Alarm System Buyer’s Guide

Equipment costs can range from free to hundreds of dollars. Remember that lower equipment costs usually mean longer contracts and highly monthly fees.

Westechs is partnered with several major alarm manufacturers in over to give our customers a choice in equipment and costs.

Installation and activation costs are usually bundled into a single, one-time fee.

Monthly fees may be the most important factor as it can represent the overall cost of the alarm. For example – free equipment with a higher monthly fee could be more expensive than purchasing equipment in with a lower monthly fee.

Be sure to have a complete understanding of what equipment is included, such as the number of keypads, which doors and windows are protected, if any motion detectors are included and so on.

Alarms from Westechs can not only protect property but add convenience with automation and alerting.

Wireless alarm sensors mounted on doors and windows are a popular choice due to low cost and ease of installation. Some people, however, do not like the exposed boxes that are visible on the doors and prefer the traditional alarm equipment which is hidden inside the door and window frame.

Westechs offers wired and wireless alarm systems and can install both visible and hidden sensors.

Some dealers are “exclusive” dealers of equipment in areas. Beware that this is a benefit for the alarm company, not you. If the alarm company increases their prices or has poor service, you may not be able to switch to another company.

Once you determine the brand of the alarm being sold, call a few other companies and ask if they can service that brand. This means that you won’t have to replace the entire system in the future if you want to change alarm companies.

Westechs uses non-proprietary equipment from leading manufacturers.

You should determine if the warranty of the alarm is one year, two years or covers you during the entire contract term.

It is important know how much service on your alarm would be in the event of post-warranty repairs.

Westechs customers with a Managed Services agreement automatically get a complete warranty with no additional parts or labor charges for repairs or maintenance.

Modern alarm systems will give you, the owner, the ability to change user codes quickly and easily without any programming knowledge.

You can change user codes on a Westechs alarm system on your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Often called “Openings and closings”, commercial customers like to see an automated report of who opened and closed their business.

Westechs can offer these reports with our smartphone app or send them directly to your email.

A security system with interactive features will allow you to use your phone, PC or tablet to see a real-time status and provide control of you alarm system, even if you have multiple locations.

Often called automation, modern alarm panels will allow you to control a wide variety of smart devices with a single touch. Some alarm companies charge you per category of these devices.