When someone knocked on a business or home’s front door, individuals used to have to look out to see who was trying to enter. Technology changed all that, allowing employees and homeowners to confirm a person’s identity by communicating with them via an intercom system. Now video-based intercom solutions are going one step further.
The advent of the internet has helped a number of security tools and intercoms evolve. By leveraging an IP-based intercom system, for example, businesses and homes can take advantage of solutions with higher video quality, enhancing the “total situational awareness” feeling of integrated security systems, according to a SecurityInfoWatch report.
“People want to make sure they have the ability to integrate not only access control but video as well,” security expert Steve Gorski said, according to the news source. “They want to know who they’re letting into the building.”
IP is changing security capabilities
Intercom manufacturers are changing their products to meet customer demand, evolving from traditional analog systems to IP-based products capable of integrating with other security tools. By using IP intercom, individuals can remotely monitor and speak with individuals trying to enter a building, SecurityInfoWatch noted. As a result, the capabilities of traditional intercom solutions have evolved and transformed the technology into a more reliable security system.
More specifically, IP intercom systems also allow users to take advantage of more features that conventional products would charge extra for the same additions. Generally speaking, users want the most advanced capabilities – even if they rarely use them – without spending more, the news source said. High-definition video is one of these components and can be applied to intercom and surveillance cameras.
“You’ve seen images [from an analog camera] of a robbery in black-and-white and you don’t even know if it’s a man or a woman because the image quality is so poor,” Gorski said, according to SecurityInfoWatch. “When you have higher resolution, you have the ability to do a lot more with the data and because it’s IP-based and more intelligent.”
A separate report by NPD In-Stat revealed that IP cameras are forecast to outgrow analog products by 2014. The adoption of these solutions will largely be driven by the increased demand for integrated security systems and the need for tools that can easily be merged into the network.
IP cameras used for both surveillance and video intercom systems can also be more flexible by offering wide-angle viewing capabilities. They also have pan, tilt and zoom functions, making them more effective at reducing blind spots, SecurityInfoWatch noted.
By using IP integrated security systems, homeowners and business decision-makers can ensure their physical property is protected against malicious outsiders. Through the deployment of surveillance, intercom and access control systems, only authorized individuals will be able to enter restricted areas, regardless of time of day.