General Monitoring’s Top Tech Nets Marvel Runner-Up Recognition
Bold’s Stages Automation has allowed XML API integrations that have enabled GMS’ multiple upgrades and advanced technology implementations.
General Monitoring Services is headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif.
With a history dating back 50 years, Huntington Beach, Calif.-based General Monitoring Services (GMS) has established a reputation for providing exceptional service and peace of mind. Founded by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Officer Joseph Chetta in 1971 as a private alarm company, General Security Systems (GSS), the company became a successful and well-respected company. In 1987, GSS launched GMS as its own central alarm monitoring station, providing direct support to GSS clients as well as service to other alarm companies.
As both companies grew, GSS was sold to another company and Chetta dedicated himself to growing GMS into an industry leader. Today, the provider serves its client partners and thousands of monitored locations while striving to uphold the highest levels of professionalism, integrity and technologies. It’s for the latter accomplishments that GMS was selected a 2021 TMA/SSI Monitoring Technology Marvel Award runner-up.
“As a medium-sized UL central station, GMS has been extremely aggressive in vetting and implementing various technology services and products to assist our valued dealer partners,” says GMS Business Development Director Ken Gresty. “GMS has recently implemented two leading-edge remote services through WorkHorse and AlarmHive to assist dealers with the management and flow of data seamlessly among multiple applications associated with a client site or multiple sites. And our lone worker solutions product/services offerings is one of the best in the Industry.”
GMS cites the implementation of The Bold Group’s Stages Automation for allowing extensive XML API integrations that have been a leading factor in the company’s multiple upgrades and advanced technology implementations. Its new and enhanced technology offerings include integrations with IoT-specific services, video integrations such as Alarm.com Visual Verification, DSC NEO video, DMP video, Immix SureView, Webeye, Optex CHeKT Actuate Video and AI services, Evolon, and Calipsa AI solutions.
“The WorkHorse and AlarmHive integrations allow new options for dealer data management and flow of data among multiple sources,” adds Gresty. “Our ultimate focus is to be able to support and offer all the major vendors products and services to allow for our partner dealers to have a solid option amongst competition.”
According to Gresty, the various technology enhancements cover a broad range of services, each being critical in respect to the outcome of response by a central station operator. These offerings are said to have allowed for increased positive response times and accuracy to include embedded audit trails. By utilizing the latest technology for processing and presenting events and data requirements the ROI has proven to be significant, asserts Gresty.
“Our extensive vetting and ultimate offerings of various IoT monitoring services — along with new video offerings with AI options and also a cutting-edge new product service for ‘smart outlets’ for fire/life-safety monitoring — has placed us on the forefront of third-party monitoring options,” he says. “We have received many inquiries and feedback post implementation has been very positive. We have been advised that deals have been won and closed allowing the dealers not only immediate successful results but also opening new opportunities.”
Myriad benefits enjoyed internally by GMS and to its partners and end customers alike include more effective alarm signals management and false dispatch reductions. The implementation of the various video-based AI technologies have not lessened critical operator handling time but also cut down on false event reporting. The firm’s new alarm data management services figure to continue to produce time savings and reduce errors overall through the use of a single management portal.
“The overall reduction of operator processing time has led to a vast improvement of response times overall,” confirms Gresty. “This has led to very positive feedback not only from our partner dealers but directly for end users advising of not only apprehensions but the gratitude of feeling safe and secure when interacting with responding operators.”
How is the technology being deployed to advance the professional monitoring industry?
According to GMS, some of its services and integrations/implementations have been followed closely by others in the industry, bringing awareness. In fact, its Webeye deployment is said to have been the first such integration on the West Coast.
“It is our strong intentions to be able to continue to expand on all the technology we have deployed, and build off the momentum to increase awareness and deployment as seen prudent amongst all professional monitoring entities,” concludes Gresty.
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