Following on from our previous announcement in relation to the change of monitoring platform in Monitoring Excellence & Security Alarm Monitoring Service, please see following some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the change and how it will affect your business.
What date are you moving?
Our intention is to “go-live” on the new platform at Kingsgrove on 4 July, and Port Lincoln on 1 August. These dates are tentative, as there are many technical aspects that require completion and even today, we are still impacted by COVID and flu.
We will be regularly updating you as we get closer to the proposed “go live” dates.
Why are you changing Platforms ?
As many are aware, over the years we have acquired 7 control rooms and have been working hard in the past two years to integrate these rooms, into two monitoring hubs in Port Lincoln and Kingsgrove. These centres have operated two separate monitoring platforms, ADSW and CAMS. This presented business and operational challenges as we move forward to bring you and your customers, value for money and, as new technology emerges, the ability to monitor and support it.
In saying that, both platforms have stood the test of time and have successfully supported the businesses. However, ADSW has reached its end of life and is no longer technically supported, while CAMS requires some significant upgrades. Last year we evaluated several monitoring platforms and have chosen to implement the Patriot Monitoring System as the standard platform across both centres. It allows for an expansion of monitoring services to leverage emerging technologies, while being a proven reliable platform that is well supported by Patriot.
We also believe Patriot is a market leading and advanced Monitoring Platform, incorporating the latest software technologies, which will enable Monitoring Excellence and SAMS to deliver an extensive and seamless alarm automation system that offers power, flexibility, reliability, and ease of use. Patriot is also proactive in software development, which will allow us to respond to ever changing market requirements.
Will there be any downtime when you move to the new platform?
While any data migration and implementation project is complicated, we are working hard to ensure there are minimal interruptions to your service. To help ensure this is achieved, we have been operating our current systems at both sites in parallel with Patriot for the last few weeks. Signals have been received in the new platform for several weeks and there has been no disruption.
During the last 2 years, we have successfully completed 5 data migrations, all with minimal disruption.
What will my reports look like?
In a large majority of cases, the reports you currently receive will be the same, as Patriot generates essentially the same reports. Unlike other platforms, the terminology used by Patriot is mostly the same. As some people are aware, CAMS and ADSW also have minor differences. For example, ADSW refers to SHRs and CAMS refers to NSRs for non-reporting sites, or sites that have missed signals. Patriot uses the term SHRs.
Patriot’s reporting system provides a versatile and flexible solution for creating and organizing reports. There are over 25 standard reports including log, activation, analytic, patrol and response reports
Patriot also allows us to customise your reports, which will include having your branding and contact details on the reports that are sent directly to the customers. Once the system has been operational for several months, we will work with you in reviewing the reports and allow you to generate your own reports directly from the database and include a level of customisation.
How do I view my work orders?
A key feature of the Patriot Platform is its Internet Client Access (“ICA”). This allows customers, technicians and bureaus 24/7 access to history and data. While it is similar to CAMS Link and WebQuery, ICA allows:
• Access anytime, anywhere. It is available through PC, tablet or web capable devices.
• Selective reports to be generated such as offline/online, signal reports and client reports.
• Viewing access of your customer details, including history.
• Viewing access of any work order that has been raised.
In addition, you will receive the work order via email as soon as it is raised by the Monitoring Centre. You will also receive a report at the end of each 24-hour period (if requested) that summarises all work orders that have been raised for the previous day. Work Orders will become the key reporting medium between operators and bureaus/partners, keeping a recorded log of account, panel or data problems, and allow bureaus to make changes direct, or to record details of future attendances.
How many remote logins can I have?
Each individual bureau can have up to five remote logins categorised either as service, technician or administration. Each of these categories have their own subcategories.
Will I have access to historical information and data?
As you may appreciate, data migrations are complicated projects involving significant amounts of data. As a result, and to minimise any data migration corruption issues, history of customers will not be migrated into Patriot. The history will remain within the relevant platform of ADSW and CAMS and reports will be available for any queries by contacting the individual monitoring centres, or through your existing WebQuery or CAMSlink access.
On the “Go Live” Date for each Monitoring Centre, we will provide you with a History Report for the previous month.
Will you still be able to support products such as Alarm.com, Permaconn, Videofied and others.
We have been receiving signals for all devices currently being monitored by ADSW and CAMS into Patriot for a number of weeks. Patriot will allow us to increase the range of devices.
Also, as we are currently already receiving signals into both ADSW, CAMS and Patriot, and have been doing so for a couple of months, there will be no change to incoming receiver ports or IP addresses.
Do we need new data sheets completed for our customers?
New data sheets won’t be required at this stage. Post migration, we may review some aspects of operations and look to expand services, which might require additional information.
Will any phone numbers change?
There will be NO changes to phone numbers both in and out of the Monitoring Centres.
Who do we talk to if we have concerns or questions?
We will continue to update these FAQ’s as we move towards our “go-live” dates and beyond. Please keep your eye on this page for further FAQ updates.
However, if you have any questions in relation to this information or need further clarification in relation to the change in platform, please reach out to the contacts below:
Kingsgrove
• Neil Green – 0411 654 415
• Emeli Bach – 0401 483 919
Port Lincoln
• Roy Kelly – 0417 830 309
• Brad Porter – 0429 831 155
• Karlo Perkov – 0409 787 740