Ring launches Protect, its own $199 connected home security system

Ring, maker of one of the original (and still likely the best) connected video doorbell, has launched a comprehensive home security system called Protect, which retails for $199 and includes a base station, keypad (for arming and disarming) a contact sensor for a window or door, a passive infrared sensor for detecting motion and a Z-Wave extender for adding range to smart home devices that use the standard.

The security system from Ring comes just a couple of weeks after connected home rival Nest launched its own security system, Nest Secure. I asked Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff whether Ring’s product was a response to Nest’s, but he said he believes it’s actually quite the opposite.

“We had this pretty much set out, but because we got sued by ADT, because we’re doing something so competitive to them that they had to try to step in our way, which I think is a complement, it released a lot of information about this. I believe that’s why you saw a half-baked announcement that came from a competitor that didn’t even have full pricing and shipping dates on everything. I think it was kind of the opposite; it’s amazing that a competitor that size is reacting to us, and I’ll take that as a complement, too.”

Also, Ring thinks it can do more than others in this space because of its overarching mission, which has focused much of its product development to date: Creating a so-called “Ring of security” that extends across the home and into the neighbourhood. Protect is a big part of that plan, because it deepens the relationship that Ring has with its customers, and allows it to gather data to help truly hone and personalize its alert system and monitoring services.

“Where we’re going with it is once we know this, we can then do things in our network which include, you know if someone’s walking around your house at 3 AM in the morning and your house is on stay mode, then we can do a different type of alert or sort of raise the alert level on that camera,” explained Siminoff. “And then we do things like deliver presence saying ‘How can I help you, what are you doing?’ and so really taking that presence and that interactivity, and that pre-crime thing that Ring is so good at and take it to the next level by knowing the status.”

This, according to Siminoff, is one of Ring’s key differentiators over home security industry stalwarts like ADT. He repeatedly called ADT and its ilk “marketing companies” on our call, whereas Ring is a product and “mission” company. The goal of most home security providers is to market safety and security and sell that marketing as a product with a lucrative recurring subscription, is the implication, whereas Ring is focused on an overall goal of making neighbourhoods more secure, per Siminoff.

“All the other companies in this space are thinking about how to maximize value out of each person, and the prices show that. If you look at what Ring is charging for this, in terms of the $10 per month and $100 per year, we are breaking the sound barrier on pricing around home security.”

Siminoff’s point is well-made: That subscription fee includes all video storage and monitoring, as well last 24/7 professional monitor by trained personnel. Nest’s 24/7 monitoring pricing isn’t yet fixed, and it’ll be separate from its Nest Aware subscription which is already around $10 per month.

Ring Protect retails for $199 for the basic hardware, which is also less than Nest Secure’s $399 entry price. The system also works with all of Ring’s existing products, and will be rolling out support for third-party connected devices over time, too. On its own, it operates as a self-monitored connected security system, sending you alerts while you’re away. The Protect plans starting at $10 monthly include 24/7 monitoring by professionals, as well as unlimited cloud storage for recording from an unlimited number of Ring devices, as well as a 10 percent discount on future Ring hardware purchases.

The Ring Protect system is available for pre-order now, and should arrive in physical stores later this month.