Ajax Wireless Grade 3 Alarm System: Bank-Level Intrusion Protection Now Available in the UK

For years, if you wanted Grade 3 intrusion protection – the kind mandated for banks, government buildings, and jewellery stores – you were stuck with hardwired systems. Miles of cable. Days of installation. Significant cost. That’s changed. Ajax Systems has launched the world’s first fully wireless alarm system certified to EN 50131 Grade 3, and honestly, it’s a genuine game-changer for security professionals and end users across the UK.

At ERTECH, we’ve been distributing and installing Ajax security systems since the brand first arrived in Britain. We’ve watched the technology evolve from a solid residential offering into something that now competes head-to-head with the most established wired alarm manufacturers in the commercial space. If you’ve been following our coverage of why Ajax stands out from other alarm systems, this Grade 3 announcement takes everything up several notches.

Let’s break down what the Ajax wireless Grade 3 alarm actually means for UK installers, security managers, and business owners.

What Is Grade 3 Security and Why Does It Matter?

The European standard EN 50131 classifies intrusion alarm systems into four grades based on the level of risk they’re designed to counter. Here’s the quick rundown:

• Grade 1 – Low risk. Basic residential deterrent against opportunistic burglars with little knowledge of alarm systems.
• Grade 2 – Medium risk. Residential and small commercial properties. Attackers may have basic tools and some knowledge of alarm technology.
• Grade 3 – High risk. Commercial and institutional sites. Attackers are expected to be knowledgeable, well-equipped, and will plan their intrusion in advance.
• Grade 4 – Very high risk. Military-level. Rarely specified outside of government or critical national infrastructure.

Grade 3 is the standard most commonly required for banks, building societies, jewellery shops, museums, pharmaceutical stores, data centres, and any premises holding high-value assets. UK insurance companies frequently mandate Grade 3 compliance for these types of sites, and Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) in Britain typically require it before they’ll agree to monitor a commercial alarm system.

Until now, every single Grade 3 alarm on the market was wired. The Ajax wireless Grade 3 alarm system has changed that entirely.

Why This Matters: A Genuine Industry First

It’s worth pausing on just how significant this is. The security alarm industry is conservative by nature – and for good reason. When you’re protecting a bank vault or a museum full of irreplaceable artefacts, “tried and tested” matters more than “new and shiny.” That’s why Grade 3 has been exclusively wired since the standard was introduced.

But wired-only Grade 3 has always come with serious drawbacks:

• Massive installation costs. A typical wired Grade 3 installation in a commercial premises can run into tens of thousands of pounds, with cable runs accounting for a huge chunk of that.
• Days or weeks of disruption. Running structured cabling through an operating business – lifting floor tiles, drilling through walls, making good afterwards – takes time and causes chaos.
• Listed buildings left unprotected. Grade I and Grade II listed buildings across the UK often can’t have cables chased into walls. English Heritage and local planning authorities regularly refuse consent for the kind of physical alterations wired alarm installation requires. This has meant many heritage properties simply couldn’t achieve Grade 3 compliance.
• Expensive retrofits. Upgrading an ageing wired system often meant ripping everything out and starting from scratch because the old cable infrastructure wasn’t compatible with modern panels.
• Businesses priced out. Plenty of UK businesses that genuinely needed Grade 3 – independent jewellers, small galleries, specialist retailers – couldn’t justify the installation expense. They settled for Grade 2 and paid higher insurance premiums as a result.

Ajax’s wireless Grade 3 system removes these barriers overnight. An installer can now deploy bank-grade intrusion protection in a fraction of the time, at a fraction of the cost, with zero structural damage. For NSI and SSAIB registered companies in the UK, this opens up an entirely new market of clients who previously couldn’t afford or accommodate wired Grade 3.

The Superior Hub G3: The Brain of the Operation

At the heart of every Ajax Grade 3 installation sits the Superior Hub G3 Jeweller. It’s the first fully wireless control panel in the world to receive independent Grade 3 certification from European testing laboratories.

Key specifications that matter for UK installers:

• 250 devices per system – more than enough for small to medium commercial premises
• 200 users and 25 security groups – ideal for multi-tenanted offices or buildings with different departments
• Built-in Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and dual SIM (2G/4G LTE) – no separate communication modules to buy. The Ajax CSL roaming SIMs available for UK hubs make cellular connectivity straightforward
• Alarm transmission under 1 second to monitoring stations via SIA DC-09 and Contact ID protocols
• 64 automation scenarios for integration with access control, lighting, and other building systems
• Wireless range up to 3,490 metres (with Superior Jeweller radio protocol), extendable with up to 5 ReX G3 range extenders

For larger sites, Ajax also offers the Superior Hub Hybrid 2 (supporting both wired and wireless devices) and the Superior MegaHub (up to 999 devices across 100 security groups) for enterprise-scale deployments.

Superior Jeweller: The Radio Technology That Makes It Possible

What makes a wireless alarm trustworthy enough for Grade 3? The answer lies in Ajax’s proprietary Superior Jeweller radio protocol. Here’s what sets it apart:

• 17-frequency hopping across 4 European bands – if someone tries to jam one frequency, the system automatically hops to another
• Instant jamming detection – the hub immediately alerts the monitoring station and the user if jamming is detected
• AES-128 encryption (NIST-certified) on every communication between device and hub
• Per-session device authentication – prevents replay attacks and device spoofing
• 36-second communication failure detection – if any device stops responding, the system raises an alert within seconds, not minutes

These aren’t theoretical features listed on a spec sheet. Every device in the Ajax Grade 3 range has been tested and certified as a complete system by independent European laboratories. That’s a critical distinction – some manufacturers certify individual components rather than the installed solution. Ajax certifies the whole thing working together.

Grade 3 Detection Devices: What’s in the Range?

The wireless Grade 3 range covers every detection scenario you’d expect at this level:

Motion Detection

• Superior MotionProtect G3 Jeweller – PIR motion detector with anti-masking technology. Detects fabric, paper, or metal placed in front of the sensor.
• Superior MotionProtect Plus G3 Jeweller – Dual-technology detector combining PIR with K-band microwave for virtually zero false alarms, even in challenging environments.
• Superior MotionCam G3 (PhOD) Jeweller – Motion detector with HD photo verification (960×720 with HDR). Particularly useful for UK ARCs, as it gives operators visual confirmation before dispatching a response.

Worth noting: the Grade 3 motion detectors deliberately don’t include pet-immune modes. At Grade 3, the standard demands full-area detection with no blind spots. These are designed for commercial premises where animals shouldn’t be present during armed periods.

If you want to learn more about Ajax’s approach to motion detection technology, our earlier post on the Ajax MotionProtect Curtain detector development gives some good insight into their engineering philosophy.

Opening and Perimeter Detection

• Superior DoorProtect G3 Jeweller – Dual reed switches with a magnetometer that detects attempts to spoof the sensor with external magnets. Also includes shock and tilt detection via a built-in accelerometer. Battery life: 4 years.

Access Control and User Interaction

• Superior KeyPad Plus G3 Jeweller – Touch keypad with DESFire contactless technology for cards and tags. Locks out after three incorrect code attempts, as required by Grade 3.
• Superior KeyPad TouchScreen G3 Jeweller – 5-inch colour touchscreen with full system control. Supports codes, DESFire cards, tags, and smartphone authentication.

Alerting and Deterrence

• Superior HomeSiren G3 Jeweller – Indoor sounder with LED connector. 10-year battery life.
• Superior StreetSiren Plus G3 Jeweller – Outdoor siren with advanced anti-tamper protection. Also rated for 10 years on battery.

Panic and Duress

• Superior DoubleButton G3 Jeweller – Requires simultaneous two-button press to prevent accidental activation. 5-year battery. Designed for hold-up scenarios in banks, betting shops, and retail environments.

Anti-Sabotage: Why Grade 3 Demands More

This is where Grade 3 separates the serious systems from everything else. A knowledgeable attacker targeting a Grade 3 site will try to defeat the alarm before entering. The Ajax wireless Grade 3 range addresses every common attack vector:

• Jamming resistance – 17-frequency hopping with automatic switching and instant alerts
• Anti-masking – Detectors identify attempts to cover or blind them with fabric, paper, tape, or paint
• Magnetometer protection – Opening detectors can’t be defeated with external magnets
• Tamper detection – Every device triggers an alarm if removed from its mounting
• Communication loss detection – 36-second response time if any device goes silent
• Backup power – Hub and detectors all have backup batteries for continued operation during power cuts
• Keypad lockout – Three failed code attempts locks the keypad and raises an alert

Installation: Two Minutes Per Device, No Cables

Here’s where the wireless advantage really hits home for UK installers and security companies. Traditional Grade 3 wired installations can take days. Cable runs through commercial buildings are expensive, disruptive, and time-consuming. With the Ajax wireless Grade 3 system:

• Each device pairs in around 2 minutes via QR code scanning in the Ajax PRO app
• SmartBracket mounting – screw the bracket to the wall, click the device in. Done.
• Batteries come pre-installed and last between 4 and 10 years depending on the device
• Default settings are suitable for most deployments – you can fine-tune later, but most installations work straight out of the box
• No cable infrastructure required – just one power cable and Ethernet to the hub, and even Ethernet is optional

For security installation companies across London, the South East, and wider UK, this means more installations per week, less disruption to your clients’ businesses, and significantly lower labour costs on Grade 3 projects.

Real-World Use Cases: Where Wireless Grade 3 Changes Everything

To really understand the impact of this, let’s look at specific scenarios where wireless Grade 3 makes a tangible difference:

Banks and Building Societies

Grade 3 is mandatory for most UK bank insurance policies. Cash handling areas, ATM lobbies, vault perimeters, and safe deposit rooms all need the highest level of intrusion protection. Traditionally, this meant drilling through reinforced concrete walls to run armoured cable. With wireless Grade 3, the same level of certified protection goes in without touching the building fabric. For banks in listed high-street premises – and there are plenty across London and the UK’s town centres – this is particularly significant.

Jewellery Shops and High-Value Retail

Independent jewellers have always needed Grade 3, but many operate from leased retail units where the landlord won’t consent to cable runs. Some have been stuck between their insurer demanding Grade 3 and their landlord refusing wall-chasing. The Ajax wireless system eliminates that conflict entirely. Display cases, stockrooms, and the shop floor all get full Grade 3 coverage with devices that mount on SmartBrackets and leave the walls intact when the lease ends.

Museums and Galleries

This is perhaps the most compelling use case. Heritage buildings where cable installation is restricted or outright prohibited by English Heritage and local conservation officers can now achieve Grade 3 compliance. When high-value exhibitions are loaned between institutions, the lending museum typically requires Grade 3 at the receiving venue. Previously, if that venue was in a listed building, the answer was often “sorry, we can’t comply.” Now it’s simply a matter of deploying wireless devices with zero damage to the building.

Warehouses and Distribution Centres

Large open spaces where running cables across hundreds of metres of ceiling is impractical and expensive. The Superior Hub G3’s wireless range of up to 3,490 metres (extendable with ReX G3 repeaters) covers even the largest warehouse floors. Photo verification from MotionCam G3 devices lets ARC operators distinguish genuine intrusions from false alarms triggered by wildlife, stock movement, or debris – a common headache in warehouse environments.

Offices and Data Centres

Server rooms, R&D labs, and executive areas often need higher security than the rest of the building. With 25 security groups, the Ajax Grade 3 system lets different departments arm and disarm independently. IT can lock down the server room while reception remains accessible. Finance can secure their floor while the warehouse team is still working. That kind of zoned flexibility used to require complex wired partitioning. Now it’s a software setting in the Ajax app.

Petrol Stations and Convenience Stores

24-hour sites that need after-hours perimeter protection, hold-up buttons (DoubleButton G3) at the till, and rapid installation that minimises downtime for the business. A petrol station can’t afford to close for three days while an installer runs cable. With Ajax Grade 3, the alarm can be fully deployed and operational within a single working day.

Listed Buildings and Heritage Properties

We’ve touched on this already, but it deserves its own mention. Grade I and Grade II listed buildings across the UK have historically been caught in a catch-22: they need Grade 3 protection for their contents (antiques, art, historical artefacts), but they can’t have the physical alterations that wired installation demands. The Ajax wireless Grade 3 system is genuinely the first solution that resolves this conflict completely. No chasing, no drilling into protected fabric, no cable trays fixed to period walls.

Integration with Cameras and Third-Party Systems

The Grade 3 ecosystem doesn’t exist in isolation. The Superior MultiTransmitter G3 Jeweller provides 18 wired zones for integrating legacy third-party detectors and devices into the Ajax system. This is ideal for upgrade projects where some existing wired devices are still serviceable and don’t need replacing.

For camera integration, Ajax supports ONVIF-compatible IP cameras. If you’re looking at how to tie video surveillance into your Ajax setup, we’ve covered this in detail – read our guides on connecting cameras to the Ajax security system and the step-by-step walkthrough for connecting Hikvision cameras to Ajax in just 5 taps.

The system also integrates fire safety, automation, and comfort devices, making the Ajax ecosystem suitable as a complete building management solution – not just an intrusion alarm.

Professional Monitoring and UK ARCs

The Ajax Grade 3 system transmits alarms to monitoring stations via Ajax PRO Desktop or third-party monitoring software, supporting both SIA DC-09 and SurGard (Contact ID) protocols. UK-based Alarm Receiving Centres can connect to the system using their existing infrastructure.

Photo and video verification from MotionCam G3 devices gives ARC operators the evidence they need to confirm an intrusion before dispatching a response – reducing false alarm callouts and improving police response times under the UK’s URN (Unique Reference Number) scheme.

Available from ERTECH: Your UK Ajax Distributor

ERTECH is an accredited Ajax Systems partner based in London, serving installers and security companies across the United Kingdom. We’ve been stocking and supporting the full Ajax product range since the brand entered the UK market – you can see our full Ajax range here.

If you’re an installer looking to offer Grade 3 wireless protection to your commercial clients, or a business owner wanting to upgrade your security, get in touch for trade pricing and technical support.

We supply the complete Ajax ecosystem – from the entry-level StarterKit right through to the new Superior Grade 3 range – with UK-based stock, next-day delivery options, and hands-on support from people who actually install these systems ourselves.

Visit ertech.co.uk or call us to discuss your Grade 3 project requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Ajax wireless Grade 3 system really certified, or just “Grade 3 ready”?

It’s fully certified to EN 50131 Grade 3 by independent European testing laboratories. Each device is tested as part of the complete system, not just as individual components. Certificates are available through the Ajax Partner Portal and directly from us on request.

Can I use the Ajax Grade 3 system for a site where my insurer requires Grade 3?

Yes. The EN 50131 Grade 3 certification meets the requirements set by UK insurers and Alarm Receiving Centres for high-risk premises. We’d recommend confirming the specific requirements with your insurer or ARC before installation, but the certification is there.

How does the wireless range work in a large commercial building?

The Superior Hub G3 has a wireless range of up to 3,490 metres in open space. In real-world conditions (walls, floors, interference), this will be less, but the system supports up to 5 Superior ReX G3 Jeweller range extenders, each adding up to 3,490 metres of additional coverage. For most UK commercial premises, one or two extenders will be more than sufficient.

Does ERTECH install Ajax Grade 3 systems?

Yes. We’re both a distributor and an installation company. We install across London and the South East of England, and we supply trade to security installers nationwide. Contact us at ertech.co.uk for a quote.

What happens if the power goes out?

The hub has a backup battery (available in 16-hour and 60-hour versions), and every wireless device has its own pre-installed battery lasting between 4 and 10 years. The system continues to operate normally during power cuts and will alert the monitoring station if mains power is lost.

Can Ajax wireless Grade 3 be installed in a Grade I listed building?

Yes – and this is one of the most significant advantages of the wireless system. Because no cables need to be chased into walls or fixed to building fabric, the installation doesn’t require listed building consent for structural alterations. The devices mount on SmartBrackets with minimal fixings and can be removed without leaving damage. We’d always recommend checking with your local conservation officer for specific requirements, but the wireless nature of the system removes the main objection that’s prevented Grade 3 installations in listed properties until now.

How does Ajax Grade 3 compare to wired systems like Texecom Premier Elite or Honeywell Galaxy?

In terms of certification, the Ajax wireless Grade 3 system meets the same EN 50131 Grade 3 standard as established wired systems like the Texecom Premier Elite 168 and Honeywell Galaxy Dimension. The key difference is installation: Ajax achieves the same certified security grade without wiring. Detection performance, anti-sabotage features, and monitoring capabilities are comparable. Where Ajax has a clear advantage is in deployment speed, cost, and flexibility – particularly for retrofit projects and premises where cable installation is impractical or prohibited. For a more detailed comparison tailored to your specific project, get in touch with our team.