Bundling Services: Don't Miss an Opportunity for Easy RMR

Bundling is your best friend

The art of the bundle. You’ve seen it presented in many different industries and by a host of service providers. It’s a marketing strategy where you sell several products or services together as a single solution. It’s a concept that can and should be easily extended to the security market because it means more revenue and a closer customer relationship.

It’s logical that your customers are looking for a range of services for their business or facility – but they may not know it. They may begin a conversation with your company centering on the need for intrusion detection and realize that access control will bring additional accountability and control. Or, they decide they need to harness their energy usage with HVAC management, detect issues like standing water or perform other critical environmental sensing.

So, to begin with, don’t limit yourself to what the client thought they wanted – talk to them about how their facility can benefit from other services that are easy to add and highly attainable through a cloud-hosted platform and single management interface. When you’ve done your research and you know their potential pain points – you’re in the right place to bundle additional services.

A physical security system offers the perfect opportunity to add new services – and monthly revenue when you can show the potential client that the solution can help solve numerous problems or challenges they may be experiencing. Multiple services make for a stickier customer, while also preventing price shopping among competitors.

Start by conducting the proper due diligence on the customer as well an in-depth site survey and risk assessment. Apps for access control are quite popular now and perfect for customers who want to arm/disarm and lock doors. But why stop there? What about critical temperature, humidity, weather alerts or even asset tracking for equipment, tools, inventory or electronics? A cloud-hosted management solution can do all this and more.

As you know, the more you offer, the more the dealer and the customer are connected for the long haul.  And when the day comes that the owner wants to sell and go enjoy life, more services equals a more valuable company.

Remember that central station monitoring alone does not provide the return it did years ago. Central station monitoring has become a low-priced commodity and the revenues have dropped significantly. Technology today offers so many more opportunities for integrators to add recurring revenue through services, yet some companies may not realize the potential that exists with every possible sale.

A simple and effective cloud-managed platform lets you add services without heavy lifting. Think about bundling when you call on a client - intrusion, video, access control, critical environmental monitoring, energy management and others - to add value and boost profitability.

Recent Usability Improvements

Customer Management Portal

• Webhook Integration with Visitor Management Platforms: The Webhooks are a part of the UserAPI and therefore the UserAPI service must be subscribed. Once configured, external systems can trigger incoming webhooks to Connect ONE to add a new user with system code including additional parameters such as activation and expiration dates. Another webhook may be triggered to deactivate a user.

Dealer Administrative Portal & System Updates

• Farpointe Conekt Bluetooth Mobile Credential Integration: The integration allows for a seamless method to enroll these credentials in Connect ONE. When you order Farpointe Conekt Mobile Credentials from your vendor, you will be supplied a spreadsheet which will be imported into Connect ONE. When creating the System Code for the user they select from a list of available credentials, the code number automatically populates to the panel and Connect ONE sends the user an email/SMS with instructions of how to use the credential with an app download link and QR code to load the credential into the app. More Here
• TIP: Check the Configuration page for the Device as it includes recommended programming for the particular product and firmware version.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Method for single sign-on with a create/update user operation initiated from an external identity provider (IdP).

Many organizations are using Identity Providers (IdP) to centralize their user directory database across multiple applications. Now your customer will be able to integrate with Identity Providers using SAML 2.0. This allows for users to be created and updated automatically from the external single sign-on process.

This integration was developed for and verified with Okta however since it is based upon SAML 2.0 it should work for other Identity Providers such as Microsoft Azure AD.

Single Sign-On configuration is setup on the Utilities->Single Sign-On page.

IMPORTANT TIP: SMS Messaging Enhancements

We understand Connect ONE's email deliverability is a core function and we have several considerations in place to ensure your customers' notifications are received. We have a dedicated IP pool exclusive for email, we have proper SPF records, DKIM signatures, and DMARC records. We do not send anything via the IP pool except Connect ONE generated notifications. We also actively monitor for blacklisting and are not listed. Our complaint rate is 0%. Yet with all this we still experience random bounced messages from the cellular carrier's email->text gateway service method, i.e. Ph#@carrier.net, alternatively SMS messaging is a reliable method for your customers to receive notifications.

Connect ONE offers an enhanced SMS messaging service that provides reliable delivery as a true SMS message since it doesn't utilize the carrier email to text option. The expanded SMS service is subscribed on the customer level, please see the Connect ONE price guide for package information, the price guide is available on the Home tab of the Dealer Administration Portal. The carrier email to text option will continue to be included in the base service level at no additional charge.

This is a great option for critical messages which require reliable delivery and will continue without management changes if the customer changes cellular carriers since only their phone number is specified for delivery.

Tip: Customer Add-On Modules

Add-on modules are super easy to setup for your customer - requiring little to no configuration - build more RMR!

• Asset Management
  • The Asset Management Module provides streamlined methods to track assets, such as keys, equipment, electronics, tools, inventory, etc., to locations and/or users including the generation of custom user authorization templates upon issuing and/or returning.
• Badge Printing (InstantCard)
  • The InstantCard module works with the InstantCard Badge Service to push user photo and details to a badge template for physical badge printing.
• Case Management
  • The Case Management Module provides streamlined methods to track critical event responses, incidents, and repairs at one or multiple locations. Ideal for building and property management companies, multifamily and multi-tenant users or national accounts with numerous locations.
• Emergency Messaging Hub
  • The Emergency Messaging Hub provides a unified feed of emergency messages from multiple systems for an associated site. It works by receiving Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) messages from Mass Notification and other Emergency Response platforms and by translating device native events to the CAP format. All CAP messages are published to the hub for all external services to consume in a single atom feed.
• GeoView System Mapping (MVP Award Winner 2019)
  • The GeoView System Mapping Module maps real-time status and control of systems to Google Maps. Easily drag/place markers for: System Health, Arm/Disarm Status & Control (Multi-Area), Zones & Sensors (including Environmental & Weather Sensors), Doors & Outputs, Cameras (also Live View within Map). Also, upload interior floorplans and overlay them on top of the satellite image.
• Safe Passage (MVP Award Winner 2021)
  • The Safe Passage module provides a framework for a one-time/periodic self-approval process. If required and not completed, upon access by the individual, violation events are generated so a manager can ensure the user is safe to be at the site regarding health and/or hazard concerns. Documentation is stored with the user account showing they have answered the proper questions and approved any company terms such as an NDA.
• Weather Monitoring
  • The Weather Monitoring Module monitors National Weather Service alerts instantly and six weather metrics updated every 30-60 minutes: 1. Temperature, 2. Relative Humidity, 3. Current Condition, 4. Wind Speed, 5. Barometric Pressure, 6. Dew Point. Each of the metrics can be programmed with a low and high threshold limit which can deliver notifications and interact with other devices onsite such as the alarm/access systems and thermostats. Historical reporting is also possible for each metric which can show readings recorded over a time period.
  
  

Give Us the Challenge...

We love hearing from our Dealers with requests from their customers to help solve challenges.

Please contact us and give us the challenge, we may be able to design something for you, and together we can watch your company reach the potential you always knew was possible.

Send us your feedback

Stay Up-to-Date

We will continue to include the enhancements in this newsletter.

We also post the enhancements to our "Company" page and "Group" page on LinkedIn, as well as to the "Feature Blog" tab on our website.
Please contact us for your invitation to join the "Group" on LinkedIn.

Also, be sure to review the Home tab on the Connect ONE Dealer Site as this will contain many helpful Sales Sheets and Technical Guides.

We encourage you to visit these sites to stay up-to-date.

Working hard to Simplify all your System Integrations,
The Staff at Connected Technologies.

 For more information regarding Connected Technologies™ or Connect ONE®, please visit www.SimplifywithConnectONE.com or call (866) 976-3520.

Connected Technologies, LLC., Monument, CO  80132-1266