As the security industry quickly adopted the use of IT infrastructure and systems into its physical security, the fire alarm industry was much slower to grab on to the new concept of “convergence.” Code changes to the 2007 National Fire Protection Association’s National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72) have addressed this issue, and manufacturers are beginning to introduce products that can comply with NFPA 72’s alternative means of communication.
This article from SecurityInfoWatch.com explains how the primary means of communicating the status of a fire alarm system to a receiving station has moved from a POTS (plain old telephone system) line with secondary means of communication like a second phone line, cellular telephone connection, one-way private radio alarm system and private microwave radio system, to using IP communicators.
The situation is quite simple: IP fire alarm communicators will save the system owner money by sparing them the costs of the POTS lines and by potential savings in service calls.
There are two significant benefits to the use of IP communicators:
– Reduction in operating costs
– Remote diagnostics
But the IP communicator system is not without its own flaws, including:
– Greater coordination required
– Understand IT standards and practices
– Power backup for IT components
For any questions about IP Alarm communications, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.