(Google is now trying to fold Nest’s previous integrations into its own “ Works with Google Assistant” program, which presently revolves more around voice interaction.)īut at a time when tech companies are intent on locking you into their respective smart-home platforms, investing in any one of them requires a certain degree of trust. Ring’s strategy around home and away states reminds me of what Nest was building through its “Works with Nest” program, which languished after Google acquired the company in 2014. The state of an alarm system is a pretty good proxy for whether its users are home or not, and from that bit of insight a lot of clever automations can spring forth. The smart-home nerd in me thinks all of this sounds great. “A big part of that innovation will come from things like the Ring Alarm having state, to be able to build these next-generation products and services that will make our neighbors safer.” “There are things on my list that people have never done before in this area,” Siminoff says. That mission is also what distinguishes Ring’s smart-home efforts from those of Amazon, which has built a broader platform around its Alexa voice assistant. It’s all part of a broader shift for the company, Siminoff says, away from a singular focus on reducing crime, and toward increasing safety overall. Long-term, Siminoff envisions a platform that can work automatically on behalf of users, changing the state of the home based on whether they’ve armed or disarmed their systems. It’s also hoping to build an ecosystem around them, with add-ons like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and tie-ins with other companies’ smart lights, door locks, and other devices under the “ Works with Ring” program. Ring isn’t just trying to sell alarm systems, though. (You even get a window sticker to ward off prospective burglars.) Even without it, you’ll still get a blaring siren at home and alerts on your phone during a potential intrusion. The base price of $200 is pretty low for home security, and the $10 per month home monitoring service isn’t mandatory.
Knowing when you’re homeĬompared to a traditional security system, the most alluring aspect of the Ring Alarm is that it doesn’t feel like a huge commitment. But buying into that system feels unsettling, no matter how well it actually works. If using Ring’s camera and Neighbors app puts you on edge, an alarm system is just the thing to restore peace of mind. The Ring Alarm, despite all its virtues, is a natural extension of those efforts. Meanwhile, Ring’s Neighbors app provides an open forum in which people can discuss threats-both real and perceived-in their communities, risking heightened paranoia over whatever their cameras are dredging up. Even as crime rates hit record lows, Ring has convinced millions of people to surveil their property through doorbell cameras, and it’s now helping police departments around the country ask residents for warrantless access to the footage.
“We do believe it really is a core, foundational piece of our overall long-term vision and mission to protect and keep our neighbors safer,” Siminoff says in an interview, which Ring set up to discuss the company’s strategy around alarm systems.Īt the same time, it’s hard to reconcile my appreciation for the Ring Alarm with my unease about the company behind it. It is, in short, a great product, and it’s one that Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff tells me is central to the company’s future.
Even at a regular price of $199 for an entry-level kit, it undercuts competitors like Nest and ADT by hundreds of dollars, and it’s more reliable than cheaper do-it-yourself systems that lack cellular and battery backups. If I wasn’t using a Ring Alarm system on loan from the company, it’s the kind of thing I might’ve already bought for myself-perhaps during Prime Day or the many other occasions when Amazon puts the product on deep discount. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Echo speakers provide extra protection, letting me arm and disarm the system by voice and listening for the sound of smoke alarms or broken glass.
Ring security system professional#
When no one’s home, the Ring Alarm system keeps watch through a system of contact and motion sensors, ready to send alerts to my phone-and, optionally, to a professional monitoring service-if the sensors detect an unwelcome presence.
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