SimpliSafe Unveils Live Guard Outdoor Protection: First Look

Today, SimpliSafe announced the initiation of its live guard outdoor protection service, granting exclusive early access to select customers. Last year, SimpliSafe released live guard for its indoor cameras, giving customers more specific and immediate help if something fishy happens inside the home. Now, that extra layer of protection expands outside your home—where SimpliSafe hopes it will deter criminals before they break in.

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In a bid to fortify residential safety, SimpliSafe's latest offering extends beyond conventional indoor security. By deploying its own team of security experts, SimpliSafe upgrades outdoor protection, positioning itself as a premier provider of comprehensive (and proactive) monitoring services—inside and outside the household.

SimpliSafe's live guard outdoor monitoring service echoes the approach of Deep Sentinel, the first outdoor security system with live guards that we tested and reviewed. I, for one, am hopeful this trend signals a new era in proactive home security. The double-layered approach that merges the potency of artificial intelligence (AI) technology with a human team of monitoring professionals may be the most effective way to thwart criminal activities before they occur.

Statistics reveal that nearly two million individuals fall prey to burglary and trespassing in the US annually, enduring profound emotional and financial ramifications. The fleeting nature of home invasions—lasting a mere 10 minutes on average—emphasizes the critical importance of swift response measures. However, mitigating property damage and loss becomes a big challenge once an intruder breaches the threshold.

This service operates on the principle of vigilance, surveilling the perimeter of residences to deter potential intruders. SimpliSafe's monitoring agents intervene when they detect unauthorized activity, hopefully stopping the bad actor before any damage or break-in occurs. SimpliSafe's agents are also empowered to dispatch law enforcement if necessary.

"For decades, the home security industry has remained reactive, intervening only once a breach has occurred," says Christian Cerda, Chief Executive Officer at SimpliSafe. "SimpliSafe endeavors to challenge this status quo, proffering proactive solutions that redefine safety standards for our customers."

When armed, SimpliSafe systems activate the outdoor cameras, scanning the surroundings for potential threats. The service can cross-reference detected people against customer profiles by leveraging advanced AI algorithms. If the person isn't recognized, monitoring agents are called on to check live video feeds and use two-way audio communication to deter intruders.

Emphasizing privacy as paramount, SimpliSafe is giving customers absolute control over monitored cameras and surveillance activities. As we saw during our Deep Sentinel test, it can be unsettling to know that strangers (even if they're trained security monitors) are observing your camera footage—including your moves around your property. We'll be interested to see how well SimpliSafe's promised "control" performs in real life. SimpliSafe also assured customers that robust encryption protocols are in place to safeguard live and recorded footage.

SimpliSafe launched the service today for members of its Early Access Program. Live guard outdoor monitoring is scheduled for public release later this year. This move brings SimpliSafe's Fast Protect™ Technology initiative into the spotlight—aiming to deliver the most proactive detection, deterrence, and prevention capabilities in the home security game.

When SimpliSafe rolled out live guard for its indoor cameras,  no additional charges were added; enrollment in the Fast Protect™ monitoring plan was the only requirement. We hope the company sticks to this practice, but if Deep Sentinel is any example, we won't be surprised if this service comes with a heftier price tag.

• SimpliSafe Home Security Review
• What is Live Guard by SimpliSafe?
• Guarding My Home with Deep Sentinel DS2: A Detailed 30-Day Review
• SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera Review
• SimpliSafe Cameras Review: Indoor, Outdoor, and Doorbell