News: Johnson Controls’ Qolsys IQ Panel 4 Now Widely Available

Following a soft launch in July, the IQ Panel 4 replaces a previous iteration as the company’s next-gen tech for security and smart home installations.

Today marks the full release of Johnson Control’s next generation security and smart home panel, the All-In-One IQ Panel 4.

The official unveiling follows a soft launch in mid-July. In the ensuing period, small numbers of the panel were sent to distributors for anyone to purchase and take part in a pilot program, during which dealers could put the new offering through its paces and report back to the company with cheers, jeers or suggestions.

First, let’s take a peak underneath the hood at some of the new panel’s components and feature sets.

The IQ Panel 4 is powered by a high-performance 2 GHz Qualcomm processor (MSM8953) equipped with eight cores. That’s quite a jump from the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus, the company’s most previous iteration, which was outfitted with a quad-core processor. Therein lies the validation behind the company’s claims of delivering faster speed and better range on LTE, WiFi, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, PowerG and legacy security wireless.

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News: The Benefits of Whole Home Control & How to Profit Off Them

With the 3G sunset quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to give your customer’s home controls interface a makeover. Find out what the latest control panels have to offer and more.

Today’s consumers want the latest and greatest convenience technologies in their homes. Integrators want technology they can install easily and efficiently. Fortunately for both parties, today’s home controls are feature-packed and installation-friendly.

In the past, security control panels and sensors were ugly plastic boxes that required cable to be pulled and holes to be drilled. Today, security solutions manufacturers are taking design cues from companies like Apple and creating sleek, modern-looking wireless control panels that are attractive, but unobtrusive.

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NEWS: Johnson Controls Acquires Remaining Stake in Qolsys


Qolsys continues to show consistent growth of services and dealers, which led to $150 million in revenues during fiscal year 2019, according to the company.

 

CORK, Ireland — Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) has acquired the remaining stake in Qolsys, a leading residential and commercial security and smart-home manufacturer, after owning a majority since 2014.

Financial details were not disclosed.

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News: Qolsys Makes Value Proposition Pitch to Interlogix Dealers

Qolsys SVP Mike Hackett explains the fortuitous timing of Interlogix’s exit announcement, plus how his company is attracting dealers left in the lurch.

Interlogix’s decision last September to bail on its security business in the United States and Canada may well endure as one of those “Where were you when you first heard?” moments in industry annals.

Pose that question to Mike Hackett, co-founder and senior vice president of sales and marketing at Qolsys, and it’s clear why that consequential announcement will forever remain with him like it hit yesterday.

“I’m very sensitive to the people at Interlogix, so I don’t mean to say this in a disrespectful way,” he says. “The timing couldn’t have been more opportunistic for us.”

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News: Qolsys Offers Transition Path for Interlogix Dealers

There’s been a tremendous amount of industry discussion and anxiety about the fate of Interlogix dealers since the announcement in September. The Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus delivers a seamless transition for dealers while being compatible with the legacy Interlogix installed base, the company reported.

The IQ Panel 2 Plus comes with a 319.5 MHz radio, the same frequency used by GE/Interlogix systems for decades.

“We began developing our own sensor line in 2013 using the legacy 319 MHz frequency,” said Mike Hackett, Qolsys senior vice president of sales and marketing. “In 2016, we introduced our S-Line, with a layer of encryption on the 319 frequency.”

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Build Your Business with Home Builders

How to leverage smart technologies to develop a relationship that will drive a residential security integration firm to new heights (Security Business magazine, Sept. 2019)

Cooking shows make preparing delicious meals look easy. “Simply add a dash of this and sprinkle a little of that. Then use this unique tool that was perfectly designed for this task and give it a little flip of the wrist and voila! Your creation looks like it belongs on the cover of Southern living magazine.” Reality, we all know, can be much different. For residential security integrators, working with builders can sometimes feel the same way – it looks easy to get sales volume without much effort, yet in practice, it is a challenge to even get the builder representative to call you back, let alone create a program that works.

The opportunity is obvious – while the security industry has its traditional 20-25 percent penetration rate, security integrators who have found a successful partnership with builders talk of take rates as high as 40 percent. Following the right recipe will yield results as high as 70 percent, with an opportunity to increase that percentage over time, but like any complex kitchen dish, the wrong ingredient at the wrong time could taint the entire dish.

Leveraging the following best practices can help demystify the creation of a successful builder program, and uncover the secret recipe to working with builders. Continue reading

News: How Touchscreens Benefit Both Security Integrators and Homeowners

Elevating the dealer to a smart home or business expert in the eyes of the consumer reduces churn, allows for upsell and more RMR potential.

Touchscreen technology is a part of our everyday life. We use them at bank ATMs, to retrieve a boarding pass at the airline ticket counter, when our iPhone battery is about to die, to control aspects of our home or office, and more.

In the not-too-distant past, the electronic security industry offered keypads to control the system and before that a key switch to turn the system on or off — yes, a real key!

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News: ESX Innovation Awards Winners Revealed on Show Floor

Winners of the 2019 Innovation Awards were announced Tuesday at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX).

Each year the ESX Innovation Awards program recognizes outstanding products and services that drive the electronic security and life-safety industry forward.

To determine the best from each category, judges select winners from a pool of applications from manufacturers and service providers, serving the industry with innovative end-user offerings and tools that help dealers, integrators and monitoring professionals become more efficient and profitable.

INTRUSION SYSTEMS: IQ Panel 2 Plus by Qolsys

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News: Intrusion Detection Winner: Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus

The IQ Panel’s 7-inch HD touch-screen feels familiar like a phone, integrates elegantly and increases customer usage. Dual SRF featuring PowerG can take over existing systems saving money while leveraging tomorrow’s top security technologies. On-screen diagnostics get it right before you leave, eliminating go backs, reducing truck rolls. See article.

News: Qolsys Selected As Exclusive Hub By D.R. Horton

All D.R. Horton Homes To Include IQ Panel 2 Plus To Power "Home is Connected" Solution

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Qolsys, the leading provider of security and smart home technology, announced today that the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus was selected by D.R. Horton, Inc., America's largest homebuilder, to provide the hub for their "Home is Connected" solution.  Every D.R. Horton model and production home will include the award-winning IQ Panel 2 Plus, a Z-Wave thermostat, a Z-Wave door lock, a Z-Wave light and a video doorbell.

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