Amazon's Ring has announced it is bringing its disruptive home security offerings to business owners with the new Ring for Business - a specialized combination of Ring Alarm and video doorbells to form what the company is calling "an affordable alternative to traditional systems."
"Traditional commercial security options are often rigid, expensive and difficult to install...because of this, we noticed some businesses using our devices to monitor and protect their properties," Jamie Siminoff, founder and Chief Inventor of Ring, said in a statement. "Developing Ring for Business, a more affordable and straightforward security option for companies, was a natural next step in our mission to make neighborhoods safer - both at home and at work.”
The system is a full DIY offering. According to a press release, Ring for Business "empowers customers to monitor and protect their property, across multiple locations, remotely from a single app. A professionally monitored security system that includes Ring’s wired and battery powered indoor and outdoor security cameras, Ring for Business offers affordable, commitment-free, 24/7 monitoring, and 60-day video event recording for unlimited cameras for just $10 per month per location. Battery and LTE cellular backup enable professional monitoring even if the power goes out or broadband is unavailable."
The professional monitoring at $10/month is for intrusion only and requires a "Ring Protect Plus plan," which is a separate purchase. Ring is licensed in the following states, according to its website: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
The release goes on to explain that Ring for Business kits are built around Ring Alarm, with accessories like door and window sensors, motion detectors and sirens that can be added to the system and customized based on specific needs. Users can add Ring Security Cams and Video Doorbells to further monitor property and record important motion events in real-time.
Amazon is offering discounted bundles of Ring products best suited for businesses, including a Business Starter Kit, a Premium Business Kit, and an Enhanced Business Kit.
According to Anna Sliwon-Stewart, Research Analyst for Security and Building Technologies at IHS Markit, recent innovations in DIY security systems combined with their inherent deployment flexibility have made them increasingly attractive to small business owners.
“DIY security systems do offer users the flexibility to add and remove devices as they please, without the requirement for a professional to come and install a piece of equipment. This is particularly important to small business owners who may have to attend business meetings in person and may by unable to easily accommodate strict installer schedules,” Sliwon-Stewart says. “Also, the low monthly monitoring costs are important to small business users due to frequent problems with cash flow and a focus on minimising ongoing business costs which is crucial to business profitability.”
However, while Sliwon-Stewart believes that Ring will be able to easily find a market for its offerings among small business owners, she says the company will have to further develop its portfolio to include such things as custom services and business analytics if it hopes to become a major player in the market moving forward.
“This so far has been the purview of suppliers of professionally installed security systems where the system functionalities are advanced and allow for full customization as well as linking to access control and sales monitoring systems for example (this can be relevant to businesses even with a small number of staff – for example 10). If more advanced features can be provided by Ring in the future this will open up their opportunity,” she adds. “However, we have to remember that business customers’ needs vary significantly, from business- to-business, hence customization and near-instant customer technical support will be of paramount importance, so as the business operations can continue without disruption.”
