It's dinner time. The phone rings and you get up from the table to answer it. As soon as you hear the automated message you realize what happened: some company programmed your number into an auto dialer to attempt to sell you their product. Auto dialers are machines programmed to call certain numbers at certain times. Most people think of auto dialers as annoying devices used by telemarketers to make sales calls. While businesses often utilize auto dialers for sales purposes, they can and should be used for protecting your home.

Auto Dialers in Your Home

In another scenario, it's Saturday afternoon and you are shopping at the mall with your family. Your cell phone rings and you hear a very different message: your personal auto dialer informs you that your main water line has sprung a leak, and your basement is filling with water. Since you got the message so quickly through your auto dialer, you were able to take care of the situation before any real damage was done.

Auto dialers are not just for businesses anymore. Many families use them to safeguard their homes against intrusion or other serious situations:

• Loss of power

• Water leaks

• Significant changes in temperature

• Broken windows

• Entrance through locked doors

Monitor and Protect

Recent data suggests up to 40% of home security systems aren't monitored. Auto dialers plug into your normal phone line and can be used to monitor existing alarm systems. Program them to send a simple page or a pre-recorded message to your cell phone with specifics about security situations in your home. From broken windows to leaky pipes, keep track of what happens in your house when you aren't there. Auto dialers offer additional security through:

• Automatic redial of busy or unanswered numbers

• Battery back up in case of power failure

• Remote turn off from wherever you are

• Listen-in verification of what triggered an alarm

• Two-way voice communication with someone in the same location as the auto dialer

Your Own Guard Dog

Having an auto dialer is like having a guard dog roaming your house and protecting your property. Instead of hearing your dog bark, you can be notified of specific security breaches no matter where you are by your auto dialer. If you have an auto dialer, be confident your cell phone will ring with an alert if there is a security problem at your house. Now you can work late or relax and enjoy your vacation knowing your auto dialer is guarding your home.