In anticipation of their imminent nationwide launch, Smith Monitoring is poised and prepared with their partner Vivint Inc., one of the largest home automation companies in North America. As a major company in the emerging home automation sector, Vivint provides Smith with the technology and tools to build a comprehensive security system for each customer and grow a network of trusted service across the nation.

Beginning December 1^st, Smith Monitoring will be open to markets across the country, making their trusted personnel and proven security service available to nearly every city in the United States. With the Vivint partnership, Smith Monitoring maintains their commitment to complete home security and a customer-focused mentality with the benefits of Vivint’s technology. In their Smart Home system, Smith Monitoring offers the latest in smart home automation technology with Vivint’s proprietary GO! Control panel and various modules. The panel serves as a central hub for the modules, from sensors to cameras to appliance controls, to be set around the house. The system then communicates directly with smartphone devices, allowing users to remotely monitor their home’s status, set security parameters, control lights and appliances, and even change the temperature with a smart thermostat. The complete control granted by the system, combined with its ease of use, makes it an unprecedented leap forward in consumer home automation.

Both companies have a history of not only helping their customers to feel secure, but also benefiting those who have need, whether through economic downturn, natural disaster, or other hardship. Vivint started the Vivint Gives Back program, which highlights and encourages employees who participate in community outreach and charity. Likewise, Smith Monitoring sponsors the Smith Cares program to give security systems and monitoring packages to needy families free of charge. Through the partnership with Vivint, Smith Monitoring remains deeply committed to serving their customers and their communities while expanding their area of effect.

Vivint, Inc. services close to half a million customers from offices throughout the United States and Canada. Vivint is dedicated to enhancing security, convenience and energy efficiency through a combination of award-winning customer service and smart technology. Smith Monitoring Inc., headquartered in North Dallas, serves throughout Texas, Georgia, and California, and will soon be serving nationwide. It has received the rank of “A” from the Better Business Bureau every year since its inception. More information about the companies is available on the Smith Monitoring website and the Vivint website.

In their continued desire to satisfy the needs of their community more completely, Smith Monitoring has recently partnered with the Krystal DeAlano Insurance Agency. The partnership is the first in Smith’s new initiative to incorporate insurance help and guidance with its own security system sales. Zach Moffett, Promotions Manager at Smith, commented, “Smith provides limitless free marketing and advertising for our partner Krystal DeAlano and her agency … our partnership is a proven success. Both businesses and customers receive great benefits and guidance through our alliance.”

The announcement comes soon after Smith launched its program to partner with local insurance agencies to further aid their clients. In the potentially delicate time when people consider home security options, they often wish to make further changes to add to their feeling of home security. The partnership will allow customers to access readily available information and recommendations from their trusted security provider. Krystal DeAlano said to customers about her agency’s commitment through the partnership, “We can help you with all of your insurance needs and are ready to answer any questions you may have about your current insurance policies as well as your plans and goals.”

The Krystal DeAlano Insurance Agency has the resources and means to offer help, as it is a member of the Farmers Insurance Group. The leading insurance provider in the industry, Farmers Insurance seeks to help customers and give them stability through the unexpected. Having the aid of advanced counseling and planning in order to select the right coverage helps customers to feel more at ease and recover more quickly from adversity and insecurity. DeAlano reiterated her mission, “Our goal is to provide you long-term, trustworthy service with the appropriate protection for you and your family’s needs and plans for the future.” As a provider of home security, Smith Monitoring is proud to form a close business-to-business relationship with an agency of such high caliber, and the company is glad to collaborate with an agency committed to helping members of the community make informed decisions regarding their home and other assets.

Licensed for home, auto, life, business, and commercial insurance, Krystal DeAlano has been a leader in the insurance field for over 15 years. Her agency serves all of Texas from their central office in Dallas. Smith Monitoring Inc., headquartered in North Dallas, serves throughout Texas, Georgia and California and has received the rank of A from the Better Business Bureau every year since its inception. More information about the companies and the partnership is available on the Smith  home security monitoring website.

There are few things more important to a homeowner than feeling secure, both while on the premises and while away. Choosing a good neighborhood and utilizing sound construction practices can help homeowners feel more safe and secure, but there are also a number of steps that, if taken, will reduce the likelihood of a criminal event.  Further, they help to encourage a greater sense of confidence and ease in the home. One can rest assured, knowing that even in the event the unexpected occurs, having taken a few basic security precautions will prevent or minimize serious damage, injury, and theft.

Home invasion is one of the most commonly reported crimes for homeowners and often involves other crimes like stolen property or other damages. However, taking simple precautions can drastically reduce the likelihood of a home invasion. Inspecting the doors in a home and making appropriate changes is a good way to lower the risk of a break-in, as doors may present obvious entry opportunities to criminals. Hinges placed on the outside of a door can easily be removed, and gaps between the doorframes and the door itself can give an entry opportunity for thieves equipped with a hacksaw or other cutting device. In some cases, thieves simply walk into homes that are left unlocked. It is crucial to make a habit of keeping a home’s most basic entry points locked and secured at all times.

Experts recommend performing basic checks around windows as another step for homeowners who wish to have effective security measures in place. While some homeowners use unsightly windows bars to keep windows secure, simply installing a lock or using dowel rods to prevent sliding windows from being opened can serve as effective and more comfortable alternatives. In some instances, thieves simply break the window and are able to manipulate indoor handles or knobs to provide entry. Those particularly worried about window-based break-ins may want to invest in “burglar-proof” window materials or insist or replace their large-pane windows with smaller-paned installations.

One of the most important home security measures requires no special devices or installations. In fact, a great deal of home security worries can be relieved by simply communicating with neighbors. A community of caring neighbors will prove indispensable in keeping everyone’s home safe. While a home’s occupants are on vacation, neighbors can help to deter thieves with a physical presence by doing things like housesitting or using the garbage cans. Encouraging a caring local culture that keeps an eye on suspicious activity and gets vocal about any worrisome sightings will go a long way to making everyone feel secure.

Concerns about theft or other criminal activity occurring while a home is unoccupied are common, but there are many crimes that take place while the home is occupied. Securing one’s property against such events is a good idea. A primary way in which criminals gain access to a home when its owners are present is through manipulating the impression of authority. Criminals may dress up in the uniforms of police officers, repair workers, or other professionals; they may also disguise their intentions by posing as a salesperson. No matter how legitimate an individual on the doorstep may appear, one should always ask for proper credentials before opening the door and take a close look at any badges or cards offered. When strangers approach a residence asking to use the telephone, it is best to keep doors locked and make any phone calls personally. Such measures can make a great difference when the ill-intentioned arrives.

Once they have enacted these basic home security measures, many security-minded homeowners attempt to burglarize their own properties. Though it seems unusual, it is a viable option to test the efficacy of the steps they have taken and to further contribute to their peace of mind. This process often reveals any obvious security holes, and can identify both strong points and weak points of a home’s defense. In addition to personal inspection, homeowners may wish to hire a professional agency to assess the security of their home. Such agencies have the experience and tools needed to ensure a security plan is sound and are particularly adept at identifying and resolving potential problems.

Keeping a home secure against invasion and threat is a major responsibility that every homeowner must face, encompassing concern about the safety of one’s possessions and, more importantly, one’s person. One may choose to purchase expensive and highly advanced equipment or make other major investments, but it is not always necessary to make security a serious expense in making it a serious priority. By practicing a few basic home security measures, any homeowner can feel more secure in person and property, while at home and while away.

Smith Monitoring is proud to announce its plans to bring automated home monitoring to the growing smartphone platform. The new Smart Home system offers a 21^st-century approach to home security by enabling users with a compatible smartphone to control their security system from anywhere in the world. The Smart Home system features three key benefits: smart security, home automation, and energy management. Users will be able to monitor the current status of their home, view an event history, check real-time severe weather alerts for their home’s location, and receive notifications by email. Further additions to the Smart Home system allow users to remotely control lights and appliances, thereby giving their home the appearance of being occupied even when the user is away, while the interactive thermostat saves money with its smartphone-accessible routines.

At the heart of the new Smart Home system is the GO! Control panel. The touchscreen panel is installed in-home and includes a fully self-contained GSM cell, which uses wireless cellular technology to allow it to communicate securely with the user’s smartphone device. The modularity of the Smart Home system allows users to customize it to suit their particular needs. Modules connect to the GO! Control panel, allowing it to wirelessly monitor multiple points of entry, control lights and appliances, regulate the thermostat, and even transmit live video to the Internet: all directly available to the user from their smartphone. The easy-to-use smartphone software enables users to connect securely to the GO! Control panel and makes customizing their security preferences as simple as a swipe of the finger.

The Smart Home system is currently available in three plans. The basic Smart Home plan features the GO! Control touchscreen panel with GSM cell and complete remote access, three wireless contacts for doors or windows, one wireless motion detector, and 24/7 UL-licensed monitoring. The Smart Home Energy plan offers that and more, with the included Smart thermostat and appliance control module, as well as a lifetime warranty. The Smart Home Plus plan completes the home-automation package, adding one indoor fixed camera with streaming capability for live video surveillance on the Internet or smartphone, along with all the features and benefits of the Smart Home Energy plan.

From basic point-of-entry monitoring and motion detecting to live video streaming and appliance control, the Smart Home system combines tested and proven security methods with the latest in wireless technology to deliver a full home-security suite directly controllable by smartphone, whenever and wherever it is needed. Smith Monitoring brings mobile, secure home automation to the smartphone.

One of our newest clients put in a huge order last week for the upcoming National Holiday. It was so much fun spending the past week creating and producing a product that we knew she would love! In the beginning when we were starting the bakery, it was really hard for me to completely connect working hard building up the bakery with helping women in our city leave the sex industry.
I just wanted to be in brothels hanging out with them, so spending days working on business plans and products was frustrating at times. But now that we’re actually doing business, I can clearly see how important it is for us to have a successful, stable business going before we can invite women to leave the instability of the sex industry to come work for us. They need stability and certainty, and we want to provide that for them. So having big projects like the one we worked on all last week, and making connections with other restaurants and coffee shops in the city, is really exciting for us!

Joplin, Missouri was devastated in May 2011 by the deadliest tornado since 1950, killing at least 123 persons, and destroying an estimated 8,000 buildings. This horrific natural disaster damaged homes, families, and every aspect of life in Joplin today. Smith Monitoring, a Dallas based alarm company, believes it is imperative to join the relief efforts and use its resources to help those in need through its successful Smith Cares charity. Smith Monitoring is partnering with Ignite Church, a church that survived the disaster in the city of Joplin. Ignite Church is providing recovery support, shelter, help locating loved ones, and food for Joplin tornado victims.

Smith Monitoring will donate .50 cents for every “Like” on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/smithmonitoring), to assist in the significant costs directly related to providing food and shelter to Joplin tornado victims. In addition, Smith Monitoring encourages others to aid in the relief efforts by “Creating a Movement!” Individuals and organizations can email the link to specific email addresses outside of Facebook. Smith Cares charity constantly strives to give back to the communities they serve, and now to those who are outside the service area.

Aside from donating .50 cents for every “Like” to Joplin relief efforts, our Smith Cares charity will continue to donate free alarm service and systems to needy families in service areas throughout Texas, Georgia, and California. Applications for free systems and service are available via the Smith Monitoring company website at www.smithmonitoring.com. Additionally, Smith Cares plans to kick off our new campaign, “Companies Against Human Trafficking”, more details soon.

Smith Monitoring Inc. is headquartered in North Dallas and hopes to expand its Smith Cares program, and partner with other companies, organizations, and individuals who want to use their resources to maximize their impact and serve others. Please visit The Smith Monitoring website at www.smithmonitoring.com; or the Facebook page www.facebook.com/smithmonitoring, for further details on how you can help Smith Monitoring, help others!