If your Signal Receiving Centre (central station or monitoring center) operates in Canada and is ULC listed, you have probably heard about the new redundancy requirement to maintain your ULC certification. This requirement to have a secondary, redundant location as a backup to your primary location must be met by January 2025.
So what does that mean for your monitoring center? Do you need to start building a physical site with new equipment? Are there other solutions that are more convenient and cost-effective?
Our team put together the following Frequently Asked Questions with some straightforward answers and practical guidance to help you understand the redundancy requirement and what your options are to comply with it before the January 2025 deadline.
What ULC standards apply to monitoring centers?
The two ULC standards that apply to monitoring centers, called Signal Receiving Centres (SRCs) in Canada, are:
- CAN/ULC-S301, the Standard for Signal Receiving Centres Configurations and Operations
- CAN/ULC-561, the Standard for Installation and Services for Fire Signal Receiving Centres and Systems
Is it true that these standards were updated and now require monitoring centers to have two sites beginning in 2025 to retain their ULC Listing?
Yes, this is true. In 2020, ULC issued updates to their guidelines and stipulated that by January 1, 2025, monitoring centers have to establish a second redundant location in order to earn or maintain their ULC Listing.
What does ULC define as a redundant site?
A redundant site means a physical location that is able to provide all of the essential functions of a signal receiving center should an automated signal receiving center become unable to process signals.
Essentially, there are three things you need to back up to meet the redundant site requirement: servers, receivers, and operators.
Why did ULC make this change?
ULC made this change to the standard to ensure that your operations can continue in the event your primary site is unable to process alarm signals. ULC guidelines stipulate that your second
redundant location must have all the capabilities of your primary site and be fully equipped and operational, so that if you need to quickly switch from one site to another, you are ready.
Further information about this is available in the following bulletins: CAN/ULC-S301:2018 and CAN/ULC-S561:2020.
Do I have to build out a secondary site to meet the redundancy requirement and retain my ULC Listing?
No, you do not. Operating your own secondary site with your own hardware and operators is one way to meet the redundancy requirement but it is not the only way. Instead you may choose a cloud solution or a hybrid solution to meet the requirement. This should come as good news to alarm monitoring centers looking for a simple but effective way to meet this requirement.
So how can I meet the redundant site requirement without building my own secondary site?
If your organization does not want to build its own secondary, redundant site, these are the options you have to comply with the requirement and maintain your ULC Listing:
1. Use another company’s ULC Listed Signal Receiving Center (SRC) (i.e. a Central Station) to serve as a failover point.
- What does this mean: you would purchase your own servers and receivers and install and operate them in another SRC’s facility. You would contract with that SRC to supply their operators as backup during a failover period.
- Though you are not constructing a new facility, this option still requires significant capital expenditure to purchase servers and receivers. Think of it as duplicating your entire environment in a different location.
2. Use the services of a ULC Listed Hosted Signal Receiving Center (HSRC) (i.e. a Hosted Central Station or Hosted Monitoring Center).
- What does this mean: you would move your infrastructure (servers and/or receivers) into the cloud. You can no longer operate your own servers and/or receivers at your own site. You would contract with another SRC/central station to supply their operators as backup during a failover period.
- There is more than one type of HSRC and they are defined by what equipment they provide.
- HSRC Type 1 provides servers only. Think of it as a SaaS model, with your servers moving into the cloud. You would still own and operate your receivers, but you could no longer operate your own servers.
- HSRC Type 2 provides both servers and receivers. Think of it as a PaaS model, with servers and receivers moving into the cloud. If you partner with an HSRC Type 2, you would no longer own and operate any of your own equipment.
- There are many potential benefits when moving your infrastructure into the cloud, including possible cost savings, streamlined operations, greater flexibility to respond to changing economic and business conditions, and reduced risk of downtime.
- However, if you’ve made significant infrastructure investments, or if owning and maintaining control over your own servers and receivers is a top priority, you may want to consider other options.
- Bold Group’s data center in Mequon, WI is in the final stages of the certification process to be ULC Listed as an HSRC Type 2, which means we will be able to offer you both SaaS and PaaS solutions.
3. Use the services of a ULC Listed Hosted Signal Receiving Center (HSRC) that is also your ULC Listed Automation Software Provider.
- What does this mean: The HSRC (that is also your ULC Listed Automation Software Provider) provides both servers and receivers in the cloud as a backup, but you would continue to operate your own servers and receivers at your primary site. To meet the operator redundancy requirement, you would contract with another SRC/central station to use their operators as backup.
- Think of this as a hybrid PaaS model. This is the only path that allows you to keep your own local infrastructure without also having to purchase a second set of servers and receivers, or build a second site.
- However, you have this option only if your Automation Software Provider is ULC Listed both for software and as an HRSC.
- You may want to consider this option if you’ve made significant infrastructure investments recently, or if you want to manage and operate your own servers and receivers to have more control over your alarm monitoring operation. In some cases, it may also be more cost-effective and easier to implement.
- Since Bold Group’s monitoring and automation software is ULC Listed, and our Wisconsin data center is in the certification process to be ULC Listed as an HSRC, we eventually will be able to offer customers using our monitoring software this hybrid model.
Which path should I choose to meet the redundancy requirement?
The best way for your central/monitoring station to meet the requirements depends upon a variety of factors, including what your current pain points and business goals are, what infrastructure you have in place, what budget you have for capital expenditure, and what alarm automation software you use currently.
If you’d like to discuss which of these options is the best fit for your organization, please reach out to Bold Group to schedule a call.
I’ve heard that cloud-based software and infrastructure is less secure. Is this true?
This is a common misconception in the security industry, and it simply isn’t true. In fact, cloud solutions often offer greater security and reliability than on-prem solutions and can even decrease your risk of cyber threats and outages. What matters most is choosing a trusted cloud services partner with a history of serving the security industry.
Bold Group’s dedicated cloud security team runs frequent tests to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities, keeping up to date with the latest receiver versions. Immutable backups with encryption and multiple layers of consistently updated firewalls are just a few pieces of our solution that ensure the security of your data.
Do Canada’s data privacy laws affect my ability to using cloud solutions? Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) regulates how companies collect, handle, and disclose data but does not prohibit cloud computing or storage, even if the cloud provider is in another country.
Bold Group follows all major data privacy laws, including PIPEDA and Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in its collection, handing and storage of customer data.
How can Bold Group help my alarm monitoring center meet ULC’s new redundancy requirements?
Bold Group can partner with monitoring companies like yours to provide a convenient, cost-effective, and flexible solution to meet the ULC redundancy requirement. Since Bold Group is ULC Listed as an Automation Software Provider and is in the process of being certified as a Hosted Signal Receiving Center, we will be able to offer both cloud and hybrid solutions to help you meet the redundancy requirement upon completion of the ULC listing process.
The hybrid option allows you to keep your current infrastructure without having to construct your own secondary site or buy backup servers and receivers. In fact, if you are already using Bold Group’s Manitou, Stages or SIMS alarm monitoring and automation software, you would continue to operate much as you do now. Bold Group would provide backup servers and receivers through our data center, and you would simply contract with another central station to use their operators as backup.
You may want to consider this option if:
1. You do not want to move your monitoring and automation software into the cloud;
2. Maintaining control over your own infrastructure is important to you, or;
3. You are currently using one of Bold Group’s alarm monitoring software platforms.
In addition, we also offer a full cloud solution where your alarm monitoring and automation software plus your infrastructure are moved to the cloud.
You may want to consider this option if:
1. You no longer want to manage your own infrastructure and would like to reduce related costs;
2. You have aging infrastructure and do not have the budget to replace it;
3. You want to attract new customers by offering additional receivers without the upfront costs; or
4. You want greater flexibility to respond to changing economic conditions and business needs.
Either of these options provided by Bold Group can help you meet ULC’s new requirements for a second location quickly, efficiently, and securely.
What ULC certifications does Bold Group have?
Bold Group’s alarm monitoring software (Manitou, Stages, SIMS) is ULC Listed in the following categories:
- Signal Receiving Centre Automation Software
Bold Group’s data center in Mequon, WI is going through the certification process to become ULC Listed as a hosted signal receiving centre under the following categories:
- Commercial Type Signal Receiving Centres, Full and Shared Service
- Fire Protective Signalling Systems, Signal Receiving Centres, Full and Shared Service
In addition, we’re already UL Listed in the following categories:
- Central-station Automation System Software
- Central-station Host Services
What is the deadline to comply with the new redundant site requirement so I can retain my ULC Listing?
January 1, 2025 is the ULC deadline to meet the redundancy requirement to maintain your listing.
Does ULC allow remote workers to serve as operators?
At this time, ULC does not allow remote workers unless Canada is under government or health declared emergency. A revision has been proposed by a Redundancy Task Force Group that would allow for remote workers without a government or health declared emergency. If this revision is passed, then remote operators would be allowed though there are certain restrictions and minimum staffing requirements that must be met.
I’m familiar with UL requirements and the MEW factor for alarm monitoring centers in the United States. How do ULC standards compare to that?
ULC standards for monitoring centers are not related to the MEW factor established by UL for monitoring centers in the United States.
What does ULC certify?
ULC, or Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, certifies companies across a wide range of categories, from fire alarm systems to alarm monitoring equipment, installation service companies, and central stations.
ULC, just like its US-based counterpart, UL, focuses on ensuring that all your operations and products are thoroughly vetted, regularly maintained, and operate at optimal levels according to industry best practices. Once you receive ULC certification, you are listed in their directory of trusted providers and your company can then issue ULC certificates within that listing category.
Why is ULC certification so important for the security and alarm industry?
The ULC seal of approval is especially important in the security field, where health and safety are frequently on the line: a ULC certification is assurance that your business has been thoroughly vetted and approved by experts who understand what is at stake.
Crucially, a ULC certification provides an added layer of assurance that your business has been thoroughly checked and approved, which can be important for government agencies, insurers, and your own customers.
What are the requirements you must meet to become ULC listed?
ULC has a variety of certificate programs for security and life safety organizations. To be ULC listed, you must first undergo an evaluation to confirm that your operations are up to standard. Once you receive your certification, you will need to undergo regular audits to maintain your standing. This will mean continuously updating and improving your operations to stay current with evolving expectations and regulations.
Because alarm monitoring operations can be very technically demanding and complex, ULC requirements vary considerably based on the kind of alarm monitoring and security services you provide and are extremely specific to the needs and complexities of your particular operation.
Does my monitoring center need to be ULC listed to operate in Canada?
No, it does not. However, ULC standards are recognized as industry benchmarks and many monitoring centers choose to get certified to demonstrate to their own customers that they are following best practices and complying with nationally recognized codes.
Bold Group Can Help You Maintain Your ULC Listing with Convenient, Flexible Solutions
At Bold Group, we believe complying with ULC standards should not be a burden, no matter the size of your monitoring operation. We have helped countless monitoring centers set up cloud-based alarm monitoring software and infrastructure operations and are prepared to help you meet the redundancy requirement with our ULC-approved solutions.
Reach out to Bold Group to talk through your best path forward to meet the redundancy requirement and retain your ULC listing.