, the equipment belongs to the customer and does not have to be returnedwhen the service is terminated. In order to separate themselves from the pack, the SimpliSafe website highlights some major differences between them and some of the larger home security companies. One of the main differences is that SimpliSafe claims no hidden fees and requires no commitment or service contract. As highlighted in the New York Times articles on SimpliSafe, many home security systems require up to a three year contract that can costthousandsof dollars, and often have add on fees that raise the actual cost of the service from what is stated as the monthly home security monitoring fee. SimpliSafe requires no such contract and no auto renewal fees. Another important difference between SimpliSafe and some of the more traditional home security systems is that SimpliSafe is 100% wireless. Not only does that mean a less expensive and difficult installation process, but more importantly the system cannot be shut down by a clever thief with wire cutters. In fact, the home security installation is so simple that the customer can begin installing the system in as littleas 5 minutes, as shown in a helpful video on the website. This is a nice incentive for those folks who don't want a hefty installation charge or permanent wiring added in their home. Of course, it could also be a negative for people who don't trust themselves to install the system on their own. Protection One uses Honeywell built security equipment that comes with a lifetime guarantee, for a small monthly fee, as long as you employ their respective monitoring service.