AMP Security announced a new name, AMP Smart, as well as the release of the AMP Smart Panel, which deploys next generation technology from Qolsys and Alarm.com as part of the comprehensive rebrand.
AMP CEO and Co-Founder Allen Bolen explained the move was a result of the rapid rate of growth in the connected home space and a desire to provide products that people are excited about. “Security is a very good product and is still going to be the foundation of our product offering, but many times people buy security because they feel an obligation to make their home and family safe. Home automation, on the other hand, is something people are excited about and they want to buy. By rebranding to AMP Smart and making home automation a substantial part of our offering, we believe we are going to have customers who are more excited to get in that space.”
Bolen described the company’s mission is to make people’s lives easier and safer, reflecting not just the security aspect, but also the ease home automation brings with it.
He also described the rebranding as being just as much internal as external. “We want our sales force to recognize that we are doing things a different way,” Bolen said. “We are not simply selling security, we are selling smart, connected homes that make people’s lives easier.”
The company, which makes no acquisitions nor has plans to, has seen a 43 percent jump in RMR since December 2015. “We had a 92 percent growth rate in RMR on the SDM 100,” Bolen said. The next highest was less than 30 percent. The reason, he said was AMP Smart’s transition to keeping the majority of its accounts in house. “We’ve always had a fantastic production engine, and we’ve gotten to the point where we can keep many accounts in house — all without doing a private equity or venture capital transaction. My brother Dave and I still own the company.”
Each year, Bolen explained, the percentage of accounts kept in house is growing larger and larger.
The AMP Smart solution includes a 7-in. touchscreen with built-in panel camera and innovative software applications. It includes a swipe-based user interface with support for security, life safety, cameras and smart home technology.
“This is the most attractive, most powerful platform on the market we are thrilled that every AMP Smart customer will receive a 5 MP camera, five touchless disarming devices, encrypted sensors, a built-in router, a glassbreak detector and so much more,” Bolen described.
The AMP Smart panel will include the Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core 400 processor — a highly integrated system-on-a-chip (SoC) that supports LTE cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, on-board router, Android and HD display, and integrates smart home services powered by Alarm.com, ensuring reliable and easy-to-use awareness and control for consumers across a broad range of connected devices through an app.
“We are excited to launch our next generation product this year with the AMP Smart team. The panel represents the culmination of two years of development and integration of our best-in-class partnerships with Alarm.com, Qualcomm, Foxconn and Android,” said Mike Hackett, Qolsys, senior vice president sales and marketing.
The AMP Smart Panel delivers a broad set of enhancements, including data encryption on every radio interface, IoT support, integration of interactive services, and flexibility to accommodate customization and future innovation.
