The U.S. live monitoring market has exploded in the last three years, and the quality gap between providers is enormous. Use this checklist on every vendor you evaluate — the answers will sort the serious operators from the resellers.
Operations & response
- Is the SOC U.S.-based and staffed 24/7/365 (not seasonal)?
- What is the average alert-to-action time? (Should be <30 seconds.)
- Is talk-down included or a paid add-on?
- Do operators dispatch police directly with a verified-video code?
Technology
- Does the platform work with your existing cameras (ONVIF/RTSP)?
- Is AI analytics included (line crossing, loitering, intrusion)?
- How is video stored, encrypted and retained?
- Is the platform SOC 2 Type II certified?
Reporting & accountability
- Do you receive a nightly incident report with clips?
- Is there a customer portal with live event search?
- What are the published SLA penalties for missed events?
- Will they provide three U.S. customer references in your industry?
Red flags
Long lock-in contracts (>12 months), opaque pricing per event, no published SLA, offshore-only operators, or unwillingness to do a 24-hour live test feed before you sign. Any one of these is a reason to keep looking.