It may not be a sexy business, but it seems to have a lot of synergy for cable. You have a wired home, you have remote connection to it, why not extend it beyond content. "Comcast Corp is adding home security to its package of services for homes where it already delivers cable television, broadband and phone. The largest U.S. cable provider sees security technology and home management technology as another way to enter new markets and tighten its relationships with existing customers." I love this idea and hope that Comcast and other cable operators pursue this farther.
But given that Comcast has no expertise in this field, I might suggest either an exclusive partnership with an existing security firm or better yet, buy one and rebrand it. This is great opportunity for both internal and external security. For families employing a Nanny, a chance to check in from work; for vacationers, an easy way to remotely adjust the HVAC system, and for security from intruders, more chance to protect and identify robbers.
Obviously safeguards need to be built in against power outages and battery limits, but these can all be figured out. With all the competition in the online space, cable operators may have just found a new business that will bring a nice revenue stream while piggybacking on the current infrastructure. Well done!
With their reputation for outages and terrible customer service, am I honestly going to go with Comcast for home security to save $5 a month over ADT?
ReplyDeleteWhen Comcast had my cable/internet business, it was because they were the only alternative to a satellite dish. But home security doesn't need to run wires to your home to provide service. It can piggyback on the wires already going to your house, so there's a lot more competition in the market with names that inspire a lot more confidence than Comcast.