Alarms Systems with Internet Access: What Are the Benefits?

you could check your email with the computer.:)

Following are a few features of Internet connectivity sometimes requested by my customers. Many of these can also be accomplished without an Internet connection but some folks prefer using the web.

1. Email alerts of alarm, trouble and maintenance signals. Obviously, email notification of an alarm condition is not intended as a substitute for professional monitoring services. Some people like having it as an additional channel though.
2. The ability to check system status, arm or disarm one's system over the WWW. If there's a problem it can be handy being able to determine from afar the precise nature and location of the problem. Arming (for example, if you or a workman forget to do so) the system by remote control is a common request. The ability to disarm the security system via an online connection might be handy but it can also be risky. Give careful consideration to the risk vs benefit ratio before enabling this feature.
3. The ability to communicate 2-way with personnel on premises. 2-Way audio monitoring via telephone connection has been around for years. Some people like it. Others don't. Developments in VoIP will soon enable a homeowner or even a professional monitoring facility to listen and talk back to a protected premises over a digital connection without tying up the regular telephone line and without waiting for the dial-up, ring and response protocol.
4. Home Automation functionality. Some of the newer systems, such as the ELK M1G allow the user to view and set temperature, control lighting, operate lawn sprinklers, fill the hot tub, etc., via an Internet connection. Just about anything that can be controlled by a switch or a serial connection can be monitored and/or operated through these alarm & home automation systems.

Which of these capabilities are important and how much of this should be done over the Internet? That's a personal decision that only the end user can answer.

There would be more benefit to having an internet connection to the monitored account, especially with a commercial alarm being access by mulitple users. Hiere's an example

Also, network based monitoring is becoming more common. This can offer several advantages such as being able to provide line security, which is the ability to supervise the connection to the monitoring center. This is a feature required for high seccurity applications.

With some home automation systems, a PC interface gives you the ability to change and monitor various senors and controls on your system from a remote location.

I already knew ADT offered Internet access to monitoring reports, etc. I'm curious about the GPS Manager tracking service though. Have you any experience with this end of the business, J? Do you have information about the reporting (vehicle to ADT) method being used -- cellular, SMS??