On-demand monitoring

A method for operating an alarm system, for the alarm system a computer program is configured as a server for execution at a network node, the alarm system comprising a home gateway, sensing devices connected to the home gateway, and a monitoring service, the server comprising a first interface for communication between the network node and a computer device, a second interface for communication between the network node and the monitoring service, a third interface for communication between the network node and the home gateway, and a database to store configuration data of the home gateway, including device configuration data indicating the sensing devices connected to the home gateway, the method comprising, using the server:

• maintaining configuration data in a database via communications using the third interface with the home gateway which include messages identifying sensing devices connected to the home gateway;
• receiving an activation request from the computing device via the first interface, and in response to the activation request, executing a protocol via the second interface with the monitoring service to create a user record using the configuration data of the home gateway stored in the database;
• and
• verifying a connection between the home gateway and the user record at the monitoring service via the third interface with the home gateway, after the user record is created at the monitoring service.