Last WeekWe looked at backup power options for the CTU, and what to look for when selecting a battery. If you missed it, you can catch up here Backup Power Sources. This Week: Service Agent Functionality in SolomonThis week we’re diving into key service agent features in Solomon—how to access them, what they do, and how they can make your workflow smoother and more efficient. Solomon Link & AccessWhen you click the Solomon link in state change emails, text messages, or within the AFAM AlarmTech App, you’ll land on a summary page for that PFA. To unlock full functionality and view detailed information, simply use the login button at the bottom of that page. Logging InIf you already use the AFAM AlarmTech App, your login works for Solomon too. Don’t have access or forgotten your details? Contact our support team—we’ll get you set up quickly. PFA Off NormalsWe strongly recommend all service agents use the AFAM AlarmTech App, as it gives you a consolidated view of all your PFAs—across both AFAM and competitor systems. If you’re unsure whether the app is right for you, check out AFAM AlarmTech App, and our support team can help you get started whenever you’re ready. If you don’t have the app yet, you can still view Off-Normals for all AFAM-monitored sites directly in Solomon. PFA Details ScreenThe PFA Details screen is your main hub for site-specific information. From the login page, you can search PFAs by number, address, building name, or type. To open the full details, use the action button on the right-hand side of the PFA listing. PFA State History ExportFrom the PFA Details screen, you can export the PFA’s state history between selected dates as either a PDF or CSV. You can export:
PFA State Change MessagingWant to check who was notified about a particular event? Open Agent Messages in the State History view to see everyone who received alerts, along with hold times and reminders applied by the messaging strategy. If someone is missing or needs changing, just reach out to our support team and we’ll update it with you or for you. State Change & IoT Detector Level InformationAs you would expect Solomon provides access to both high-level state changes and detailed detector-level information. You can view:
IoT Detector Level Message DecodingYou might be a ninja at decoding the cryptic messages that come out of the panels and know exactly which token represents the zone state and index but if you’re not, don’t worry, we’ve got you. For panels with structured outputs, Solomon automatically breaks down message strings into meaningful components so you don’t have to decipher them manually. Floor Plans with Live IoT Detector Level InformationAs mentioned a few newsletters ago, floor plans with live IoT detector-level data are now available in the Service Agent sections of Solomon. You can view detector locations, current states, and state history directly on the plan in real time. If you have floor plans (such as “as-built” drawings) with detector positions, it’s quick and simple to load them. Just contact our support team and we’ll guide you through it. And yes, this functionality is free to use. Coming Next WeekNext week, we’ll open the hood on our monitoring system—how it works, why it’s ultra-reliable, and some features you may not know about.
Last WeekWe took an in-depth look at the AFAM Property Portfolio Portal and how it benefits property owners and managers. If you missed it, you can catch up here AFAM Property Portfolio Portal. This Week: News & UpdatesWe’re taking a short break from our usual product focus to share some exciting news and updates we’ve been eager to tell you about. Auckland based Business Development ManagerYou may have seen on Seek that we’re hiring an Auckland-based Business Development Manager — if not, you can view the listing here: Business Development Manager. This role will strengthen our presence across Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga, helping us build new relationships and support existing ones. The BDM will manage key accounts, work closely with service agents and property managers, and act as the voice of the customer to help shape our products and services. If you know someone who might be interested, please share the link with them. Auckland OfficeWe’ve been planning to open an Auckland office for some time — and with the new BDM role, the timing is right. The new office will host our Auckland-based team and hold a small amount of monitoring equipment and spares for the region. We’ll start small, likely in a shared office while we establish operations. We’re currently looking at locations in Penrose or Mount Wellington and have a couple of possible options. If your business has space available to sublet in that area or close by, we’d love to hear from you. We’ll share more details once the location is confirmed. Installatiton VideosOur new installation videos are ready! There’s one covering in-panel CTU installations and another for in-box installs. You can watch them via the links below or in the Resources section on our website. We’d love your feedback — and if there are other topics you’d like us to cover, let us know. New CTU in DevelopmentEarlier this year, we quietly began a ground-up redesign of our CTU monitoring hardware. Our current CTU has served the industry well for a decade, evolving through multiple improvements — but we’re now building a platform that can support new features and capabilities the current one can’t. It’s a complex process, and you’ll start seeing the new hardware next year. In an upcoming article, we’ll share more about what’s coming — but if you have suggestions or feature requests, we’d love to hear them. Let’s just say… this new CTU will be unlike anything currently available in New Zealand (and beyond). New Service Agent Features in SolomonFor our service agents — the wait is over! The IoT detector-level floorplan information previously available only in the AFAM Property Portfolio Portal is now being rolled out within Solomon to beta users and will be available to everyone in the next two weeks. This feature lets you view live detector-level data on floorplans, query individual detector history, and much more. We’ll cover this in more detail in an upcoming newsletter focused on Solomon’s new features. Coming Next WeekNext week, we’re diving into backup power sources — batteries vs. super capacitors. We’ll explore how they differ, what AFAM supports, and when (and why) to use each.
Last WeekWe explored AFAM’s Reports & Analytics — what’s available and how you can access it. If you missed it, you can catch up here Reporting & Analytics. This Week: AFAM Property Portfolio PortalThis week, we’re taking a closer look at the AFAM Property Portfolio Portal, which we introduced briefly a few weeks ago. OverviewThe AFAM Property Portfolio Portal is designed for property owners and managers with multi-property portfolios. Traditionally, visibility into the state of fire alarm systems relies on updates from service agents. The Portfolio Portal changes that — giving owners and managers direct, independent access to live system information across all their properties. At a glance, you can see the overall state of your portfolio, then drill down to granular, real-time data — even individual IoT detector-level information where available. DashboardWhen you first log in, you’ll see a comprehensive dashboard summarising key details across your portfolio, including:
AFAM’s monitoring equipment natively supports IoT detector-level access for a wide range of panels and installation types. See our compatibility guide. Map & Table ViewsFrom the dashboard, you can move into a map view (with a familiar maps style interface) or switch to a table view if you prefer structured data. As you would expect with the map view, the level of detail changes as you zoom in revealing street data, buildings, and features such as parks and trees. Both views allow you to filter by:
Selecting a property reveals key details such as:
IOT Detector Level InformationFor properties with IoT connectivity, the portal offers deep, detector-level visibility — showing detector types, zones, states, and recent changes. Where available, floorplans can be uploaded, allowing detectors to be placed visually on each level. Their icons update in real time to reflect live status and individual detector history can be accessed. For multi-storey, or larger single storey properties, multiple floorplans can be uploaded to best represent the property. (The example shown here displays live data from a seven-storey building in Wellington.) Access & CostAccess to the portal is completely free. We actively encourage property owners and managers to take advantage of it. Please contact our support team who can enable access to it for you. Brochure & DemoIf you manage multiple properties, or have clients who could benefit from the portal, you can download our overview brochure by clicking on the image below. We’d also be happy to arrange a live demo to walk you through the platform and answer any questions — just get in touch. Coming Next WeekNext week, we’ll take a short break from our usual product and service deep-dives to share some exciting news about AFAM. We’ll also be announcing a major new feature launch and providing updates on a few developments we’ve mentioned in recent weeks.
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