Home Security Systems

7 all-in-one home security systems to watch your place 24/7

 © Provided by CNET canary-smart-security-product-photos-9.jpg

Unlike home security systems with multiple accessories, all-in-one devices require minimal installation. Complete with high-definition live streaming cameras, motion sensors, arming and disarming functionality and integrated sirens, each of these devices functions as a self-contained home security system.

These systems work particularly well for watching small rental properties, since they cover a single room/entry point and you can install (and uninstall) them in minutes.

Read on to see your options.

Canary All-in-One

Startup Canary launched its Canary All-in-One on Indiegogo back in 2013, raising nearly $2 million with an original funding goal of $100,000. The all-in-one Canary device has 1080p HD live streaming video, motion detection and temperature, humidity and air quality sensors. It also has an integrated 90-decibel siren and arm/disarm capabilities, making it a self-contained home security system (as much as a standalone security camera).

Price: $170 (£130/AU$225 converted)

Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Wink

Read CNET's full review of the Canary All-in-One.

 © Provided by CNET canary-view-product-photos-2 Canary View

Canary's View camera was inspired by its All-in-One Smart Home Security system, but is available at a more affordable price. While it retains many of the same specs as the original -- 1080p HD live streaming, motion alerts, night vision -- the View has fewer advanced features. That means it doesn't have a siren, temperature and humidity sensors or an Ethernet port. Still, you can arm and disarm your View camera and use voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, or the Canary app, to check in on your camera 24-7.

Price: $99 (£75 and AU$125 converted)

Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Wink

Read CNET's full review of the Canary View.

Guardzilla 360

The Guardzilla 360 is a quirky all-in-one home security system. It comes with a 100-decibel siren, remote arming and disarming and motion detection. Its standout feature, though, is its 360-degree 1712p HD live video feed. That means you can see everything happening in a room at the same time in high definition. 

Price: $230 (£175/AU$300 converted)

Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Nest 

Read CNET's full review of the Guardzilla 360.

 © Provided by CNET Piper Icontrol Networks Piper Classic

The Piper Classic is a security module with a camera, a siren and a whole bunch of sensors that detect everything from ambient light to motion. Track what's going on via 1080p HD live video stream and receive alerts when something's amiss. The Piper stores up to 1,000 video clips on its cloud server for free -- there's no local storage option, but there's also no monthly fee. 

Note: Icontrol Networks' Piper brand was acquired by Alarm.com in early 2017. The Piper Classic is still being sold on third-party sites, but Alarm.com has not yet shared whether it will continue to manufacture the all-in-one system. 

Price: $199 (£150/AU$260 converted)

Works with: IFTTT, built-in Z-Wave hub

Read CNET's full review of the Icontrol Networks Piper.

 © Provided by CNET Piper nv Icontrol Networks Piper NV

The NV distinguishes itself from its similar-looking $199 Piper predecessor in a couple of key ways. With night vision and a 3.4-megapixel camera sensor, the NV is a clear upgrade from the 2-megapixel sans-night-vision original. It does retain a lot of the features that made the first iteration so great -- a 180-degree fish-eye lens, a 105-decibel siren, a microphone and a speaker, free cloud storage and multiple sensors -- but the new add-ons take the NV to a whole new level. 

Note: Icontrol Networks' Piper brand was acquired by Alarm.com in early 2017. The Piper NV is still being sold on third-party sites, but Alarm.com has not yet shared whether it will continue to manufacture the all-in-one system. 

Price: $279 (£210/AU$365 converted)

Works with: IFTTT, built-in Z-Wave hub

Read CNET's full review of the Icontrol Networks Piper NV.

 © Provided by CNET lgadpsecuritycamera-1.jpg LG Smart Security 

LG's Smart Security device features 1080p live streaming, Alexa voice integration, a built-in Z-Wave hub and optional professional monitoring from security firm ADT. The LG Smart Security is a decent choice for all-in-one home security, but it doesn't offer the free cloud storage that you'll find with Piper, Guardzilla and other standalone systems. 

Price: $200 (£150/AU$260 converted)

Works with: Amazon Alexa, built-in Z-Wave hub

Read CNET's full review of the LG Smart Security.

 © Provided by CNET somfy-one-product-photos-1.jpg Somfy One

Smart window shade maker Somfy acquired home security startup Myfox in 2016. The Myfox range of home security accessories are now offered under the Somfy brand. Somfy also introduced the new Somfy One, an all-in-one security system with an integrated 90-decibel siren, motion sensor and an HD live streaming camera. The Somfy One is currently not sold in the United States or Australia, but you can find it in the UK. 

Price: £229 ($300/AU$400 converted) 

Works with: Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Nest 

Read CNET's first take of the Somfy One. 

Global DIY Home Security Solutions Market to Reach US$ 460.8 Mn by 2025 - Persistence Market Research

NEW YORK, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Alarming Rise in Crime Rates to Boost Adoption of DIY Home Security Solutions

Persistence Market Research (PMR) has recently published a report with the title, "DIY Home Security Solutions Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2025." An alarming rise in the number of crimes and burglary has triggered fear among people, thus leading to a rise in the adoption of security services and equipment.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161114/438683LOGO )

Due to the advancements in technology and the availability of internet connected devices, new smart home devices such as DIY home security systems are flourishing, which compliments the demand for an easy to install security system corresponding to the increasing crimes and burglaries globally. The demand for DIY home security systems is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. As a result, the global DIY home security solutions market is expected to foresee an outstanding CAGR of 22.4% over the course of the assessment period.

Global DIY Home Security Solutions Market Research Report Overview @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/diy-home-security-solutions-market.asp

Consumer Tilt Towards Smart Homes to Bode Well for the Market 

The adoption of smart homes and related applications in the past five years has increased significantly, especially in countries in Europe and North America, owing to the increasing advancements in home automation. The growing adoption of smart homes is expected to drive the demand for residential security gadgets. Smart home appliances include advanced security systems such as DIY home security systems, security alarms, video intercoms, sensors, electronic locks, and cameras.

Some of the other smart features include extensive control over the home living environment such as self-powered lighting, climate controls, fire alarms, and power management. Owing to the aforementioned factors, people are adopting security systems with advanced security features embedded in their smart home applications and are also considering this as a value added service for a better quality of living. These factors are encouraging DIY home security system vendors to innovate and come up with new solutions, which is further expected to propel the growth of the market in the long run.

Request Sample Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/21109

Moreover, enhancements in internet penetration, network connection and the growing demand for wireless networks has propelled the use of home security solutions across the globe. The integration of a wireless network system has also eliminated the need for a skilled labor force, thus helping the owner in cutting unnecessary costs.

However, if technology can be helpful and high-end, it can also cause errors and issues leading to the failure of the entire system such as network issues and false alarms. Further, the high reliability of professional security systems is another roadblock in the growth of the market.

Monitoring and Alarming Systems to be Most Preferred Product 

In 2017, monitoring and alarming systems held a share of 68.5% in the global DIY security solutions market. It was closely trailed by DIY security cameras. It has been projected that the former will maintain its lead throughout the course of the forecast period owing to the fact that residential complexes prefer using monitoring and alarming systems over cameras as they find it difficult to keep track of camera monitoring. DIY security cameras are mostly used in commercial platforms such as shops and organizations.

Download and View Report TOC, Figures and Tables @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/diy-home-security-solutions-market/toc

Innovation to Stay Focal Point of Leading Vendors in the Global Market 

In order to stay competent in the market and surpass rivals, several top companies are focusing on new product launches with advanced features. Key players are also entering into mergers or partnerships in order to make use of the technology of other players and maintain a high rank in the market.

Some of the leading companies operating in the global DIY home security solutions market are SAMSUNG SmartThings, Frontpoint Security Solutions, SimpliSafe, Inc., Protect America, Inc., and abode systems, inc.

Get full Report Now @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/21109

Persistence Market Research Overview 

Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.

To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.

ContactPersistence Market ResearchU.S. Sales Office:305 Broadway, 7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007+1-646-568-7751United StatesUSA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com

SOURCE Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.

Data Center Tips of the Trade: Life Safety

Undoubtedly, the most critical component in any mission-critical data center isn’t the capacity of data servers or the types of UPS batteries; it’s the life-safety measures. Smoke, not the flame itself, is the greatest threat to safe evacuation and survival during a fire event, so fire-suppression systems, means of egress, fire containment and fire-alarm systems are by far the most important ways to decrease the chance of injury or loss of life from a burning building.

But building codes may require additional life-safety instruments, or the building’s owner or operator may add them to increase safety. The following is a brief overview of such measures.

Fire Suppression

Automatic fire-suppression systems come in four basic types: water-based wet, water-based dry, non-water-based wet and non-water-based dry. A water-based “wet” system is the ordinary pressurized water system run through iron pipes (referred to as “black iron”); it usually operates on its own dedicated water supply line, separate from the building’s domestic water line. A water-based “dry” system, used in unheated locations such as warehouses, parking garages, attics and crawl spaces, is a water-based wet system except its black-iron pipes are primarily kept empty to avoid freezing. These pipes become pressurized on activation. Since water-based systems (wet and dry) are effective and usually less expensive than other systems, they’re often used but seldom considered the best option for computer rooms, because they can damage the expensive servers and their irreplaceable data.

Non-water-based systems come in wet chemical and dry chemical. The “wet” chemical systems (foams and gels) primarily serve in commercial kitchen hoods to suppress grease, oil and electrical fires; and since the wet foam and gels can damage printed documents, fabric and computer files, they’re seldom used in other parts of the building. Some “dry” chemical systems, however, are designed to intentionally leave a sticky residue (to help douse embers), which is good for some situations but certainly not for data servers. Other dry chemical systems are designed to leave no lasting residue, and they’re promoted as using “clean agents.” A clean agent is defined by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) as an “electrically non-conducting, volatile, or gaseous fire extinguishant that does not leave a residue upon evaporation”—so many prefer it for fire suppression in server rooms.

Means of Egress

Means of egress are paths to safely escape a burning building. They’re most often protected by fire-rated enclosures (such as fire-rated walls, fire-rated stairs and fire-rated floor/ceiling assemblies), and they provide observable guidance along the way using backlit exit signs, flashing strobes and emergency lighting. They lead out of the building to an open-air public space that meets the legal definition of a public right-of-way.

The means of egress in a data centers is more complicated than in other buildings, however. The large floor plate of a typical data center requires special consideration owing to its long corridors (often 500–800' long) and its egress stairs, which will need their own exit corridor when located near the servers (instead of residing at both ends of a main corridor, like in a typical office building or hotel). In addition, the data center’s long corridors need alternate exits because large floor plates easily exceed the building code’s “common path of travel” and “dead-end” distance limits.

Fire Containment

In a word, fire containment is preventing the spread of fire and smoke throughout a building by employing fire-rated barriers at major locations. Such barriers include fire-rated doors, fire-rated floor/ceiling assemblies, fire-rated opening protectives (fire-alarm-released window shutters and overhead doors) and fire-rated walls (employed at most stair walls, most corridor walls, many interior tenant-separation walls, some exterior walls and any interior wall that separates two buildings). Maintaining a fire barrier’s integrity by fire-rating any penetrations is also critical (e.g., by sealing around electrical conduits, electrical trays and plumbing pipes or by providing automatically released fire-rated dampers on mechanical ducts and registers). Also critical is forming a smoke barrier by employing smoke seals (providing gaskets around interior fire-rated door and window frames, drop seals at interior fire-rated doors, and drywall-to-drywall tape or smoke-sealant spray/caulk at wall-to-ceiling connections).

Fire containment in data centers is also more complicated than other building types owing to the desire to phase its interior fit-out construction. Since most data centers must be online as quickly as possible, the building is often constructed in phases: the first sections receive their own building permit and construction schedule, then they’re turned over to operations before or during the construction of subsequent phases. These early phases need special consideration during the design process to provide a complete standalone means-of-egress system. Additionally, since data centers typically use rated drywall that connects to the exposed underside of the floor or roof (such as concrete flooring or metal roof decking), fire- and smoke-sealing the wall-to-ceiling joints need special attention.

Data centers are also different from other building types in that their equipment (specifically, their server racks and cable trays) may occasionally undergo relocation, potentially breaching the fire-containment barriers. On one site visit to an operational data center, I came across rectangular cutouts through several rated walls (with the openings all being aligned with each other) where, evidently, a server’s electric-cable tray had once penetrated the walls then was later removed. But the openings were left rather than being closed in with rated construction. On the flipside, during other site visits I’ve found penetrations into rated walls (particularly for cable trays or single security wires) that don’t appear to conform to the requirements of any tested fire-rated penetration system.

Alarm Systems

Fire-alarm systems generally contain bells or horns (as well as strobe lights) that are connected to fire and smoke sensors, and often they must be connected to the local fire department. These alarm systems—which usually require bells or horns throughout the building and strobe lights in nearly all accessible areas for those who are hearing impaired—are meant to prompt an evacuation and then help guide the evacuating occupants along the safe means of egress. Data centers, with their sophisticated management systems, have a special need to ensure that their life-safety alarms never connect to other alarm systems, such as security and energy management.

Further Action

But in addition to the standard life-safety methods described above, the building code or local jurisdiction may also require other life-safety instruments, or the building’s owner or operator may employ them to increase safety. The following are a few examples.

An ADA fire-rated safety zone (with two-way communication), called an area of refuge, which provides a haven for persons who have a physical handicap and are unable to evacuate quickly, enabling them to remain in a more protected environment while phoning and waiting for help.

You-are-here evacuation floor plans along main egress paths, particularly near egress stairs, allowing occupants to review and understand the building-evacuation paths during normal work hours and well before an emergency event occurs.

Wall-ratings stenciled high on rated walls to help avoid inadvertent fire-rating breaches during daily maintenance of the physical plant, later during a renovation’s construction or when building out new interior phases.

Warning labels on specific room doors to signify which ones (e.g., a server room) are protected by a chemical fire-suppression system, thereby encouraging personnel to evacuate of these rooms and not consider them a fire safety zone.

Final Action

A final measure is periodic inspections. During construction, and particularly before punch-walk demonstrations before sign-off on a building’s (or phase’s) upcoming use and occupancy permit, the project’s general contractor should conduct a pre-inspection review of everything that affects life safety. At a minimum, it should do the following:

Ensure availability of safe paths through any phase’s temporarily stored construction materials and out to a public right-of-way (during one site visit I actually saw an exterior egress door intentionally covered with plywood sheets to prevent its use for a few days, and yet the exit sign above the door was still lit).

Verify that the backlit exit signs are installed and visible along all egress paths (including in a large server rooms).

Pre-mark small but visible designations on all emergency lights (I have found that many manufacturers neglect to provide such an indication).

Make sure all lights in an area or zone can be turned off to test the uninterrupted emergency lighting.

Enable testing of interior smoke-rated overhead doors to ensure their automatic drop-down release is functional (often being as simple as flipping the switch to disengage its fusible link).

Confirm that smoke seals are in place at all fire-rated doors.

Confirm that smoke seals (drywall tape as well as sprayed or caulked smoke sealant) and firestopping penetrations are in place at fire-rated walls.

Confirm that the standard orange-colored plastic covers on sprinkler heads and smoke sensors (factory installed and maintained during most of construction for damage and dust control) have been removed—I’ve found they’re hard to see in the cold aisles of a computer room, since they’re surrounded by layers of ducts, pipes, cable trays and wiring rows.

Verify that the fire-rating designations on doors and door frames aren’t painted over (it’s tough to scrape off the paint or even find the signs if painted over, especially when the door is equipped with an alarm that only allows it to be open for 15 seconds at a time).

Verify that any wood installed in a noncombustible designated building (such as for temporary walls, electric- or phone-service plywood backers, and rooftop mechanical platforms) has noncombustible labels present and visible (in my experience, painted-over labels and use of standard, combustible plywood sheets on wood studs occurs too often).

Employing the above life-safety precautions and procedures during design and construction, as well as afterward, will decrease the spread of fire and smoke and increase the survival rate in any burning data center, thereby protecting its most valuable asset: its occupants.

Image courtesy of DVA Architects

About the Author

Dean Ventola, RA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, is the Director of Construction Administration at DVA Architects in Gaithersburg, MD, a nationally prominent mission-critical data center architect.

Data Center Tips of the Trade: Life Safety was last modified: March 5th, 2018 by Dean Ventola