Free alarms for Jakartans

JAKARTA (JP): United States-based home security company Protection One is offering free security systems for 1,000 selected Jakartans, a company executive said on Wednesday.

"1,000 units of our latest alarm system, Central 2000, will be given to residents of selected housing complexes in the capital," the head of the company's business and product development department, Hanson Hardjojuwono, said.

Speaking before the opening of the Indocomtech '99 technology exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta, he said the alarm systems, with a price of US$1,000 per unit, would be installed under a two-year contract.

"We'll only charge each of the 1,000 customers Rp 60,000 ($8.50) per month for our services.

"We'll limit the distribution of Central 2000 to 1,000 units for a three-year period in the capital, while we evaluate the market here," he said.

Hanson said Central 2000 was a wireless alarm system, equipped with magnetic, ultrasonic and passive infrared motion censors which could detect smoke, heat or intruders.

He said the systems would be connected to the company's 24- hour monitoring service, which would contact clients by telephone if the alarm detected trouble.

"Users can also program their own contact numbers and decide their own protection zones, which are undetectable even by our customer service officers," he said. (01)