Technology

With SMC’s national monitoring platform, monitoring and phone calls can be switched between our two monitoring centres within minutes.

Security Monitoring Centres Australia (SMC) operates two fully functional and operational Response Centres. SMC maintains both centres at Grade A1 level and to Australian Standard AS2201.2. We have in place Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans which cover any event imaginable. SMC’s national monitoring platform, coupled with our dual redundant configuration allows SMC, in the event of a natural disaster or technical issue to divert calls and all workload to either Monitoring Centre seamlessly. Monitoring of alarms and answering of incoming calls can be switched between either Monitoring Centre within seconds, allowing a continuous level of service delivery.

The SMC 24 hour in-house technical teams, located nationally are available to respond to any fault at any hour. They are an integral part of the successful running of our business.

To comply with the Australian Standard, both Monitoring Centres are required to maintain and have at the ready, a self contained uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and sufficient fuel reserves onsite to support the continuous operation of the diesel generators for a minimum of 12 hours requires verification, before refuelling is necessary.

SMC takes its infrastructure very seriously, and undertakes strict maintenance and testing procedures to provide a high level of service delivery around the clock for your customers.

There are many different types of alarm events SMC can monitor for your customer. Our broad range of monitoring services includes response to life, intruder, fire, duress and plant all of which are just a small range of SMC’s ability.

SMC has the ability to monitor a wide range of Alarm Panels in the Australian market. Some of these include standard alarm systems that use formats such as Contact ID, 4+2, Ademco High Speed and IR Fast. Our GPRS range of products includes Telstra Secure, Permaconn, Inner Range Multipath and Direct Wireless. Video verification is a fast growing segment and our ability to provide this service is supported by Videofied and Digilant. GPS Tracking is cutting edge technology and our partnership with Skynet Satellite Communications allows us to bring to your personal duress functions as well as vehicle and asset tracking. Contact our Data Entry department on bureau.dataentry@smc.com.au to confirm if SMC will be able to monitor the type and format of alarm system that you have or are about to install.

In the effort to ensure customers have the most advanced, efficient and easy to use technology, SMC is always investigating new and innovative solutions for our customers. There are some exciting technologies currently in the development and testing stage. With constant research and development, we hope to be able to provide our customers with the best solutions and widest range possible.

The dialler type of communications works on a standard phone line, or PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). Each time the alarm system creates and sends a signal to the SMC alarm receivers, relevant call charges will apply from the customer’s phone service provider.

This type of communication setup is the most common in residential and small commercial customers.

Alarm systems that communicate via a dialler may be set up to send a test signal to the Monitoring Centre at a desired interval. This signal is generally programmed to be sent each 7 days, or 168 hours (ask your alarm installer for more information).

The Monitoring Centres system regularly sets customers accounts to present a failed event via report if no signal has been received in the designated time period. Should a test failed event be reported, SMC will pass this information onto your service provider for actioning, or contact you immediately if the system is used primarily for Duress or Medical purposes.

The GSM backup option is a cost effective way for a dialler alarm to send a signal to the Monitoring Centre receivers in the event that the primary telephone line is not operating.

Telephone line failures can occur through deliberate or accidental action. By utilising the GSM backup option, the ability of the alarm system to communicate in the event of a main line fail is maintained to a high standard. The alarm system continually monitors the phones line for connectivity, and when it is lost, the GSM will automatically take over, allowing the continuation of vital alarm signals to the Monitoring Centre.

For the GSM backup unit to work effectively, it must be installed in an area that has good mobile coverage. Consult your alarm installer for the best options on utilising the GSM backup option. The system requires a SIM Card to operate and is generally the responsibility of the customer to maintain.

GSM coverage may not be available in all areas, and some environmental issues may also interfere with the GSM signal. Consult with your alarm service provider to discuss a solution that best suits your needs.

Permaconn

Permaconn GPRS is a data network that enables always ON connections. The General Packet Radio Service is a brilliant technology designed to deliver high-speed data over the existing GSM infrastructure. The data link between the Outstation and the Central station is active at all times, allowing the devices to exchange messages at any time. There are no phone call charges or call establishing delays as with the better known GSM services.

Direct Wireless

Direct Wireless delivers high grade wireless alarm monitoring to over 95% of the Australian population and is ideal for high risk sites, as well as a ready option for most new or existing alarm systems that rely on traditional PSTN phone lines for communications.

Inner Range Multipath

Multipath-IP is a state of the art multiple path IP alarm transmission system. Designed for low cost monitoring through to high security applications, Multipath-IP is very simple to install using a field device called a Multipath STU. By connecting the Multipath STU to a customer’s existing alarm system their alarm system is instantly upgraded to a more reliable, high security IP based alarm transmission system, compared to the traditional dialler reporting system.

Telstra Secure

Powered by the Telstra Next G Network, Telstra Secure is for customers with the need to ensure that communications between their premises and the Monitoring Centre are supervised, Telstra Secure provides a solution.

Emizon

Emizon IP is the dual path ‘always on’ alarm signalling and CCTV monitoring service. Using the customer’s broadband service, Emizon IP continuously monitors the connection between the alarm panel and the response centre 24 hours a day, every day. If there is a problem with the broadband connection, either accidental or malicious, then signals will be sent over the wireless GPRS network so your customers can feel secure, safe in the knowledge that the alarm will always be delivered.

GPS monitoring provides duress alerting through a range of hand held devices and/or integration with a vehicle based satellite tracking devices. This provides the user with the ability to trigger an alert and which sends a signal via satellite or the mobile network to the SMC monitoring response centre that will escalate the alarm based on pre-determined customised responses.
The alerts let others know that there is a problem and also provide the individual’s current location, in the event of an emergency their position is confirmed and recorded.

Skynet Satellite Communication

SkyNet’s focus is on delivering communications beyond the horizon, and they do that by sending information anywhere in the world, no matter how far or remote. Their solutions and products use satellite technology in order to transmit real time data from the device to servers which translate the data into information you can take action on.

Find N Secure – Personal Safety Alarms

Employers have a duty of care responsibility to their employees who work alone to ensure they can call on assistance when required. The MCM GT500 Personal tracking solution is designed for lone workers who are at an increased risk of injury in their daily working environment due to the nature of the tasks they complete while away from the assistance of others.

Smartrak

An effective fleet management solution needs to be easy to use – as well as delivering accurate and meaningful data. As well as superb hardware, Smartrak is also an extremely powerful GPS tracking system that’s intuitive and easy to use – for everyone. In short, they design exceptionally good products that people find incredibly easy to use.