A Cougar first for security monitoring

Reported October 2009

Cougar Monitoring Services is the first approved ARC in the UK to have implemented Bold Communications Gemini security management software. 

Specialists in providing remote Alarm and CCTV protection services for commercial and residential clients across the UK, Cougar began using Bold Communications’ equipment within its central station more than 7 years ago.  With a reputation for excellent customer service, the client base expanded rapidly and the monitoring system with it.  18 months ago, Cougar reached a point where they were considering the best way to accommodate this growth and started a process of reviewing the available monitoring solutions.  The result was Cougar Monitoring became the first BS:5979 Cat II approved ARC in the UK to adopt Bold’s award winning Gemini software.   

Having now run Gemini for 18 months, Simon Jennings, Control Room Manager at Cougar said, “We wanted to offer more services to our customers and were looking for a system which was scaleable and could deliver reliably, efficiently and was also easy to use.  Having already been happy with Bold systems we had used in past, and the support we had received, we were immediately interested when we learnt they were about to launch a completely new monitoring solution onto the market.”

He continued, “With so many management products on offer, it can be difficult to differentiate, but the thing that struck me about Gemini was its feature range.  It is a top end monitoring product but at the same time is accessible to all levels of control room operator.  So many security solutions promise to deliver something new but Bold really have thought of everything essential for a forward looking monitoring centre.  We are now able to offer a wider range of innovative monitoring services to a much larger and diverse group of customers.”

Cougar was also first in line when Gemini Web was recently launched.  Offering an easy means of providing access for installers and end user clients to their own data Gemini Web enables organisations to manage their alarm activity in a market where information is a vital resource.  Cougar’s installers can now set up new accounts, signalling logs and reports can viewed and scheduled, systems put on test and site information such as keyholders and contact details updated.  Not only does this add value to the monitoring service for the client, but for the ARC it provides a saving in administration resources.        

Simon also comments “I recognised from past experience that the more added value we give our installers, the happier they are to continue using our services. I believe that this is the way to go in the 21st century and, in particular I like the idea of giving engineers the freedom to place their own systems on/off test”.

For more information about Gemini or any of our alarm monitoring equipment please contact us