Vivint Security 24/7 Professional Monitoring

Home security systems provide more than alerts to a break-in. When you partner with a security provider, you also increase the sense of security you have in your home. No matter what happens, you know that someone is always ready to send you the help you need.

Professional monitoring is one of the most important features of a robust security system. Having a team keep an eye on your home and system, especially when you’re away, ensures a quick response to anything that happens.

If you are considering a Vivint home security system, it’s important to understand how its professional monitoring service compares to other providers. In this guide, we’ll show you all ways Vivint works to keep your family and home safe, at any time of day or night.

What is professional monitoring?

Professional monitoring is a service offered by security providers. When one of your sensors is tripped, your security system will alert you to the incident. It will also send an immediate alert to the company’s professional monitoring team.

As soon as the security expert sees the alert, they will reach out to see if it was a false alarm. If they can’t get in touch with you or you say that you need help, they will send the police to your home. You can get the help you need as quickly as possible, minimizing the extent of the damage.

Having someone monitoring your system at all times ensures that your security is effective at preventing break-ins and theft. Even if you’re not available to see or respond to the alert, you know that someone is always on-hand to react.

If you use a system without professional monitoring, however, you are fully responsible for any alerts you get from your system.

Professional security monitoring vs self-monitoring

Many DIY security systems don’t require professional monitoring. Similarly, if you try to use security equipment without signing up for a monitoring plan, you won’t have the benefits of a monitoring team.

Self-monitoring means you are the only one that gets alerted about break-ins. Even if you’re able to get alerts from your security system through text, email, or notifications, you have to see them quickly enough to call law enforcement yourself. 

Along with creating a potential vulnerability if you’re not able to react quickly, self-monitoring puts unnecessary stress on you. You will always need to be prepared to get an alert, so you can’t have confidence in your home’s security. 

When you are paying for a home security system, you should have the freedom to leave your safety to the experts.

Does Vivint have professional monitoring?

Vivint’s 24/7 professional monitoring service guarantees a quick response to any alerts from your security system. Day or night, its team is ready to investigate the alert and check with you to make sure you’re safe.

After your system is triggered, Vivint will contact you to see if it was a false alarm and if you need assistance. They will call you within about 30 seconds of the alert, offering industry-standard response times to provide the strongest security.

The Smart Hub control panel also includes a two-way communication feature that connects you immediately to a security expert. You can also connect with the monitoring team through the Vivint app.

As one of the leading home security providers in the industry, it’s no surprise that Vivint goes above and beyond to protect your home. Its monitoring service offers several features to keep you safe through any emergency.

24/7 monitoring

This is the most basic function of a professional monitoring service. Some providers, however, only offer 9-to-5 monitoring, leaving you vulnerable when their offices are closed. Vivint keeps a team on the clock all day, every day of the year to make sure it is ready when you need it.

If something triggers your alarm and you don’t shut it off before the countdown ends, the company will get an alert. A representative will reach out to see if it was a false alarm. They will ask for your verbal passcode, a “safe word,” that shows that you are not under duress.

If you don’t answer the team when they call, they will send law enforcement to your home immediately. They will also attempt to get in touch with your emergency contacts to see if they can reach you through them. You can only cancel a first responder dispatch by giving your verbal passcode to the monitoring team.

After sending the first responders, the Vivint agent will text you to let you know about the alert and dispatch. They will also call all of the numbers you have given them to reach you, as well as your emergency contacts, to pass along the same information. 

Most importantly, the team is always on-call, even when you’re not. If you are on vacation or at work, they will handle the security response to make sure your home is safe when you return.

Burglar situations

If one of your perimeter sensors is triggered, including your window and glass break sensors, your system will alert Vivint without initiating the countdown. A representative will reach out to see if you need help. If you have experienced a break-in or the team can’t get in touch, they will send law enforcement to your home.

Panic situations

Anytime you feel threatened or need help, you can set off the panic alarm through either the Smart Hub or your key fob. Your system will set off a siren and connect you immediately to the monitoring team for help. 

Fire situations

Your smart smoke detectors will alert the monitoring team as soon as it senses smoke. You can also initiate a fire alarm by pressing the “+” button on the control panel and holding the fire button down for two or more seconds.

Once you’ve triggered the alarm, the monitoring team will try to connect through the Smart Hub. If you don’t answer, they will call you through your phone. After one contact attempt, they will send the fire department to your home.

Medical situations

Your Vivint system isn’t just for intruders. You can also use it to request assistance after a medical emergency such as a stroke or fall. Even if you’re unable to get to a phone, you can get the help you need quickly. You can trigger this alarm in two ways:

• Smart Hub – Push the “+” button on the control panel down and then hold the emergency button down for two or more seconds.
• Vivint Medical Pendant – Push and hold the button on the pendant for three or more seconds.

Duress situations

Though the other alarms initiate a similar response, a duress alarm has a different process.

When you set up your Vivint home security system, you will get a duress code from your control panel. This code is saved on the panel so you can refresh your memory if you forget it.

If someone is holding you hostage and demands that you turn the security system off, you can use this code to tell Vivint you are under duress without alerting the intruder. The panel will appear to turn off, but will actually connect with the monitoring team. The representative will then follow this process:

1. They will silently listen through the control panel to see if they hear anything suspicious or if it was a false alarm.
2. If they don’t hear anything alarming, the agent will disconnect from the panel and contact the police to send them to your home. If they do hear suspicious activity, however, the representative will continue to listen through the panel while another agent dispatches law enforcement.
3. The representative will then wait 30 minutes after the police were dispatched to try to call you. Once they let you know about the alarm and that the police were sent over, they will process the alert.

Though you hope a duress situation never occurs, it’s great to know that Vivint has already given you a way to get the help you need without increasing the danger your family faces.

How much does Vivint monitoring cost?

Vivint offers three tiers of professional monitoring. Many security providers only offer one or two options, so this is another great reason to choose Vivint.

The lowest tier is the most basic. For a more complex and robust security system, you will have to choose one of the higher plans.

Option #1: Smart Security Plan

The Smart Security Plan is available for $19.99 per month, plus any additional equipment costs you may have to pay.

This plan covers basic security needs, including door/window sensors monitoring and Smart Hub assistance. If you just want a system that alerts you to intruders, this is the best option for you. 

Since Vivint is known for its smart home integration and high-tech equipment, however, you can get much more out of a plan that includes smart devices and security cameras. When you can choose the industry’s best home security system, the expansive features are worth the extra cost of a higher plan.

Option #2: Smart Home Plan

In the second tier of Vivint monthly monitoring service plans, you gain support for all of your smart home devices. This provider offers one of the leading smart home security systems, so this plan opens the door to extensive automation and convenience.

Some of the devices you can add to your security package include:

• Kwikset smart locks
• Smart Philips Hue lighting
• Smart thermostats, including the Vivint Element thermostat or Nest thermostats
• Smart garage door controller
• Car Guard
• Any smart devices that operate on Z-Wave protocol

These devices all connect together to make your home more secure and easier to control. You can, for example, have your lights turn on, temperature adjust, and security system disarm automatically, just by unlocking your smart door locks.

For even more convenience, you can integrate Vivint with your smart home assistant, including the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. You can then control all of your smart devices with voice commands. 

Choosing this option also means getting access to the highly-rated Vivint app. You can then access and control your entire security system and smart home network through your phone. If your system is triggered or has an update, you will get instant notifications to keep you in the loop.

The Smart Home Plan costs $29.99 per month, plus any additional monthly equipment payments. 

Option #3: Smart Control Plan

As the highest tier, the Smart Control Plan is also the most expensive. That said, it only costs five dollars more per month than the Smart Home Plan.

Along with everything included in the lower tiers, you will get video support for your Vivint security system. This includes real-time access to all of your cameras’ security feeds so you can check on your home and property at all times.

Vivint offers three types of security cameras:

• The Ping Indoor Camera – Set this camera up to guard your front entry and the central areas of your home with crystal clear video quality. It is equipped with night vision, a Privacy Mode, and numerous customization options to keep your home protected.
• The Outdoor Camera Pro – You can use outdoor cameras to capture intruders who might be staking out your home. Vivint has designed its outdoor cameras with Smart Sentry technology, which works proactively to discourage lurkers. It will sound an alarm and light its LED ring if it detects people lingering within your custom surveillance zones. It also integrates with Car Guard to keep your vehicles safe.
• The Doorbell Camera Pro – Always know who is at your front door and when with a doorbell camera. Along with Smart Sentry, this camera includes active package detection and protection to scare away porch pirates.

These three cameras work together to cover all of the important areas of your home. They all offer two-way communication options so you can talk to whoever is triggering the camera.

Vivint cameras record 24/7 to make sure they capture anything important. This is an overwhelming amount of footage, so your devices will also automatically flag any clips where your security devices were triggered. These Smart Clips make it easier to sort through your video to find what you need.

You can access up to 30 days of video footage through Smart Drive, Vivint’s external storage device. Whenever you want to view, upload, or download a clip, you can access your videos from your phone, Smart Hub, computer, or even Fire TV, if you use Amazon Alexa.

The Smart Control Plan supports up to six cameras. For each camera you add to your plan, the monthly price will increase by five dollars.

Can I use Vivint without monitoring?

No, you can’t use Vivint’s full security system if you don’t sign up for a monthly monitoring plan. 

The sensors and Smart Hub will function without a plan, but they won’t connect to the app on your phone. If someone does break in, you will only know if you are at home. Since you won’t get a notification on your phone and you don’t have a team monitoring your system, you may not know about the intrusion until it’s too late.

To arm and disarm your security system, you will also need the 4-digit code used by the equipment’s original user. If you are taking over a system left by the previous homeowner, for instance, you won’t be able to control your equipment. You can change this code by contacting Vivint, but the support staff can’t help if you’re not a customer

Do I need professional monitoring for my security system?

There are many reasons to choose a home security system that also includes professional monitoring. If you are unsure about this service, use the following questions to see if you can benefit from a monitoring team.

Do I live in a large home?

The bigger your house is, the harder it is to monitor. If your alarm is triggered in the middle of the night, you may not be able to identify the danger or where the intruder entered while you’re trying to protect your family.

A professional monitoring agent can see which sensor was triggered and react quickly to the situation. Rather than wandering blindly through your home, you can move everyone to safety and away from danger. More importantly, while you focus on keeping everyone safe, the agent will tell first responders everything they need to know to protect your home quickly.

Am I often away from home?

Burglars specifically target homes that are empty during school and work hours. When you are away from your home, your control over what happens there decreases.

Your Vivint system alerts you when something happens, but you can’t always get home quickly. The professional monitoring team will then step up to handle law enforcement and make sure your home is secure.

If you choose the Smart Control Plan, you can also tap into your security cameras to see what is happening in real time. Even if you are on vacation in a different country, you can stay on top of everything happening at your home.

Do I have kids or elderly loved ones who are home alone?

Your family is your top priority. When you aren’t able to be at home with them, you need to know that they are safe from intruders and during emergencies.

Using a professional monitoring service means someone is always available to get help to your home as fast as possible. This support is essential if:

• Someone has a medical emergency and they can’t call 911 themselves
• A child causes a kitchen fire or similar emergency
• An intruder enters your home while your children are home alone or with a babysitter
• Anyone at home is placed under duress by an intruder

You can’t always be there when something bad happens, but you can make sure that help is waiting for anyone that needs it. 

Your home security system should ease your anxiety and make your home more secure. Call us today at 855-707-3746 to see how Vivint can offer the peace of mind, convenience, and security you’re looking for.