alarmTXT

(Frequently Asked Questions)

* How reliable is SMS reporting? When was the last time a mate sent you a TXT and it took a while to receive it? While this is not very often Telecom and Vodafone cannot guarantee any time to deiver a message, as it depends on network utilisation. For example, if there is a NZ Idol competition running there may be a delay. So SMS reporting is no substitute for "back to base" alarm reporting, but is a whole lot better than your alarm not being monitored at all! Normally the TXT will arrive in 30-60 seconds of an activation.

* What's wrong with making the Alarm call my mobile - I see my number on the display and if there is no one there or I hear some beeps it must be my alarm? Yeah right! But how often do you miss calls on your mobile because it was out of coverage or was left on "silent" - or turned off? And do you know what the alarm really was and how seriously to treat it? The power may have gone off - not a burglary in progress! With SMS even if your mobile is turned off or out of coverage, when you turn it back on it or come back into coverage you will receive the TXT. And normally the mobile phone TXT notification is very loud and distinctive! On most phones you can even set up a different alert sound based on the sending number.

* Can I have SMS messages sent to several different mobile phones from the same alarm unit? Yes you can. There is no limit to the number of mobiles supported. Just send your activation request as normal by email, but use the same ID as for the first mobile phone. Your TXT message authorises us to send the same message to the requesting mobile phone number. This will be charged as an additional message at the same rate as the first mobile.