Web portal service is a monthly charge (per monitoring device), billed in advance annually. Rates quoted are the initial rate based on "typical" alarm monitoring usage. Your actual usage is monitored during the course of the year. Your price for the following year is based on actual usage if substantially different than "typical". If your actual usage exceeds 300% of "typical" in any given month, we will notify you. If the excess usage continues longer than 2 months, you may receive an interim billing for excess usage.
Here is how we define "typical" usage for cellular GSM/GPRS remote monitoring: We expect the device to report in every 6 hours just for its periodic status update, which typically includes data logging of 1 to 5 data points. We anticipate some average number of alert notifications in addition to the periodic updates. Alarm monitoring points incur no periodic cost, they only accumulate cost when the alarm occurs. A typical application will "log" data for 1 to 5 points while monitoring alarms on 30 or more points. The "cost" of alerts depends on how you manage them, and these are calculated in terms of "credits". The "typical" usage includes 30 free credits per month. These credits are used up as follows:
| Credits |
Usage |
| 0.5* |
Alert transaction, device to server "round trip" |
| 1.0 |
SMS alert message delivered by server to user (emails are free) |
| 5.0 |
Voice alert message delivered by server to user |
| 3.0* |
SMS "ping" such as "connect now" or "remote start" |
| 0.5 |
Additional data logging, daily rate for approx. 30 registers |
Additional credits can be purchased at $0.07 per credit. If you anticipate heavy usage, we can help you estimate a more appropriate monthly credit allowance. Your service is NOT interrupted when you use up your monthly credits. If the average usage is excessive, we will contact you about adjusting your monthly billing rate and credit allowance. Monthly credits are pooled across all of your devices, and DO roll over to the following month(s) if not used.
*These do not apply to wired Internet. The above pricing information applies specifically to cellular GSM/GPRS coverage. The pricing for wired Internet is comparable, except there is no air time charge. This means your remote monitoring device can report in more frequently than every 6 hours without any cost penalty, and there is not credit charge for alert transactions (since no air time usage is involved). SMS and voice alerts do incur charges with wired or wireless monitoring devices.
Service Interruption: Cellular coverage and continuity of service are beyond the immediate control of Control Solutions, Inc. If you are unable to get cellular coverage in your intended area of service, we will, upon return of equipment, refund the full purchase price. Occasional interruption of service does occur due to network maintenance and the like. Refunds for disruption of service will be made only to the extent that refunds are provided by the carrier (such as AT&T Wireless).
Devices and service packages may be purchased online. Package pricing is available here via the Control Solutions online shopping cart.
