Intercoms have long been used as a way of communicating – sharing information with one person or many. The intercom has grown in its use from early 19th century tubes, that carried voices between offices in a single building, to today’s internet-based technology capable of connecting people on opposite sides of a country.
There are many ways intercoms are used to communicate routine to critical information required by government, commercial, and residential users. Here’s a look at four of the main reasons intercoms are used for communications.
Internal Communications
Initially, being able to communicate with a colleague in the same building was primarily a convenience. However, as intercom technology evolved, a single master station could contact dozens of sub stations – one or all at the same time. It became possible to connect multiple offices and, eventually, multiple buildings.
There are options for how a system may be used. For example, in a school setting, a master station in the office may broadcast to speakers in each classroom. The addition of sub stations in each classroom enables a teacher to contact the office, External weatherproof paging speaker horns alert people outdoors when an emergency occurs. These horns can broadcast in noisy environments where louder amplification is needed and be used to help locate personnel.
Analog intercoms can be quickly connected using simple two- or four-pair cabling. Network-based systems connect via Cat-5e or Cat-6 cable and become part of a larger networked system with a choice of multiple protocols.
Emergency Communications
Emergency stations enable distressed people in campus settings, parking facilities, stairwells, and other remote areas, to directly communicate with security personnel or first responders. The stainless-steel stations can be mounted directly to a wall, compact wall box, modular tower, or solar tower. The stations, which are always on, are easy to locate with many topped with a bright blue beacon. Dual call buttons provide for emergencies and non-critical calls such as requests for directions.
Stations are available as part of both network-based and hardwired systems. IP stations connect directly to a network, drawing Power over Ethernet via Cat-5e/6 cable. Calls can be forwarded to an offsite location, such as a security office or monitoring center. Smart device apps enable police or security personnel receive and respond to calls while in the field.
Many stations also include video intercoms which provide a source of live video, further enhancing security and aiding officers as they determine the proper response to each call.
Visitors Calling
Multi-tenant buildings, both commercial and residential, use video intercoms to communicate with visitors to determine their intent before granting them access to a facility or home. An intercom enables tenants to keep doors locked.
Visitors locate a tenant name on the display or posted directory and enter the corresponding number into the intercom keypad to call a station in the tenant’s suite. Intercom stations in each suite enables tenants to see visitors and have a two-way conversation with them. The intercom system lets tenants make informed decisions about who enters the building. Once comfortable, the tenant can allow the visitor in by pushing a station button. Intercoms can remotely control other security devices such as locks and lights.
Homeowners can gain control of front-door access by communicating with visitors using onsite video intercom monitors or using an app that provides system control via a smartphone. The hard-wired systems continue to work within the home even if the internet fails.
Communicate for Less
Intercom systems don’t require POTS lines, saving the cost of monthly phone bills and keeping dispatch lines open as the intercoms provide a secondary communications path. Network-based video intercom master stations offering Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) compatibility can tie into a SIP IP PBX server to forward calls to an external phone number, such as an off-site call center. The stations can be used as a telephone, replacing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones and helping to clear desktop clutter.
Intercom units that communicate with one another via the network potentially eliminate the need to staff secured remote locations. Visitor entry requests can be forwarded to a security command center located a few to hundreds of miles away.
While intercoms are now recognized as a critical layer for entry security, they are still used routinely as a communications device. The versatility of the systems enables them to be installed indoors or out, in a single building or as part of a nationwide network. In doing so, they increase convenience and safety, and they save money.
(Brad Kamcheff is Marketing Manager for Redmond, Wash.-based Aiphone Corp. For more information visit the website at http://www.aiphone.com/home.)
