The Locksmith Journal Sep/Oct 2018 - Issue 58 | Page 42

42 • NATIONAL HOME SECURITY MONTH PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE Training with ERA - the Smart Way » » SMARTWARE HAS BEEN AROUND for a while, with ‘Mr Techie’ having installed his Alexa well over a year ago, but the idea of a truly connected home has been very much in its infancy. As we move more into the mainstream market, ‘Mr Not-Quite-so-Techie’ is beginning to see the benefits that the new technology can bring, especially in home security, where they can truly monitor their home from wherever they are in an affordable way. However, whilst a lot of people are comfortable using a smartphone, there is still some reluctance in setting up a smart system, in case something goes wrong. That’s where locksmiths are perfectly placed to help with the support of home security experts, ERA. TRAIN TO GAIN Recognising that locksmiths may need extra support themselves to understand the full capabilities of smartware, ERA has introduced a comprehensive programme of smartware installation training sessions, specifically designed to help the locksmith feel confident in front of customers talking about the product and installing it. Tania Tams, head of marketing at ERA said, “We appreciate that Locksmiths are experts in their field in security and are 100% confident fitting a lock in front of a customer, but we know they may not feel as sure they can fit smartware with the same confidence and expertise. “For this reason, we have developed our own high quality smartware training programme, which covers all aspects of ERA smartware, from specifying the product for a customer enabling installers to confidently advise their customers on the right product for them, setting up the system on their customers phone, through to the back up support and more. “We acknowledge that locksmiths are at the ‘coal face’ with their customers and need to be confident fitting the product and explaining the supporting app settings and features. As a responsible organisation developing, manufacturing and supplying smartware products, providing high quality training for our trusted customers, was the next logical step. “We understand that locksmiths will need to commit to smartware, certainly in terms of time initially, so its important that they consider the pedigree of the company supplying the products – after all, no one wants unhappy customers when a company goes bump and the app supporting its smartware is switched off, rendering newly installed products useless. “At ERA, we are constantly striving to provide not only excellent smartware products, but also back up, including a dedicated helpdesk manned by smartware experts and now our specialist training. We have invested heavily to provide the resources our customers have come to expect from a reliable and credible brand.” TRAINING LOW-DOWN ERA’s smartware training is currently available at the company’s brand- new purpose-built head office, located on the prestigious i54 business park just outside of Wolverhampton. Tania said, “All you need to do is visit www.eraeverywhere.com to register your place and book on to one of our sessions which run in the morning or evening on selected dates. It’s on a first come first served basis so make sure you register early to secure your preferred date and time.” The structured training sessions are held in the company’s spacious training suite and are led by members of the friendly and knowledgeable ERA team. Tania continued, “Following a brief introduction to ERA, we explore the smartware opportunity and how it can benefit locksmiths. Don’t forget, the smartware market will be worth over $300 billion worldwide by 2020 and security makes up a large part of that figure. As demand grows for the reassurance and convenience that smartware brings, those already prepared will stand to make the biggest gains.” LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | SEP/OCT 2018 STARTING AT THE BEGINNING For those who want to ease into the connected home, the ERA training includes a section on its popular Invincible and Valiant alarms, part of ERA’s Easy Home range, which offer practical connected security protection that doesn’t rely on a smartphone for set up or use. The robust and reliable Invincible allows users to set their own network, alert and notification preferences to suit their personal security and lifestyle needs, whilst the Valiant solar siren alarm system is ideal for smaller properties or as a starter kit for later expansion. Both are excellent for customers wanting a plug and play alternative to smart. A SMART SWITCH Tania continued, “Next we move on to the ERA Home suite of smartware which includes the DoorCam video doorbell, HomeGuard Pro intruder alarm. “Within the session, we explain how each product uses cloud-based technology to safely store settings and is conveniently controlled, from anywhere in the world, with a simple smartphone app. “The benefits of smartware are immense – DoorCam allows you to answer the door from wherever you are, view your caller in real time via the integrated camera as well Continued on page 44...