What You Need to Know – Protect America
Company Background: Protect America offers home alarm services across the United States. They have ranked in the top 10 for volume of installations they have provided over the last three years, providing GE Wireless Home Security systems for homeowners.
Monitoring Services: Protect America’s security systems provide protection against burglaries and forced entries on a 24/7 basis. Sensors send signals to the command centers and if the company is unable to confirm a false alarm, the company will contact the appropriate authorities.
Benefits: Protect America offers a lifetime equipment warranty free with each of their monthly monitoring services at the time of this review. A certificate of installation will be provided to the purchaser as proof for home insurance discounts.
Technology : Protect America offers several technologies for alarm and monitoring support including cellular, high-speed broadband, and the standard landline phone services. The company also offers a mobile application that allows access to your home security system at any time which allows users to arm or disarm the system, locate open doors and windows, and review a complete history of system occurrences. Real-time notifications are also sent to your mobile phone about activity at your home. On-demand video allows users access into their home with the ability to pan cameras and review archived recordings.
Cost: Protect America offers several levels of home security monitoring including Copper Security Package (free install/$29.99 monthly) with 3 door/window motion detectors, Bronze (free install/$35.99 monthly) which includes 7 detectors, Silver (free install/$39.99 monthly) which includes 10 sensors, Gold (free install/$37.99 monthly) which includes 12 sensors, and Platinum (free install/$42.99 monthly) which includes 15 sensors. Monitoring options for broadband and cellular service increase the monthly fee.
Overall Impression: Protect America offers a basic security system featuring motion detectors and door/window sensors that alert command centers to intrusions. This is the only monitoring provided by the company. Real-time video accessibility is possible through an Internet connection so users can get a visual of their home at any time. The company does offer a GPS tracking system for your vehicle in order to stay connected through an online interface by receiving email or text alerts about speeding or the vehicle being in specific locations such as with teenage driver monitoring. Overall the monthly charges for basic sensor monitoring services appear to be rather high when compared to other home security technologies and systems. While systems are customizable, the lack of monitoring for other safety measures including fire may not be suitable for some homeowners.