LocalTel expands into home, business security

Mar 02, 2013 (The Wenatchee World - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- EAST WENATCHEE -- The region's largest privately-held communications and media company has continued its expansion into new technologies with the purchase of a local security company that specializes in electronic alarm and monitoring systems.

LocalTel Communications, which provides phone, Internet, television and wireless service across North Central Washington, began in February to offer services of Wenatchee-based Corban Security -- now renamed Guardian Services Division -- to commercial and residential clients.

LocalTel purchased the seven-year-old security company in December and has been incorporating its four employees -- including Corban owner Michael Blakly -- and equipment into the LocalTel mix, said the communication company's president Dimitri Mandelis. He did not disclose the purchase price.

"It's a good fit for us," said Mandelis. "The systems are already in place -- well, mostly in place -- for us to offer burglar alarms, fire alarms, home monitoring and other security services to our customers." The security services will become part of bundled packages of phone, TV and Internet offered by LocalTel, he said. "Which can mean lower costs for some customers, depending on how they bundle our services." LocalTel was founded in 1982 by partners Mandelis, John Seabeck and Paul Probst and was up and running the following year. The 84-employee company will celebrate its 30th anniversary of operations in 2013.

In the last year, LocalTel has purchased all or part of a handful of competing and complementary businesses. Last summer, the company bought and consolidated the fiber optic equipment and customer hookups of Genext LLC, its largest competitor, along with the fiber and wireless services of smaller companies Envision Technologies, Panda Computers, NCW-Online and Rabbit Meadows.

The new Guardian Services will offer monitoring, surveillance and alarm systems -- both on-site and remote -- to LocalTel's 16,000 customers in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan and Grant counties.

"The technology for these services is pretty amazing -- linked to smartphones and laptops -- so home and business owners really can keep an eye on their property from a distance," said Mandelis. "And best of all, the equipment gets better and prices get lower for these technologies all the time." Guardian will also offer customers computer security with off-site electronic storage for critical information, Web filtering for porn and other objectionable content, email filtering of spam and other unwanted messages and "double net" connections that offer backup links to the Internet if a fiber or wireless connection fails.

"We're offering more than just burglar alarms," said Mandelis. "These services provide peace of mind for both property and data -- nowadays, those are two very valuable commodities." Mike Irwin: 665-1179 irwin@wenatcheeworld.com ___ (c)2013 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.) Visit The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.) at www.wenatcheeworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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