Do you have legacy equipment such as RTUs in your alarm system? If so, you are not alone. You might be surprised to learn that most major organizations still incorporate legacy devices in their systems.

As new technology rolls out the required equipment to monitor it must keep up with it. I am currently working with a client that has legacy RTUs that he doesn't want to get rid of yet. We offered further semi-customization to a NetGuardian that enables his legacy RTUs to have remote monitoring and control capabilities.

This is achieved through protocol and interface mediations, allowing seamless communication between legacy and newer devices. Our client has the plans and budget to do a legacy RTU replacement, but his organization has other priorities first.

How Legacy To Modern Integration Can Be A Problem

My client had a concern that he needed to address...

Part of my concern is that my organization doesn't want to break up the staff's workflow by introducing new equipment that they'll get frustrated with. Do you have a workaround for this? What can you offer?

Legacy to modern equipment integration can understandably become a concern for you. These are problems that come with looking to upgrade your equipment...

1. Legacy communication protocols that require solutions such as a MODBUS gateway.
2. Security concerns that would require implementing additional security measures
3. Scalability issues caused by limitations in your equipment. You can easily subvert this by teaming up with a reliable manufacturer that knows what they're doing.
4. Lack of documentation that is often accompanied and/or caused by a lack of expertise from the alarm monitoring system equipment manufacturer. Make sure that you find a manufacturer that will be able to understand your existing equipment. Your new manufacturer should also provide you with robust documentation to prevent confusion for your in-house team and future upgrades.
5. Resistance to changes and training by your in-house team.

I assured my client that we have dealt with the same type of concern multiple times in the past...

I completely understand your concern. It is only human nature to resist change and I get where the concern for upsetting your in-house crew comes from. We offer you very detailed and easily read documentation. We also offer your in-house crew demonstrations and training to help get them accustomed to the new equipment as easily and quickly as possible. We also offer tech support from industry experts who have been with us for over 40 years. I completely understand your concerns and they are quite common, we have dealt with them successfully multiple times before.

Choose The Right Manufacturer To Avoid Integration Issues

With the right alarm monitoring system manufacturer, your legacy equipment is not useless. This is done by integrating newer equipment with legacy equipment through device and protocol mediation. A good manufacturer will also help you integrate newer equipment into your alarm monitoring system without needing to completely throw out your older system.

Finding a manufacturer that enables you to integrate newer equipment with legacy equipment in your facility is important because it future-proofs your scalability. Beware of manufacturers that offer a one-and-done solution with no future flexibility. An inflexible manufacturer will make your system obsolete in the future.

Here are the key factors that you can use to identify a good alarm monitoring system manufacturer...

1. Enables you to integrate legacy equipment and protocols with newer ones.
2. Enables you to adjust form factors on equipment to fit your needs.
3. Shows overall willingness and commitment to flexibility when serving you.
4. Offers you an ideal solution for you upfront. This means that they do not try to get as much money out of you upfront, but they give you a budget-conscious solution that will enable you to smoothly upgrade your system without breaking the bank or ripping out an entire system at once.
5. Offers you Well-made documentation about the equipment. This will help your in-house team to be independent. This saves you a ton of headaches in the future for when a device malfunctions or even when the time comes and that device becomes a legacy piece of equipment itself that needs integrating with newer technology.
6. Equips you with reliable customer service from industry experts. If you find an alarm monitoring system manufacturer that has experts who have worked at the company for most of their lives, it's a sign that they can offer you inside-out details about the equipment you're being provided.
7. Offers your in-house team with training by the people who developed the equipment itself.

It's important to emphasize that you do not want a manufacturer that makes you feel like you're buying equipment off the shelf. You want a manufacturer that will be flexible with your needs and even offer you customizable equipment. If you feel like your manufacturer acts more like a distributor then it's time to look elsewhere.

DPS Telecom Is An Expert At Legacy to Modern Device Integration

Due to DPS Telecom (est. 1986), being a manufacturer that can mediate protocols, and integrate with legacy equipment, my client did not need to worry about future-proofing his scalability and upgrades.

We are proud of our ability to make you feel like we are your engineer. We also allow you peace of mind by...

1. Allowing you to future-proof your business with legacy integration.
2. Offering your in-house team equipment training.
3. Giving you in-depth documentation about the equipment we offer.
4. Offering you expert support every step of the way.
5. Keeping your budget and goals above all else, which is made possible through our flexibility.
6. Enabling you to customize your equipment to fit your needs.

We understand that it is human nature to hate change. While you may be concerned with your staff resisting new equipment integrations into your system due to them being comfortable with older ones, we guarantee you that our expert demonstration and instructions will leave your staff feeling confident and satisfied with their ability to navigate the new equipment.

A Proposal Tells You What Kind Of Manufacturer You're Working With

After my client was happy with what he saw and heard, we drafted him a proposal that he asked us to not share for the sake of his privacy. The contents of the proposal however included things such as...

1. Overall pricing, pricing packages, and bundle deals that allow my client to place orders on equipment as he needs it at a discounted price instead of storing equipment while it is not in use.
2. Upfront and in-detail equipment documentation, including diagrams that explain how the new equipment would integrate with the legacy alarm monitoring system on my client's site.
3. Explanation of how we would integrate the legacy protocols with our newer equipment.
4. A future outlook plan on how we can work to integrate their system. Making it scalable and flexible.
5. Documentation about real-life uses that show the variety of functions our equipment offers. This makes each part of your system multi-dimensional and doesn't limit your equipment to having singular purposes.
6. Details about our code compliance with the state, county, and town safety restrictions.

At DPS Telecom we want you to find the perfect solution for yourself. This is achieved with our flexibility and willingness to support you and your budget. Whether it be form factors, environmentals, infrastructure, etc. We are here for you and able to help your business stay at the front of industry advancements.

If you have any questions, please reach out and I will do my best to point you in the right direction.

Call me at 1-800-693-0351 or E-mail me at sales@dpstele.com