Traditional Analog CID Monitoring

The controller dials the monitoring station, waits for the handshake tone before transmitting the CID string, then waits for the kiss-off tone from the receiver. The monitoring station picks up these messages, looks up the account details on its database, and displays the alarm to the operator.

As Contact ID only sends a bunch of numbers representing account, area and zone, the monitoring operator relies on the database inside the monitoring software being accurate. The information they receive is only ever as good as that provided by the technician during installation.