The alarm industry has become a pool of canned software solutions over the past few years that makes every alarm company
operate and act similar. However, a few alarm companies are turning their sights on being different and providing services to
clients that set them apart. Some companies have excelled by having their own software engineers and software systems for
years, while others have turned to custom software providers to allow them the freedom and flexibility to create solutions that fit
their business styles and allow their company to grow at a pace unmatched by any others - while avoiding the costly approach
of adding full-time computer software engineers on the staff payroll.
A-com Protection Services, Inc., a diversified company in Georgia, has unique needs. They are not only an alarm company, but
are also a telephone service provider to many business clients. Recently, some of their needs and interests affected how they
wanted to look at RMR and the trends associated with their various services. The IT department of A-com already is equipped
with many tools such as SQL and an integrated programming interface tool set (generally called API) where they can create their
own reports, but the management wanted something more than just reports produced from the database. Their IT Director, Brad
Glore, worked with owner Wayne Beck and their management team to come up with an exact model of what they wanted. They
then approached DICE Corporation with this model to write a custom software solution which included an easy-end user
interface which dynamically drives the data and processes to complete a wide range of reports based on their changing objectives.
"Working with DICE, we managed to reduce the time it takes us to get the most dynamically customized data we need
literally from hours to minutes," exclaimed Mr. Glore. "We are so happy to partner with DICE on several customized projects that
we've done in the past and have planned for the future."
ProTELEC Alarms, an installing company based in Canada, had needs and ideas concerning an app that would run on Apple & Android phone.
They wanted something special tht would allow their clients to interact with the central station in real-time while an alarm was in process.
They wanted the app to provide the customer with myltiple options for handling alarm signals including the ability to dispatch authorities,
cancel the alarm entirely, or be able to speak with an operator. Brent
Pokrant, Monitoring Operation Manager at ProTELEC, turned to their custom software solution provider DICE Corporation to
create an app for them that would fit their operation like a glove. Mr. Pokrant stated, "Today's market is not about using software
tools, such as apps that everyone else has, it's about creating products that no one has and being special in your marketplace."
A-com took this customization and partnership scenario a step farther this past year, as it also focused on customizing its corporate
identity into an entirely new look on their website and marketing materials to match their personalized software systems.
They wanted a fresh image with entirely new graphic designs and logos that portrayed their technologically advanced image and
set them apart on their corporate and sales scales, so they again turned to the same custom software provider that built the
reporting systems. DICE Corporation provided A-com, via their visual communications department, designs that exactly
portrayed the image they sought and uniquely set them apart. Having a new corporate identity generated, DICE also allowed
them to take their new graphics and use it on their software systems for branding purposes. "We tried at least four other companies
before mentioning our project to the marketing department at DICE, which was quick to listen to what we wanted and within
a day delivered." Brad Glore, IT Director of A-com Protection Services, stated further, "The mockup we received completely
convinced us that we had the right company."
In viewing DICE Corporation, known for its large-scale alarm automation solutions, you wouldn't think that they also have to offer
a thriving custom software department or a graphics design and marketing department. Clifford Dice, company founder,
acknowledges that most alarm companies misunderstand what it is that DICE Corporation really does and the services that they
provide for their clients. "We really are an outsourced IT and programing department who happens to have software to use as
tools, but most importantly, we customize each client as they wish to operate, and act as their private programmers," notes Mr.
Dice. DICE Corporation continues to takes on only a very limited amount of new clients and ones that bring unique and new
ideas to the table, this is mainly because DICE provides custom services and software to each client while maintaining a level of
service and quality excellence. In the case of ProTELEC's apps, DICE had a few other apps already developed for various
companies, but made the most of them by modifying those apps and expanded the services to fit the ProTELEC business objectives.
Mr. Dice reports that at least two other clients are currently adding to what ProTELEC did with their app to fit their own
marketplace and objectives.
This past year, DICE Corporation is ecstatic to note that an all time revenue and profit record was set yet again, as there doesn't
appear to be any end in sight to the number of clients that want to customize and be unique in the marketplace that is filled with
status quo alarm companies. Clifford Dice credits the companies' growth and expanded product offerings to those companies
who are looking to invest in a custom approach and make a difference, possibly even new standards in the industry, as he notes,
"Growing our services and custom software deployments to a client base that is providing software solutions in the alarm, fire,
medical, and corporate environments has paid off for us over the past 25 years, and we look forward to the future as DICE continues
to provide services and custom software solutions to the industry's largest security providers."
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