Netgear has announced new cloud-based subscription services for its Arlo range of outdoor security cameras. This adds a variety of features, including fast access to emergency responders …
CNET reports that the options start with Arlo Smart at $3/month for person detection, motion zones and ‘rich notifications’ – aka including images from the camera when you are alerted to motion. Given that these are standard features offered with many security cameras, that seems a little cheeky, especially when the Arlo cameras themselves aren’t cheap.
A $10/month Smart Premier subscription adds in what Netgear calls e911, a service designed to ‘guide emergency responders directly to your home, no matter where you call from.’ Cloud-based video storage is also increased from the one week you get for free to 30 days, and supports up to 10 Arlo cameras.
Finally, a $15/month Smart Elite service gets you 60 days’ storage for up to 20 cameras.
The company recently advised Arlo users to change their passwords after attempts to access free cloud-based accounts. Netgear said then that it didn’t believe its own systems were compromised, rather than attackers were trying credentials obtained from other websites – a common ploy when any web credentials are exposed, and a handy reminder never to reuse the same logins across multiple sites.