Bell Canada acquires a home security company

BCE (Bell) has acquired AlarmForce Industries, a Canadian home security and monitoring company, for approximately $182 million paid in a combination of cash and BCE common shares to shareholders of AlarmForce.

AlarmForce currently serves more than 100,000 subscribers across the country with intrusion, smoke, flood and carbon monoxide detection services; automation services including lighting, climate and lock control systems; and in-home and mobile medical alert systems.

Bell provides security and monitoring services from Bell Aliant NextGen Home Security in Atlantic Canada and from AAA Security, a Bell MTS company, in Manitoba.

Bell also announced an agreement to sell AlarmForce's approximately 39,000 customer accounts in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan to TELUS Corporation for approximately $66.5 million, an amount per subscriber equivalent to that paid by Bell.

"Bell welcomes AlarmForce as we build on our position as Canada's most trusted name in residential communications with an accelerated focus on Connected Home technology and services," said Rizwan Jamal, President of Bell Residential and Small Business. "Building on our leadership and scale in broadband networks and residential services distribution, installation and customer services, Bell looks forward to delivering new and innovative smart home solutions to residential customers throughout Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic region and Manitoba."