What is wrong with my old alarm?

Usually three things: it triggers on pets and kids, it cannot be armed or checked from a phone, and when it fires nobody knows why. A verified system fixes all three.

Do I need to rewire for Ajax?

No. Ajax detectors are wireless and battery powered, and the encrypted Jeweller radio reaches up to 2,000 m in open space. So a finished house is done in a day with no cut walls.

What is photo verification?

A MotionCam detector sends a photo within 9 seconds of a trigger, so you or the central station see what moved before anyone is dispatched. Police departments increasingly prioritize alarms verified this way.

Can I keep self-monitoring?

Yes. The Ajax app delivers the photos and lets you arm and disarm for free. Professional monitoring through a UL-listed central station is month to month, no contract, for households that want an operator to dispatch.

Why South Sound Homeowners Are Switching to Ajax Security

Why are South Sound homeowners switching from traditional alarms?

Because a traditional alarm cries wolf, cannot be checked from a phone and tells no one what happened. Ajax sends a photo within seconds, reports over cellular when the line is cut and installs without wiring. Here is what changes for a home in Tacoma, Gig Harbor or Puyallup.

Because a traditional alarm cries wolf, cannot be armed from a phone and tells no one what happened. An Ajax system sends a photo within seconds, reports over cellular when the line is cut and installs without wiring. Rivas Technology Group installs Ajax across Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Puyallup and Bonney Lake.

By Ivan Rivas, Owner and Sales Engineer · 2025-05-15 · Updated 2026-09-17

A backlit security keypad on a dark wood wall inside a front door that opens onto a rainy deck and evergreen trees

What is the hidden cost of keeping the old system?

False alarms, no visibility and a system the family stops using. Traditional alarms across Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Bonney Lake, University Place and Puyallup share the same failures. A pet or a child trips a motion sensor, the siren goes off, and the neighbors learn to ignore it. After a few rounds so does the household. The panel cannot be armed from a phone, so it stays disarmed.

When it does fire, nobody knows whether it was the cat or a break-in, and a patrol car is dispatched on a guess or not at all. Police departments increasingly prioritize alarms verified by photo or video for that reason. Rivas Technology Group replaces these systems with Ajax, and the difference is what the rest of this post covers.

What does next-gen security change?

Verification, reach and control. A family in Gig Harbor moves into a house with a wired alarm that seems fine until the false alerts start. Within a month the system is off and the keypad is decoration. With Ajax, the system installs wirelessly with no drilling, and every event sends a photo to the phone. Arming is a tap from the office in Tacoma or a beach in Mexico. The frustrations stop because the system now answers the question it used to raise.

Why Ajax, specifically?

Six things, each with the source behind it.

Photo verification. A MotionCam sends its first image within 9 seconds of a trigger, followed by a short series (Ajax MotionCam). You see what moved; with monitoring, the operator does too.
Wireless installation and long battery life. Detectors are battery powered and communicate over the encrypted Jeweller radio. It reaches up to 2,000 m in open space, and the hub polls each device every 12 to 300 seconds, so a silent detector is reported (Hub 2 manual). A remodel in University Place or a new build in Bonney Lake gets the same system.
Multi-channel reporting. Hub 2 Plus keeps Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two cellular SIM channels, so a cut line or a power outage does not stop the report (Hub 2 Plus).
Fewer false alarms. Pet-immune detection, tamper detection on every device and photo verification mean the alerts that reach you warrant attention.
Mobile control. Arm, disarm, check history and see the last photo from the app, anywhere.
Design and integration. Compact black or white devices, and integration with Control4 so an alarm turns on every light and puts the camera on the nearest screen.

Ajax hardware carries a 24-month warranty from date of sale, batteries excluded (Ajax warranty). We are an Ajax Systems dealer, listed on ajax.systems for wireless intrusion protection, outdoor solutions and video surveillance; the reasons we build on it are on why Ajax Systems.

Who monitors it?

You, or a UL-listed central station, month to month. Self-monitoring through the app has no fee and delivers the same photos. Professional monitoring through Becklar, a UL-listed central station, adds an operator who reviews the photo series, calls your contacts in order and dispatches when the event is real. No contract, and the hardware is yours either way. In Tacoma the alarm company pays the annual device fee for each customer, so you file nothing (City of Tacoma); we confirm the rule for your city.

What does switching involve?

A walk-through, a proposal and one install day. We look at the entries, rooms and outbuildings, decide which detectors take photos, and place the keypad, sirens and any cameras or doorbell. The old panel comes out, the Ajax hub goes onto your network with cellular backup, and our own team tests every device and radio path before we leave. What drives the cost is the number of openings and rooms covered, how many detectors take photos, whether cameras are included and whether you add monitoring. The instant quote gives you a figure in minutes.

Need it installed?

Rivas Technology Group designs and installs Ajax home security from Kent across the South Sound: Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Puyallup, University Place and Bonney Lake. Book a walk-through and we will look at the old panel with you.