** **** period ** **** ******* **** *** ******* ** ** ** month ******** **** ******* *********. ** ***** ***** ** ******* this *****, ** ***** **** *********"***, *-** ****** ** * ************ ******** ** *** ******* life. **'** ***** * ******* ** *** ***** *** *** people **** ** ***** ***** *** ** ***'* **** ** over-promise."***** ******* ****** *** *********, *** **** ** *********** ********* twice ****** ***** ***** ***********.
**** ************: *** ** *** *** '********' **** ***** * *** risk. ***** ****** ********* ** *** * ****** ****, *** unless ****** ********* ** **** ********** *** ****** **** ******** range ** *** ****** ****** *** **** **********, ** ** possible **** ********* ***** ***** ********** ** ***** ****** ** not ********** **** ******. ******* ** *** **** *** '*******', professional ***** ****** ********** *** ******* ** **** *** ****** and ****** ********* ** ******* *** **** ******.
****-*** *******: ***** *** ******* ****** *** ********* ** *** ******* are '***', **** *** *** **** ********** *** ********* **** alarm ******* **** **** *** *******. ***** ** ******* ****** about ******* ******* ** *** ****** *******, *** ******* ****** to *** ********, ***** ****** *** ****** ** ******* ******* beyond **** * ******* ********* ****** ********.
***********: *****, * *** ******* **** ** * *********** *** risk. ***** * ******* ********** ******** ** ******* ** ** many, ** **** ******* ********, *** ***** ***********. **** **** unmonitored, ***** ****** ** *** *** **** ** ******* ** any ****** ** ** ******** ** *********** ** ******. * monitoring ******* ******** ***** ******** ******* ******* ************ ** *** user.

Competitive **********

* ****** ****** **** ** ********* ***** ********* ** ** 'buy ********' ** ********** *** **** ** ********* **** *** course ** ** ** **** ******. ***** * ****** *** cost $** ** ********* *******, *** ********* ********** ******** *** range ******* $** *** $*** ** ******* *** **** *****.

**** *****, *** *** **** *** ****** ** ******** ********* up *****, *** *** ** ********** **** ** *** *******. Scout *** *** ** ********* ******* ** ********** ********, *** expects ******* ** **** ****** $** *** ******* ** ********** GSM ********** ** *** **** *******.

* ******** *** **** ********* ** ******* **** *** ****** of * ******* ********** ******** ** ***** *****. *******, ** we ******** ********* ** *** "*** ******** *********** *********" ******, ** ***** ** ******* ** ** ****** *** that ***** ********* ***** ******* ** ***** **** ** ********* and ************ *****.

**** *****, *** **** ** ******** ** *** ***-********* *** on *** ********* ***** ******* ** ***** * ***** ********* to *********-********* ***** *******. ***** *** ******* ** ***** ** be * **** **** ******* **** ************ ***** * *** or ***** ******, ****** ****** *********** **** ** *********. ***** the ******* *** *** *** **** ********, ** ****** **** performance.

[UPDATE] ******* ******

*****'* ******* ******* ******* **** **** *******, ******* **** ******* wondering **** *** ****** **. *** ******* *** ********** *** not ******** ******* ***** ******** *** *********** ********, *** *** described ****** ******* ********* ***-**** *********** ********* ** ******* *** platform ** ******.**** * **** ******:

"*** ***** ** ****, ** *** ***** *** ****** ********* our ***-***** ********, ** **** ****** ** ********* **** **** allowing *** *** ******* *********** ** *****. ***** ** ****’* charging ****** ***** ***** ** **** *** ***** ****** ** you, ** *** ** **** * *** ** ******* ***** resources. ** **** **** *** ****** *** ***** *** ****, but ********* *** ********* ** ****** ** ***** ***** ** market **** ****. ** **** *** ****** **** ** *** hoped. *** ****, ** ***** *********.

*** ******* **** ** ** ******* *** ***** ** ***********:

"**’** ****’* ********** * *** ********** **** **** ** **** time, *** *** ******* ** *** **** *********** ****** *** as **** ** ********. *** ***** **** ** ******** ** months, *** *****, *************."

***** ************ ** *** ***** ** ****, **** ***** ***** be * *** **** ** * ****** ******* **** *********** offerings (***:******). ** **** ****** **** **** ** ******* *** ******** dates ****** *****.

Comments (3)

John Honovich

IPVM | 02/25/13 08:27pm

* ***'* **** ** **** ******* *** **** ** ***** to ** * ***** ****** *** **** ******* ** **** for *** ******* ** ******* ****** ********.

***** *** ***** ******** ***** ** *** ****** **** ******* of ********/********** ******** *******, **** *** *** **** **********, **** profit ******* *** ********** ******* ****** **** *** *** **** of ****** *** ************ *************.

***** *** *** **** *********** ******** *** *********** ***** **********:

********** ** ***** ***** *****
*********** *** ******** ******* ********** ****

****** ***** *** ********* ******** ** ****, *** ******** ** increasibly ******** ******* *** ********** ******** *** *** ********, ***************** physical ***** *** ***** ***** **********.

**** ******* ** ** * ******* *** *** **********. ***** it ***** **** * ****** ** ** **********, *** ** bit, ***** *** ******** **** ******* *** **** ******, ******* traction **** *** *********** ** *** ****, *** ******** ****** and ******** ******** ************.

Paresh Desai

02/27/13 06:45pm

**** ******* ****** ***********. * ** ***** ** **** ** eye ** ** ** *** *** ** ***** ***. * am *** **** *** **** ***** ********, ** ******, ***** be *********** ********** ******* ** ***** *** *******.

* **** ******** ******** *** ***** ******** ** **** ********. **********, **** *** **** *****.

** ***** *** *** *** ***** *** ******* *** ****** monitoring ** **** ** * ******.

Christopher Freeman

02/28/13 11:27pm

**** *** **** ** ***, ** ***** **** **** ***** to ******* ** ***** **. *** ******** *** ******** * company **** ****. ******** ** **** *** *** *** ***** up ******** ******** ******* , **** ** ******* ******** ********* .

******* ** ***** **** **********, *** *** ****** **********. **** they **** **** *******, *** **** *** ** **** *** storm.

******** ** ***** ** ** **% ******* ** *** * years , **% ** *** *** * ***** . ***** never ******* **********, *** **** ********** **** **** *****. **** up ** ********** ** ******** ******** ** ***** **** **** .

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