Best Commercial Intercom System for your Business
As life returns to normal rhythms in a post-COVID world, security and protection of your business premises, data, staff, and clients are paramount. Among the several established strategies for ensuring such safety is solid, coordinated access control using a commercial access control system in conjunction with an intercom system.
An intercom system is integral to modern access control in that it extends beyond the scope of security at a business’s various entrances and other entry points. As a result, they contribute significantly to a building’s efficient management while ensuring clients and employees alike experience high-quality targeted security.
A brief introduction to commercial intercom systems
A modern commercial intercom system protects business facilities, from warehouses and office buildings to campuses and shops. At all location entry points, such as gates, outer doors and inner doors, the intercom system grants entry to various employees and visitors, depending on their purpose and function on the premises. In addition, each individual possesses credentials that they must display to gain entry.
These credentials may be a card or a key fob. Alternatively, the intercom makes it possible for any access request to be relayed to a security desk, a front desk, a reception, or a similar control center. Thereby granting access on demand.
How this access request is executed depends on the intercom system. For example, depending on the required features, it could be a doorbell, phone system or video system.
Regardless of specifications, all commercial intercom systems have the following components:
● An entry point panel (at the doors)
● User displays (at the substations)
● Connectivity between the entry point panels and the user displays
Choosing the right commercial intercom system for your business
Access control for commercial use, as opposed to residential, is far more demanding: additional functionality and ability for differentiation are necessary.
Therefore, when assessing a commercial intercom system for your business, you should consider your access control needs in the following areas:
● the level of security
● the capacity for various levels of access permissions
● the ability to support an extensive user database (for several employees and associates)
● ease of access for visitors
● system flexibility
The system’s centralized control features are especially important in large establishments.
Additionally, it would help if you considered whether you need to be able to operate the system remotely and whether events (i.e. access granted, etc.) will require recording. System integration with other security systems should be seamless.
Commercial intercom system options
There is a wide variety of commercial intercom system solutions. Each can be a good fit for your business, depending on requirements for access control for your business location, the flow of visitors and employees, and the level of security required.
The various options include:
● Audio intercom: Visitors press a buzzer to speak to the intercom controller and gain access if permitted.
● Telephone intercom: Visitors need to call a phone number to gain access control.
● Video intercom: Visitors are viewed while speaking by the intercom user, thus making identification and surveillance of the circumstances more efficient and secure.
● Wired intercom: For a limited number of users, visitors can be connected via dedicated cables to gain access control.
● Wireless intercom: A Wi-Fi system is used instead of wires to connect intercom users to visitors — efficient for large numbers of users.
● Networked intercom: The intercom connects users to visitors through the office network or general area network.