IP Door Intercom Systems

Combining a door intercom with a phone allows to comfortably talk to a visitor and open the door from your desk. The conversation is handled by your telephony server, e.g. AskoziaPBX, like a regular internal phone call.

Why IP door intercom systems?

Digital communication via an IP door intercom has many advantages, such as:

– easy planning and installation
– few components
– secure communications
– enabling parallel conversations
– video telephony
– telephone directory
– easy to control and maintain via web server

Alternatively to SIP, some systems are using the H.323 protocol. However, H.323 requires very powerful hardware and has several disadvantages relating to firewalls and network integration.

How do IP intercom systems work?

The transmission of voice and images over Ethernet and by IP is increasingly replacing analog and ISDN-based transmission technologies. Voice communication and image are converted into digital signals and then transported over the IP network by means of a specific protocol such as SIP.

Typically, SIP is directly implemented in IP intercom systems with the necessary Ethernet interface. Other adapters or converters are unnecessary. This is especially advantageous in companies which already have IT networks and structured cabling as it allows easy integration of the IP intercom into the existing environment. Existing IT resources can be used without the need for an additional network. The network cable also provides power to the IP intercom system via PoE. Alternatively to a cable connection, intercoms may be operated over WLAN. In that case, obviously no network cable is required but consequently a separate power connection.

How to connect my IP intercom system?

IP phone systems:
IP door intercoms, e.g. from StentofonBaudisch or Siedle, can be directly connected to IP telephony servers such as AskoziaPBX, allowing to access the intercom from devices provisioned with your PBX, such as your desk phone or smartphone making the door intercom worldwide available for you.

Public SIP provider:
Door intercom and IP phone are switched free of charge through a public SIP provider. This requires internet access and at least a DSL connection. This makes the door intercom a worldwide available telephone. Even switching functions, such as opening the door, can be carried out while being on the road.

Direct connections:
For the simplest applications, i.e. typically for private applications, the intercoms call the IP address of an IP phone directly through a PoE switch.

What about video intercom systems?

Many IP intercoms already include the functionality to potentially act as door intercom. When using a video phone, the clear advantage is video telephony. A video door intercom requires a separate power connection and more band width than a regular door intercom. The received images can be displayed on another IP intercom within the same network, a computer with required software, or a smartphone with video camera and display.