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How SoSecure can help keep kids safe as they head back to school.

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Young students with backpacks walking down hallway of elementary school

Young students walking down hallway of school - ADT

School is back: Help keep your kids safe with SoSecure

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How ADT is working to silence false alarms

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10 Questions - Tim - ADT

A rock star engineer who likes to &#8216;breaks things&#8217; and help save lives

10 Questions &#8211; Tim

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Behind the scenes of ADT&#8217;s new partnership with Uber, and what comes next

ADT-Uber logo lockup (2)

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ADT Medical Alert Recognized with Caregiver Friendly Award

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Consolidating Office Space in a New World of Working

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Dumpster Cameras Reduce Garbage Truck Runs

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Screen Shot 2022-07-05 at 4.08.25 PM - ADT

Denver Couple Lives, Works, and Volunteers Together

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Smart Aging - ADT

Smart Aging

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Customers are Front of Mind for Mark Reimer, ADT Vice President of Product Engineering

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ADT Lab Goes Above and Beyond with Large System Testing

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Andy Droney

Andy Droney Headshot

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In 1974, ADT made one of its very first film appearances — and in one of the most beloved movies ever made — when our sign appeared on a gate in a scene from “The Godfather: Part II.”

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Nearly 50 years later, <a href="https://www.adt.com/shop">ADT products and services</a> are still regularly featured in major movies and television shows, a testament to the longevity and popularity of the ADT brand.

In fact, in the past three years alone, ADT products can be seen in more than 15 movies and shows.

“It makes sense,” said DeLu Jackson, ADT’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “The ADT brand is synonymous with security, so we are always top of mind when security is part of a storyline.”

One such storyline was in “Dexter: New Blood” —&nbsp;a revival of Showtime’s wildly popular crime drama “Dexter” — which premiered in 2021 and went on to become the most-watched series in the history of the network, averaging over eight million viewers per episode. The show’s first episode included a scene prominently featuring an <a href="https://www.adt.com/doorbell-camera">ADT smart doorbell</a> alerting a character that her daughter had arrived home.

Beginning in 2019, ADT was featured in the first two seasons of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Dead to Me,” with significant screen time given to our iconic yard sign and the <a href="https://www.adt.com/command">ADT Command panel</a>.

The Command panel was also seen in two 2022 films: Michael Bay’s action blockbuster “Ambulance” and “Vengeance,” the directorial debut of “The Office” star B.J. Novak.

“Features allow our brand to be aligned to cultural moments and characters,” said Shannon Hendrickson, ADT’s Vice President, Marketing. “They live on forever in movies and shows that can be viewed on demand, versus an ad that plays for a fleeting moment.”

Other features with ADT integrations include “Angelyne” (Peacock), “Billions” (Showtime), “Grace and Frankie” (Netflix), “He’s All That” (Netflix), “I Love That for You” (Showtime), “Never Have I Ever” (Netflix), “Northern Rescue” (Netflix), “Patriot Games” (Paramount Pictures), “Playing with Fire “(Paramount Pictures), “The Resident” (Paramount Pictures), “The Rookie” (ABC), “Shameless” (Showtime), “Somebody Somewhere” (HBO), “Squid Game” (Netflix), “Stuber” (20th Century Fox), “The Upshaws” (Netflix) and “When We First Met” (Netflix).

The variety of offerings featured in these movies and shows is also a positive for ADT.

“These features can help educate viewers about our products and services,” said Casey Blair, ADT’s Senior Manager of Advertising and Go-to-Market. “They might learn something new about ADT and what we offer, such as <a href="https://www.adt.com/smarthome">smart home capabilities</a> or <a href="https://www.adt.com/control">app control</a>.”

And while future productions are often shrouded in secrecy, it’s safe to say that more ADT product features are coming soon to a theater — and living room — near you.

ADT products and services are regularly featured in major TV and films, a testament to the longevity and popularity of the ADT brand.

Now starring in TV and films: ADT - ADT

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With a new school year in full swing, parents are more concerned about their children’s safety than at any time in the past 20 years, according to a new <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/399680/parent-student-school-safety-concerns-elevated.aspx">Gallup poll</a>.

While there is no foolproof way to ensure student safety, mobile safety apps such as <a href="https://www.adt.com/sosecure">SoSecure by ADT</a> can help. The free technology offers users different ways to call for help, including the ability to notify emergency contacts and request emergency assistance.

More than half of children in the U.S. under the age of 11 (53%) — and more than 84% of teens — own <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-2019">a smartphone</a>.

SoSecure offers the most discreet ways to call for help, including SOS call, chat, live video* and voice activation with a custom secret phrase*, even from a locked screen. Whether your child is walking home from school, has a late-night sports practice or is stuck with a flat tire, help is always at hand with SoSecure.

How SoSecure works

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When an SOS alert is triggered, an ADT agent will contact the user to ensure that they're OK. If ADT cannot get in touch with the user, we'll send your last known GPS location to emergency response and notify the user's emergency contacts. If there is still no response from the user, ADT will use the GPS in the phone to send emergency services to their location.

SoSecure also features <a href="https://newsroom.adt.com/corporate-news/adt-introduces-new-location-sharing-features-sosecure-adt-mobile">location sharing</a>, allowing parents to view their children’s whereabouts via a smart phone. Users can invite family and friends to join private groups to share their locations or create a check-in, and can create an unlimited number of location-sharing groups for free.

Users can also save favorite spots like home, school or work, and get alerts when someone in their group arrives or leaves. For example, you can get alerts when your child leaves school and arrives at home, along with having access to their live location while en route.

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SoSecure is available for both <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sosecure/id1495220820" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adt.sosecure.android" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Android</a> phones, making it easy for cross-platform families and friends to stay protected and connected within a single app.

Crash detection &amp; roadside assistance

Have a new driver on your hands? With SoSecure Premium’s <a href="https://newsroom.adt.com/safe-stories/adts-personal-safety-app-can-now-detect-car-accidents-and">crash detection</a> feature, when a crash is detected, an ADT agent will call you to ensure that you're OK. If you need help, we'll notify emergency response and send your location. The subscription also includes roadside assistance***, which can help with issues such as flat tires, dead batteries and more.

With free features such as SOS call, chat and location sharing, SoSecure is an easy way to add another layer of protection for your family while at home, school and beyond.

* Available with a subscription to SoSecure Plus and Premium

** Available with a subscription to SoSecurePremium

*** Roadside services provided by Cross Country Motor Club

With free features such as SOS call, chat and location sharing, SoSecure is an easy way to help keep your kids safe while school.

School is back: Help keep your kids safe with SoSecure - ADT

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According to a recent survey, what did consumers say was the top reason for a false security system alarm?

The answer is C. Pets accounted for 27% of responses, with wildlife accounting for 21% of responses and objects at 19%.

At ADT, we’re addressing this challenge every single day through new and innovative technologies, and that’s good news for the 36% of US households with a home security system. How are we doing that? As part of a recent event sponsored by Parks Associates that brought together security industry leaders, I shared how ADT continues to innovate and enhance our professional monitoring offerings to help eliminate false alarms and make communication between all those involved in an alarm event more impactful and effective.

During the panel, I discussed our <a href="https://newsroom.adt.com/smart-stories/what-adt-doing-help-reduce-false-alarms">SMART Monitoring platform</a> that includes several technologies and platforms working together to help achieve this goal. SMART stands for System Monitoring And Response Technology. We have Alarm Messenger which sends a text message to end-users and their emergency contacts when an alarm happens. They receive a text with a link to a portal and when they open the portal, they can see their alarm information, and then they can cancel or request police.

False alarms are a common occurrence in the security industry and it’s an expensive and time-consuming issue to resolve. In a recent <a href="http://www.parksassociates.com/blog/article/monitoring-stations-deliver-a-strong-experience-for-home-security-customers">survey</a> conducted by Parks Associates, 62% of home security owners remembered a false alarm in the past 12 months and nearly 1-in-10 reported experiencing more than five false alarms.

Here are some of the false alarm prevention trends the industry is keeping an eye on:

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To learn more about what industry experts are saying about the state of the home security market, check out the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KZpcWK-FlI">highlights</a> from my panel discussion during the 2022 Connections Conference. For more information on ADT’s professional monitoring offerings and to customize your own security system, visit <a href="https://www.adt.com/shop">adt.com/shop</a>.

ADT is working to silence false alarms through new and innovative technologies, including the SMART Monitoring platform.

How ADT is working to silence false alarms - ADT

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ADT loves hiring innovative people to help make its products come to life. A prime example is engineer Tim Radar, Senior Director, Product Management.

As a kid, Tim dreamed of being a rock star, but now he loves his job testing and creating new products at <a href="https://www.adt.com/">ADT</a>. He doesn’t work at one of ADT’s offices, rather in the Engineering Lab where he gets to play with some pretty cool toys and test all of ADT’s products before they’re sold. But his favorite part of working at ADT is producing high-quality, innovative safety solutions that help save people’s lives.

Get to know Tim a new series called, “10 questions with ...” that spotlights ADT’s outstanding employees. And apply for engineering and other positions at&nbsp; <a href="https://jobs.adt.com/">jobs.adt.com</a>.

As a kid, Tim Rader dreamed of being a rock star, but now he loves his job “breaking things” as an engineer at ADT.

A rock star engineer who likes to 'breaks things' and help save lives - ADT

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This week, we announced our <a href="https://newsroom.adt.com/corporate-news/adt-partners-with-uber-to-provide-in-app-safety-features-for-riders-and-drivers-nationwide">new partnership with Uber</a> to help keep riders and drivers safe with live help from ADT safety agents. We spoke with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahpage/">Leah Page</a>, Vice President of Emerging Business and Mobile Security, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterskeadas/">Pete Skeadas</a>, Director of Business and Corporate Development, about the partnership they helped bring to life and what is coming next.

Q: How did this partnership with Uber come about?

Skeadas: Uber was looking for multiple ways for its users to reach out and get help if needed. They recognized the breadth and depth of our capabilities and expertise, not only with respect to security and monitoring, but also our technology. Our ability to deliver software through Safe by ADT, our mobile safety platform, in addition to our core offering of professional monitoring and specially trained agents resonated with them. Our agents are core to what we do and their ability to provide expert support and safety help to Uber users allows us to provide this service.

Q: How does our safety feature with Uber work?

Page: If an Uber user starts to feel uncomfortable or needs emergency help during a ride, they can go into <a href="https://www.uber.com/newsroom/ubers-new-safety-toolkit/">Uber’s Safety Toolkit</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGtDxeSockk">select “Contact safety agent,”</a> which connects them directly to an ADT agent. Whether they need reassurance or need to request emergency help to their location, they can communicate with our agents via text or phone call and our agents will respond accordingly.

Q: What will customers experience when they ask for help?

Page: Once a user requests help, we’re able to understand where they are and get details about their ride. Our agents will respond based on the information provided. Some users may want to chat or be on the phone with someone for reassurance during their ride. Additionally, if a situation were to escalate, the user can request emergency help from the ADT agent; in which case we’d contact their local emergency response center and get help sent to their location. In any case and for any type of user, we’re able to stay in contact with them throughout their ride.

Q: What does this partnership mean for ADT?

Skeadas: Our partnership with Uber is a validation of the quality, efficacy and all that is awesome about Safe by ADT and what the platform enables. For an organization the size of Uber to be using our technology daily across the U.S. is impactful and powerful. In my mind, this is another proof point of our transformation as an organization. We’re a company that provides safe, smart and sustainable solutions that empower people to protect and connect to what matters most, at home and beyond.

Q: What is next for Safe by ADT?

Page: We're proud of the work that we’ve done in the gig economy space in helping keep workers safe, especially in a field where they’re constantly interacting with new people. Now, we’re looking towards expanding that protection to enterprise employees and lone workers. There are millions of enterprise employees that have safety concerns as businesses shift models to meet customers where they are, and ADT is uniquely positioned to help.

ADT's Leah Page and Pete Skeadas go in-depth about ADT's new partnership with Uber that provides in-app live help from ADT safety agents.

Behind the scenes of ADT's new partnership with Uber, and what comes next - ADT

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In Colorado, Mike George and Christina Oldham are the dynamic duo of ADT Always Cares. Not only do they volunteer together, but they also live together, and work together at the ADT office in Aurora where both have been employed a combined 35 years.

They’ve also served their community with an estimated 1,500 hours of volunteerism since 2010, supporting about 35 different non-profits.

“We really enjoy being involved and rolling up our sleeves to make blankets, paint houses and plant trees among other activities,” said Christina.

Mike is a leadership development program manager and Christina supports IT as a senior manager. They’ve been together for 15 years.

“One of the things that attracted me to Christina was her passion to help others,” said Mike. “We love making a difference and showing the community that ADT cares.”

In Colorado, Mike George and Christina Oldham are the dynamic duo of ADT Always Cares. Not only do they volunteer together, but they also live together, and work together at the ADT office in Aurora where both have been employed a combined 35 years. They’ve also served their community with an estimated 1,500 hours of […]

Denver Couple Lives, Works, and Volunteers Together - ADT

The ADT Medical Alert team is proud to be recognized by Today’s Caregiver Magazine’s 2022 Caregiver Friendly Award. The Caregiver Friendly® Awards celebrate products, services, books and media created with the needs of caregivers in mind. ADT’s professional monitoring capabilities and our specially trained agents provide exemplary service to our customers, empowering them to protect and connect what matters most.

“The average caregiver is responsible for over $40,000 in health-related expenditures each year, in either personal or directed funds” said Gary Barg, Today’s Caregiver Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief. “This award is designed to help family caregivers recognize and reward those organizations who will care for them in as committed a manner as they care for their loved ones.”

ADT Medical Alert systems are staffed 24/7 by ADT monitoring agents to allow seniors and their caregivers to live with less worry, at home or on the go. Monitoring agents receive senior-sensitivity training to better identify senior-specific needs related to mobility, dexterity, vision and more.

With ADT, seniors can get help in three steps:

Professionally monitored medical alert systems from ADT can help make life simpler and safer for seniors and their caregivers. Having safety measures in place can help seniors continue to live their lives independently and provide immense peace of mind to caregivers.

The ADT Medical Alert team is proud to be recognized by Today’s Caregiver Magazine’s 2022 Caregiver Friendly Award. The Caregiver Friendly® Awards celebrate products, services, books and media created with the needs of caregivers in mind. ADT’s professional monitoring capabilities and our specially trained agents provide exemplary service to our customers, empowering them to protect […]

ADT Medical Alert Recognized with Caregiver Friendly Award - ADT

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As more ADT employees continue to work remotely, the company is shedding some of its office space around America. One example is in the West Henrietta suburb of Rochester, NY where ADT has operated two buildings, side-by-side, for 20-plus years.

In February, a leased 50,000 square foot building closed, because over 90% of the 500 employees who worked there were permanently assigned to work from home. Remaining employees were consolidated into the ADT-owned building next door.

The savings are just over $1 million per year, not counting the utility bills, taxes, and other expenses. Also, hundreds of fewer people on the roads each day means less fuel being burned in cars.&nbsp;

“Not only are these team members being more efficient and productive while working at home, but they are also helping us reduce our corporate footprint which, in turn, helps us reduce our environmental footprint,” said Amy Root, Vice President, Operation Service Centers (OSC).

As more ADT employees continue to work remotely, the company is shedding some of its office space around America. One example is in the West Henrietta suburb of Rochester, NY where ADT has operated two buildings, side-by-side, for 20-plus years. In February, a leased 50,000 square foot building closed, because over 90% of the 500 […]

Consolidating Office Space in a New World of Working - ADT

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David Brightly loves talking trash especially when it involves helping the environment and saving ADT money. As Senior Director of EHS, Compliance and Business Continuity, David teamed with a company in 2020 to install cameras into hundreds of dumpsters that ADT uses across America.

The devices monitor waste levels, helping reduce unnecessary trash hauls.

“It’s great for the environment because instead of a garbage truck coming daily, now it might be a few times a week and that means less driving and fewer carbon emissions,” explained David.

ADT dumpsters are also monitored to see if any unwanted materials are deposited in recycling containers.

“As we drive toward being a more sustainable company, technology, even in trash cans, can help us achieve our goals,” David said.

David Brightly loves talking trash especially when it involves helping the environment and saving ADT money. As Senior Director of EHS, Compliance and Business Continuity, David teamed with a company in 2020 to install cameras into hundreds of dumpsters that ADT uses across America. The devices monitor waste levels, helping reduce unnecessary trash hauls. “It’s […]

Dumpster Cameras Reduce Garbage Truck Runs - ADT

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While some seniors need around-the-clock care, others may just need some occasional help and the ability to quickly check in with their caregivers. For those that require a less intense level of care, wearables and smart home devices are a great option to help them age in place.

Medical alert devices or personal emergency response systems (PERS) are a traditional concept in senior safety and an important tool that can get seniors the help they need at the push of a button while allowing them to maintain their freedom. Anyone who lives alone, regardless of their age, should consider a service that can provide them help in an emergency. However, some seniors may be averse to getting a medical alert device because they feel like it is a sign of aging, or they don’t like the look of a medical alert pendant.

Wearable devices like smart watches or smart jewelry can bridge the gap between style and safety for seniors and help remove the stigma that a device like this is only for the elderly. With the right application behind them, these tools can provide the same level of emergency response as a medical alert device and the style or additional functionality that a senior may be looking for. And with a bright future predicted for the adoption of wearables among adults 65 and over, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ageinplacetech.com/files/aip/Report%20Final%20June%202021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aging and Health Technology Watch</a>, this combination makes great sense.

There are also options for seniors who are looking to stay safe without an accessory: personal safety or SOS apps. There are several personal safety apps available for smart phones, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adt.com/sosecure" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoSecure</a>&nbsp;by ADT, which can be downloaded for free, and allows the user to request emergency assistance from virtually anywhere.

Smart home devices are another tech tool that can help seniors age in place. With features like reminders, alarms and automations, smart devices can add a layer of simplicity and take the pressure off a senior to remember everything in a day.

A senior’s home safety can also be enhanced through smart devices like smart lights, which can light a path to the bathroom when motion is detected in the middle of the night or smart locks, which can be set to lock automatically at bedtime. Smart home devices can be combined with security systems to add another layer of protection with smoke/CO detectors, water leak sensors and burglary alarms.

Caregivers can gain some peace of mind through smart home devices by setting up alerts to know if their parent is up and about during the day using motion or door and window sensors. With smart speakers and cameras with two-way talk, caregivers can also check in to say hello and make sure their parent is alright if something seems off.

As smart technology develops, it will become more and more accessible to seniors who can use it to help keep their quality of life high and age in the place they call home. Wearables and smart home devices are just a couple of examples of how technology can help meet the needs of this population and we should expect to continue to see use of these devices grow within this age group.

While some seniors need around-the-clock care, others may just need some occasional help and the ability to quickly check in with their caregivers. For those that require a less intense level of care, wearables and smart home devices are a great option to help them age in place. Wearables and mobile safety Medical alert devices […]

Wearables and smart devices are the future of senior safety - ADT

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Wearables and smart devices are the future of senior safety

<img class="size-medium wp-image-1585 alignleft" src="https://newsroom-editor.adt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AJ5I2651.jpg?w=200" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Every few months, ADT Vice President of Product Engineering, Mark Reimer, asks the engineers on his team to ride along with front-line technicians who install and service security systems at the homes and businesses of ADT customers. “The experience provides a better sense of what is really happening on a day-to-day basis with our customers,” he said, explaining that his engineers get to see first-hand what works well and the areas for improvement. The engineers bring these insights back to the lab where they use them along with data from surveys, focus groups and online reviews to build the hardware and write the software for the company. Also, by combining the on-site insights with other sources of data, ADT can provide even greater levels of service and provide ADT customers with peace of mind. A ride-along might introduce a software engineer to a scenario where a customer had a problem connecting their smart home device, revealing an opportunity to make do-it-yourself projects easier and more seamless. “We still need a human to actually put the sensor on there – we haven’t figured out that part – but beyond that, maybe it can self-heal its connection with the alarm panel all by itself,” Reimer said. “When we troubleshoot a scenario, we try to flip the problem upside down. We ask what if the problem solved itself? How would that look? How could that work? It helps us think about things from the customer perspective allowing us to innovate more and find new solutions.” A programmer at age 4 Reimer was raised by parents who were both teachers– one high school, the other college. During the summer months, they ran computer labs and came home each summer with machines that their three boys could learn to program. Reimer was exposed to technology at such a young age that he started to tinker with machines before he even started kindergarten. Reimer’s older brothers often wrote software for games that he played and tested. When he’d shoot a balloon that wouldn’t pop, for example, his brothers would go fix the software program. After a while, he wanted to be like his brothers – writing programs, not just testing them. <img class="wp-image-1587 alignright" src="https://newsroom-editor.adt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Unknown-2-e1656010779472.jpeg?w=284" alt="Mark as a child on his birthday" width="323" height="341" /> “I didn’t go as far as making a game, but I was able to have the computer print out my name in an endless loop,” he recalled. “And it was really amazing, because when you’re four, you have very little control over your world and the fact that I could control this computer was mind blowing.” He was hooked and started to iterate and innovate. He made his name split into columns, zigzag across the screen, animate with larger and smaller fonts. Then, he asked: “What else can I get the computer to do?” Two things from that early foray into computer programming stuck with Reimer: curiosity and persistence. He didn’t have a manual, and even if he had, he was four and didn’t yet know how to read. Instead, he relied on experimentation. “There’s always going to be some light at the end of the tunnel, or some solution to the problem if you just keep trying, have persistence and never give up,” he said. “That’s still with me today, that’s how I approach problems.” Learning on the job <img class="size-medium wp-image-1589 alignright" src="https://newsroom-editor.adt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Unknown-e1656010921733.jpeg?w=291" alt="Mark going to school as child" width="291" height="300" />Reimer went to California State University, Sacramento, to study computer science; however, he learned more outside the classroom. His first job during college was at a company that designed pipes for the oil and gas industry where he was a computer technician, an on-call fix-it guy. About once a month, he’d get a call to backup data from faulty hard drives. After doing this for a handful of people multiple times, he decided to write a software program that automated hard drive backups for everyone. “The engineering lead realized that I could code, and my job changed from being the hardware fix-it guy to writing a lot of internal automation programs,” Reimer said. “That’s what led me more into the software realm.” He bounced around startups through college, writing code and, as he puts it, “learning more about computers in the real world than in the classroom.” Before he graduated, he got a job writing software to automate processes for the sales team of then ADT parent company, Tyco International. Before he came on board, the sales team wrote tickets with pen and paper and then created triplicates as part of a complex and manual sales tracking system. “I wrote a program to automate and streamline that process,” he said. “Then they started to build a team under me. This was the early 2000s and we were doing digital transformation. I loved it. It was amazing to see the sales peoples’ eyes light up – they’re like, ‘Whoa, I can just type it in and hit a button?” Career growth Reimer moved from TYCO to ADT in 2003 and then left in 2005 to take a leadership role – director of enterprise architecture – at a company that ran programs on behalf of state governments that they outsourced. He helped designed the software solution and supporting infrastructure that was needed to run the services. In the role, he learned to create compelling solutions that were also cost-efficient and delivered on time. With that experience on his resume, Reimer rejoined ADT in 2008 as an engineering leader. His focus since then has been on innovating solutions that provide customers greater peace of mind. For example, he drove the engineering for ADT Pulse, the company’s first-generation interactive security platform that enables customers to control their smart home security system from anywhere through a smartphone app. ADT Pulse runs on a platform built and managed by a third party. Much of Reimer’s responsibility with this service involves working with the vendor to maintain the stability of the system and continually improve the customer experience of using the app. When the app first launched in 2010, for example, logging in took about five seconds. At the time, that was the industry standard and acceptable to users. Fast forward five years, and five seconds was an eternity. User data demonstrated a greater demand for quicker login times. “We knew the new target was 250 milliseconds,” said Reimer, and he pushed his team and the vendor to reach that new goal. “If we weren’t paying attention to the data, I don’t know if we would have known that was an important thing for the customer.” “I have had the pleasure to work with Mark since he joined ADT and I would say the things I admire most about him are his proven leadership and engineering skills, his endless persistence to keep improving and his deep connection to our customer's needs,” said Raya Sevilla, ADT Chief Technology Officer, who has managed Reimer since she joined the company in 2013. Out and back, again An opportunity to run and grow the home security offerings of a major communications technology firm lured Reimer away from ADT for a few years at the end of the 2010s. However, while away, he remained in touch with Sevilla, a mentor and friend. When ADT’s refreshed senior leadership team in 2020 announced a renewed investment in innovation, Sevilla called Reimer and brought him back for the role of Vice President, Product Engineering. Today, Reimer is focused on delivering a customer experience that provides peace of mind across ADT’s life safety and security services. He’s also developing artificial intelligence techniques to leverage data streamed from internet-connected devices to build the safe, smart and sustainable home of tomorrow. For some customers, this may mean harnessing data from video cameras, microphones and other sensors to allow customers to age gracefully in their homes without fear of being stranded if they slip and fall. For others, it may mean a smarter home monitoring system that uses pattern recognition like a connected dog collar to differentiate opening the door to let out a pet with a full bladder vs a burglar. Alliances, privacy and customer focus To help enable this future, Reimer is ADT’s representative to the Z-Wave and Matter alliances, which set standards that ensure smart home devices from different manufacturers such as lights, locks, thermostats and open/close sensors all speak the same language. This allows customers to mix and match smart home devices from different companies and hook them into ADT’s smart home security platforms. “The compatibility factor removes friction for the customer,” Reimer explained. “When a customer buys a smart device, if it is certified Matter or Z-wave compliant, if it has that logo, rest assured, it is going to work – it meets the standard and no one has to think about it twice.” Reimer also joined the Security Industry Consumer Privacy Initiative, which ADT launched in 2019 to help lay out industry guiding principles and push the security industry toward greater transparency on consumer privacy. “I’m interested in privacy-by-design,” he said, referring to a set of seven principles that put privacy first throughout the engineering process of any product and service. “One of the things I’m instilling in the engineering organization is those seven privacy-by-design principles and baking that into our products.” Any of these products that carry the ADT logo or are loaded onto an ADT technician’s truck must first go through a rigorous certification process at ADT’s engineering lab near Boca Raton, Fla. The process looks at everything down to the type of screw used to install door and window sensors. “Every step in the design process makes a huge difference for technicians,” he said from first-hand knowledge gathered during a ride along. “Complexity is the enemy of scale. Something as little as changing up the screw could require them to carry a new head on their screwdriver and keep track of one versus the other.”

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Every few months, ADT Vice President of Product Engineering, Mark Reimer asks the engineers on his team to ride along with front-line technicians who install and service security systems at the homes and businesses of ADT customers.

Customers are Front of Mind for Mark Reimer, ADT Vice President of Product Engineering - ADT

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As the most trusted and experienced brand in the home security industry, ADT sets a high bar when it comes to our products. More than six million customers rely on ADT devices to help protect and connect what matters most to them. It is essential that each and every product performs as expected and as advertised, no matter the conditions.

For example, ADT specifies that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adt.com/command" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Command</a>&nbsp;panel, which integrates with and controls a customer’s smart security and home automation devices, can connect with up to 128 security devices, 250 lifestyle devices, and 8 UI devices at once.

Tim Rader, Senior Director, Product Development, and his team of experts at the ADT Engineering Technology Center take these specifications very seriously. That’s why they run every panel that ADT sells and installs through an exhaustive process known as large system testing.

In one of the lab’s teched-out rooms stands a white pegboard with an ADT Command panel in the center, surrounded by 250 different devices, including window sensors, doorbells, keypads, smoke detectors, thermostats, and more. Each product is constantly interacting with the panel, sending it alerts and running events to ensure that it responds exactly as it’s supposed to.

For many competitors and manufacturers, tests like this would often be automated, with a computer simulating each of the devices. But the ETC team puts a premium on “real world” testing, working hard to recreate the environment of a customer’s home. By connecting the panel with actual devices, they’re able to obtain the most accurate information and results possible.

This is a hallmark of the ETC — going above and beyond in everything they do to provide customers with safe, smart, and sustainable solutions that can handle anything thrown their way.

You can learn more about the ADT Engineering Technology Center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypMChQStdSg" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.

As the most trusted and experienced brand in the home security industry, ADT sets a high bar when it comes to our products. More than six million customers rely on ADT devices to help protect and connect what matters most to them. It is essential that each and every product performs as expected and as […]

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