They seem to be doing fairly well. Solid business model, steady stream of new products and business partners. Elk may make some inroads, have to see. I sell a fair amount of them. A couple of local builders have gotten hot and juicy over the integrated ALC and priced it well enough that they are selling.
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I've also seem some, but it's certainly not the reason that ASA is in the condition that it's in. If anything at all, it's Bass's constant deriding of the installation trade and installers and then has the balls to lie about how he's still in the installation business.
Unfortunately ........ you do.
If everybody ignored all the bad behaviour and disrespect that they ran into every day ...... why ..... why .... we'd have a society exactly like the one we have. Just think ........ what if everyone DIDN'T ignore unacceptable conduct ..... why .... it's almost to astonishing to think about ... but ......... even minimally, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
You're absolutely wrong. People have been selling alarm equipment here since, ..... since just about the time he started installing alarm system without a license.
It's quite obvious to me. He's run up against someone who knows how insignificant he is, has no compunction about letting him know that and treats with him with the same attitude that he would treat someone who was insignificant to him. And there's not a damn thing he can do about it. He don't LIKE it when some one shoves his arrogance right back up his ass and he can't smear them or cause them some personal harm.
He doesn't like me ..... either.
They've chosen the market path and have been a long time doing it. I don't know how they were able to hang on so long, HAI starting out with such an extravagant product in such a small market, but ya gotta hand it to them. They've hung in there and I assmume they're doing OK.
Smarthome seems to be doing great also. I have no idea where they stand in comparison to one another. Smarthome's got a new redundant HA protocol that they're introducing. RF and X10, and it's backward compatable. Seems like it's a combination of something like Zwave and X10. It could catch on. It'll take some field experience before the final verdict.
Pages selling to DIY'ers have been around a lot longer than Mr Bass
It is expensive and not as good security-wise as the panels we know but if your into home automation there's nothing that can top it
Yup, the graphics keypad is sweet but it's $800
Security part of it seemed weak when I looked at it years ago too.
Yes, I noticed that.
The reality is that we rarely compete for the same clients.
That's not uncommon. Plenty of times clients will tell a friend they're having a system installed and the friend will rave about some system or feature. The next thing you know the client asks about making a change. Almost invariably this occurs after you've got the agreed upon system half installed. :^)
Actually, he's not far from correct. There were a number of websites offering security systems before I went online. Most online alarm company offerings in those days were nothing more than advertisements for local or regional brick and mortar dealers. Very few offered components to DIYers and those that did usually only offered three or four package deals.
Almost none of the sites I found had an a la carte menu system like mine. The approach proved successful fairly quickly. About two years after my website opened something like 7 out of 10 search links for several of the major brands I offer linked to my website. Over the next six years more and more competitors have built sites similar to mine -- not copying, just folks with similar ideas. Still very few offer in-depth product information and fewer still carry as wide a product array as mine.
True considering it wasn't long ago they could only send 4/2 format, I've got an OmniLT laying around somewhere. Software's expensive although it's worth it, boards are about double that of standard alarm panels however they also have onboard serial and X-10 ports.
I did a seminar a week ago with HAI touting how the new product was so easily controllable by the enduser through any web-browser. They forgot to mention that theres an extra charge for the browser software, even after paying for the dealer software.
The cost alone isnt the isssue. This job is in a remote location, and I didnt want to drive 3 hours back to my supplier just for the software.
1-800 tech suppport told me the software is available only on disk through my local supplier. Where is the downloadable version? HAI tech support thought I was crazy for asking such a question.End result: My supplier will courier the disk out to me. Cost of the product is undetermined at time of order.
What? Are these guys out to lunch? Who the hell doesn't offer downloadable software and what about the inevitable upgrade versions? Have a look at Elk's M1....
"The reality is that we rarely compete for the same clients".
Then why do you call me a competitor Mr. Bass?....
More lies, just more lies Mr. Bass.
Norm Mugford
HAI distributes a rather large and extensive software package, I can understand why they have the policy they do
The keypads are about two to four times the cost of most other brands. They're bog and ugly, too.
Upgrades are free. The software is a good deal more sophisticated than Compass or other stuff out there. 2 versions. One full function and pricey. The other is for the HA stuff only, allowing a homeowner to change light programs and such without touching alarm functionality. Its cheaper too.
Clearly the ELK is a more modern panel, and I like them much better as an installer. However, HAI still has advantages over the Elk panels.with ALC, that I have been installing a fair amount of lately. Once Elk gets tight with a hard wiring vendor, that may change.
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