Do You Pair Intercoms With Access Control?

I have never done it yet, but I am willing to do it in the future. It is very convenient and makes sense. I am used to the idea of integrating access control with CCTV; however in some installations the intercom solution is indeed cheaper and provides the required functionality.

Our experience unfortunatley mirrors Brian's experience - the intercom/video monitoring is often forgotten.

Typically, if intercom is involved we use AIPhone. However, we often counsel End Users that while that product certainly has its proper applications, instead of an AIPhone combined video/intercom solution, they might just as often be well served by a full blown camera solution, and just use the intercom portion of AI Phone. With an ever increasing desire for the person responsible for "buzzing in" to be able to see the whole situation outside, we recommend 1-2 cameras to capture a large viewing area. The AI Phone cameras at times do not provide a large enough view. This way, the office that is doing the buzz-in can know if there are potential tail-gaters outside, either innocently or intentionaly waiting to come in after the initial buzz-in.

Also, by going the full camera route, another benefit is the VMS often has much better recording/playback capabilities than video/intercom systems, especially if you are interested in more advanced storage settings such as what was happening some time before the intercom buzz and some time after the entry/operator action and/or continous recording of the entrance.

I will acknowledge that the "B-word" - BUDGET is always cited as a challenge to the above. We try to explain the various options and provide as most a complete solution as possible, so that if the End User makes a decision on budget they are aware in advance of the trade-offs.

I wouldn't say it is must for all the sites. As mentioned by Matt, it is often a question of budget vesus the real benefit we get out of it. We do see the use of intercom on larger installation.

Regarding the option of using a true camera vs the embedded camera, it depends on how the intercom camera is managed. In a unified solution, there would be no difference, the embedded camera in the intercom can be managed the same way a standard security camera would be handled in the "VMS" portion. For intercom with no cameras we can associate one and still link the audio recording with the video if desired. One point I do think it is important is what we actually want to monitor with that camera, is that for a visual authentication of the person at the door or do we want to have a broader view of what is happening at the door.

If we put aside the camera, another point to consider would be how we want to trace the remote unlock of that door. We don't need an intercom to be able to generate a report but if we use a simple push button inside to unlock the door it might be hard to know who let a visitor in. When the intercom or buzzer is tied in to the ACS and the unlock is initiated from the user interface we have access to that historical information.

I've found that intercoms can be very useful, when installed at doors with readers. People do forget their credentials, equipment does eventually malfunction, etc. The purpose of access control is to allow access to the correct users and to deny access to others, and intercoms can help to reach that goal.

www.Girtman.com a division of www.Bass-Security.com

An intercom would be better than nothing, but video is better. With that in mind a surveillance system is the best. Depending on what you are protecting, and the amount of security is needed to on those who can access the area will determine how elaborate you make the system. You do have multiple options as far as access contol, audio, video.

On our campus, intercoms and cameras at residence hall card access doors are not feasible alternatives for a number of reasons:

• Students are coming and going 24/7.
• Campus Safety officers are on patrol and not parked in front of a VMS or intercom and not physically located to open doors.
• Front desks are not manned 24/7.

Students who have lost track of or damaged their access/ID card can get a temporary access card from Campus Safety to get them through until the next business day when they can obtain a replacement card. There are courtesy phones near the main doors of residence halls so a non-resident can call a resident to physically open the door.

Also, if a student waits long enough at a door, someone will come along either leaving or arriving and let him/her in. We had an incident years ago where a student let a couple of men (they didn't even look like students) in through a card access door, and the men vandalized and robbed a couple of vending machines. The result could have been much more catastrophic. A security system is definitely only as good as the people it is designed to protect!

Having made the comments above, I can definitely see a niche for the reader/intercom/camera combo: a business where there is one way in and out with a security guard or receptionist in close proximity to the door to buzz in employees (or visitors) with no credentials.

In our corporate campus environment, we do use the standalone (audio only) system by AIPhone for individual doors heading into lobby locations. These coms are supported by the cameras near the door in question, and the receptionist has the ability to view the camera and talk to the com user. The number of visitors made this an obvious choice for lobby doors, but we determined that adding coms to other "employee only" entrances was not worth the cost. Forgot your badge? Walk around to the lobby!

However, now that we are spinning up a campus SOC, we are looking much harder at products that enable us to network the intercoms into the phone system. It's quite a challenge at this point. Does anyone have experience with this?

Caleb

As an end user, at our offices that have non credentialed visitors and a front desk, we deploy intercoms with multiple monitored cameras for door coverage. We are also upgrading our other facilities to include intercoms and cameras at other exterior controlled doors as well. For us the benefits are greater than the costs.

I am just an end-user. at home, I use an integrated intercom with access control (digital keypad + intercom + smaller analog camera). This is quite typical system you can find in many apartment buildings. In case I leave for vacation for a long time, I usually use the 'exit' button at the integrated panel, then every intercom who stands outside the door will be redirected to a security guard of our apartment.

At work, we don't need any system to let people in because we have a speed gate and only way to get in is to make a temporatry card at the reception desk.

From time to time, when I visit my customers, I found myself difficult to call because the access control system is usually for employee ,not visitors. Even if I want to call somebody, I need to know or remember the 'dedicated number' to call a specific people. There is no one available for general calls. Then I have to call a person with my mobile or wait for another employee tyring to coming in and use 'tailgate'.

As a end-user we have used video Aiphones especially for vehicle gates. They work well in all types of weather and have minimum issues. I think video intercoms are a benefit especially to the operation. Sometimes its a receptionist who verifies if the person or vehicle can enter. Every viistor needs to give a name of the the person who they will see and that employee has to escort them in the facility. The visitor is issued a visitors badge after showing ID.

i recommend using intercoms at main/employee entries with card readers. Also we typically recommend using existing analog or VOIP telephone systems to provide end users with flexibility of where the call is answered. Use Viking products quite often although Aiphone have great products as well.

Not used such things yet, it will be a great experience because integrations are always challenging

We try to pair intercoms with access control where ever the customers budget will allow it. Usually that means they will be installed in conjunction with access control at main employee entrances/gates. We like aiphone for analog but find their IP system requires a lot of service. We use stentofon for IP.

We do not currently have an Intercom system at the doors. During business hours, the lobby is open and if an employee forgets their badge they can just come in through the lobby. However, I have been considering an Intercom at the front gate. We do have visitors, especially delivery truck drivers, show up after hours and I have seen them punching the keypad (thinking it is an Intercom) and trying to get a hold of someone.

The problem I have is that we do not have a guard and there is no 'official' person on site after hours. So the only option is for the Intercom to ring someone's cell phone for after hour support. That person though then would have no visual of the person who is trying to enter and could not easily open the gate, so I didn't see that as a good option. Is there an application that would display video from an Intercom on a mobile device? We have an application that let's us log into the server to access the access control software, but it takes like 5 minutes and you really need an i-pad to be able to read the screens. Any suggestions?

It really depends of the context of the application. But when it makes sense, we always suggest it. We have used Aiphone and the Teledoor Bell from Logenex as our main 2 go to intercoms for this.

I would say 1out of 5 maybe, is the ratio. A lot of our customers do not want their clients to wait at the front door, so they come straight in and the front entrance only locks after hours, so for those customers, unless they need after hours, they do not want intercom.

But if our customer wants the front entry to remain secure all day, then we suggest to add an intercom right away.

i have never had a intercom hooked up to my access systems i have had all other things like sirens and strobes. I have seen a couple installs with intercoms but myself have never have installed intercoms with my access. I have installed intercom with my CCTV installs that customers wanted a intercom. but i do think it maybe a option to add intercom to some access systems if needed by the client.

We do not pair with intercoms but every access control model comes with a door bell button. Installer can wire the output from device to a bell. Whenever there is visitor asking to access, pressing the "door bell" button at the device to ring the bell.

However if the person cannot have a complete visual view to the entrance, it is good to have intercomm with video. At least the person can know who is the person asking for access and who are with him.

Seems like it would be of great benefit, very labor saving for LEU staff.

we don't used such things until now, because of integrations are always challenging .

We usually pair intercoms with access control at gates, and main entrance locations. Doors that are not used very often we typically do not incorporate intercoms

My company works almost eclusively in schools. On main entry doors, we almost always pair an intercom system with a card reader. Usually a video Aiphone door station at the door and a master station in the main office. This allows the secrataries to communicate with visitors/parents before remotely unlocking the door from the master station.

We have many sites where there is not an intercom paired with the reader simply because if the building is meant to be accessed by non-credentialed people, it will be open to them (think bank branches). In some of our more high security installs, we have paired intercoms and readers even though the majority of the time there will be a manned station watching people credential in during business hours. After hours the intercom plays the role of the guard station, as the 24/7 monitoring station on site fields the call and handles it as the business hours guard would.