Gilmore is actively pursuing partnerships with sensor manufacturers, alarm companies, and smart home monitoring providers. “We’re talking here at CES with all sorts of companies doing smart home monitoring,” he says. “The dog crate is a part of that home, and we’re bringing a device and platform that can connect to those third-party devices.”
For alarm companies, CleverK9 provides an entry point into pet monitoring services – complete with a subscription model for app access and alerts that creates recurring monthly revenue similar to traditional alarm monitoring. The crate can be bundled with new system installations or as an add-on for existing customers.
The Business Case for Pet Tech Integration
The three companies at CES demonstrate different approaches to reach the same goal: Using technology to protect pets while creating new revenue streams for residential service providers. The residential security market may be somewhat capped, but the pet safety market is just beginning. Alarm companies with established customer bases of pet owners can expand wallet share by offering products and services these customers already want to buy, and here’s why it will work:
1. Pet owners are underserved. Despite the size of the pet care market, few security companies offer pet-specific protection beyond basic camera monitoring. This creates differentiation opportunities for early movers who can credibly position themselves as “pet safety specialists” in their markets.
2. Immediate integration paths exist. All three products work with existing security infrastructure. Rescue Retriever can integrate with monitored smoke detection; Pawport accepts standard door sensors; CleverK9 uses Z-Wave protocol. Alarm companies do not need to build new back-end systems to support these products.
3. The customer conversation changes. Leading or including pet safety – ie, “We protect your whole family, including your pets” – positions alarm companies as home protection specialists rather than just security system installers. This broader positioning helps customer acquisition and reduces churn as customers become more deeply invested in the service relationship.
4. Recurring revenue models apply. Pet tech does not require abandoning the monitoring business model that drives alarm company valuations. App-based monitoring, alert services, and integration management all support monthly recurring charges that complement traditional security monitoring fees.
The bottom line is, pet tech companies will find distribution channels. If alarm companies do not establish partnerships, pet tech will reach consumers through retailers, veterinarians, or direct-to-consumer channels. At that point, alarm companies lose the integration opportunity and the customer relationship benefits.
