Why Video Intercom Systems Are the Smart Upgrade Your Business Needs
Why Your Business Needs a Video Intercom System
Visually verify and communicate with visitors before they even step foot on your premises. With Almas Industries’ state-of-the-art video intercoms, you can elevate your business security and streamline operations effortlessly. Our systems can also be implemented as one element of a wider Access Control System.
Video Intercoms Security Features
- Effectively control who enters your premises
- Visually identify visitors and prevent unauthorised access
- Route calls to different departments, tenants or offices within your business using preprogrammed buttons or call extension combinations
- Allow staff and regular contractors to enter automatically using an RFID fob or individual code
- A modular intercom system that is built, installed and configured around your business’ specific needs
- Outright purchase, or lease options available, including full support and maintenance for your peace of mind
How Do Video Intercoms Enhance Security and Access Control?
Evidence of Incidents
Connect your video intercom camera to your CCTV NVR and record any interactions with visitors.
- Video recordings that can be used in investigations
- Check for non-authorised access or tailgating in the event of an incident
Cost-Efficient Security Solution
A video intercom system can reduce the need for additional security or person and is an affordable option as an access control solution.
Improve Communication
Simplify communication between different parts of your building or across multiple locations. Between reception and office floors, or the warehouse and administrative offices, video intercoms allow for instant, clear internal communication.
Flexible and Scalable
Whether a small business or a large corporation, our video intercom systems can be tailored to fit your specific needs. As your business grows, our systems can easily scale to accommodate additional locations or more complex security requirements, ensuring long-term value and reliability.
Trust Almas Industries for your Video Intercom Installation
An Established and Accredited Supplier, Integrator and Installer of Commercial Security Systems
Almas Industries builds and installs a modular intercom system to fit your site’s specific requirements. Video or audio, one to one, or one to many, and routed according to your needs.
We’ve been protecting UK and Irish businesses for nearly 20 years.
Free 3-Step Quote
We’re passionate about creating a Video Intercom Entry System that’s tailored around your business. Our Security Consultants work with your specific needs and budget.
- Contact Us
Complete a quote form and we’ll get in touch or call us on 03335677799 - We visit you
A security consultation and site survey is the first step to determine how you want your system to work. We assess configuration, cable runs and installation time. Then we give you an accurate and transparent quote. - Your intercom system
Our experts build a security package quote tailored to your business’ specific needs, starting from £35€ per month.
JPA Brenson Lawlor
"Excellent support, latest technology, innovative. We have CCTV and Facial Recognition systems installed securing our premises to the highest standard. "
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Abacus Ark Nursery Group
"“The integration has saved countless hours collating and verifying manual staff logs. We’ve seeen productivity increases as staff have realised we’ve eliminated the human element of payroll reconciliation.”"
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ESS Modular
""We've found the workmanship of the technicians to be of the highest quality and Almas' advice has saved us money in terms of on-site security. Almas' responsiveness to our changing needs allows us to scale our security solutions as required, as we continue to grow" Stephen Tedstone, Production Director"
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Hollybank Trust
"When they came out to demo the 360 system, we knew that that system was the system that we wanted to utilise."
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Tewkesbury Marina
"Tewkesbury Marina have recently had a CCTV system fitted by Almas industries. Dan and Joe went above and beyond to ensure we were fully satisfied and all our needs were met. It was a pleasure to work with a professional company who put the customer first."
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Ollie Hayes
"This iconic bar caught the attention of none other than President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during their visit to the area."
Read MoreWhich is the best intercom for my business?
Deciding which will be the right intercom for your business depends on the flow of people and traffic around your site and the resources you have in place to manually grant entry every time there is somebody at the ‘door’.
Your door entry system needs to be flexible as access to your site will include regular authorised users, for example, your employees, and frequent users; these could include delivery drivers, and visitors; one-off or infrequent users.
Using an intercom as your primary way of controlling access is labour-intensive as someone needs to grant access for every person entering the site or building.
How much does a video intercom cost?
At Almas Industries we always give you an accurate price which takes the following into account:
- Number of external units and internal terminals
- Additional modules such as RFID fob access or Code entry
- The type of building and any listed consent considerations
- Any restrictions in access or installation times
- Length of cable runs to the various rooms
- Whether you want an outright purchase or ongoing maintenance and support
So when you ask for a price over the phone we will say that we need to do a site survey to give you an accurate price. We aren’t trying to be evasive, we want to be transparent and make sure that the price we quote is the price we stick to.
How does a video intercom work?
The camera and microphone station are mounted by the door, barrier or gate
- When someone presses the button, a signal is sent through the intercom system.
- The intercom system sends a video feed from the camera to a display screen inside the site, or in some cases, can ring a mobile phone.
- The member of staff inside can see and hear the person at the door through the display screen.
- To communicate with the person at the door, the person inside can use the intercom’s microphone and speaker.
- If the person inside wants to allow the person at the door to enter, they can use the intercom to unlock the door remotely.
Can intercoms be installed anywhere?
The site must have power. If the intercom is to be wireless then there must be network too.
Restrictions would apply for listed buildings or if you’re in a tenanted building. It’s important to check these factors before you sign up to an intercom system.
How does a video intercom release the door?
When the person authorises the visitor to enter the building or site by pressing the ‘yes’ button, this sends a signal to the door.
The door will have an electronic lock installed. When the right command is given, the lock disengages for a set amount of time. When the door closes, the lock reengages.
Usually locks would be a maglock or electrolock.
Are intercoms are full visitor management system?
Intercoms have benefits and if you can have unique identifiers including codes or fobs then they can be people specific. However, they aren’t recording details of the people that are entering the site, only the credentials they carry.
There is no control or way of knowing when they leave the site. If this is what you’re looking for then we would suggest our Optima access control system, which integrates with industry leadling Inventry visitor management software.
Which is better - audio or video intercom?
Video vs Audio Intercom
In the case of a video intercom, there is a button and a camera within the intercom unit. Inside the building, or on your smartphone, you will have a screen where you can see the person in front of the door. You could ask them to show photographic ID before allowing them access.
With an audio intercom, only voice is transmitted, you have no way of verifying visually who is at the door, or whether they are who they say they are. Video intercoms, therefore, provide a higher level of security and are Almas’ preferred intercom system.
Wired vs Wireless Intercoms
Wireless Intercom vs Wired Intercom
A wired intercom is hardwired, ie cabled, from the door where the user presses a button, to the ‘handset’ which is the receiver. Cables will be covered by trunking in a retrofit scenario or can be channelled or run during first fit for a flush finish.
Wireless intercoms can route incoming calls to a phone or computer using a network. This could mean that you could grant access when you are off-site. Wireless intercoms are convenient, but not as reliable as wired intercoms as you’re relying on data networks.
Are video intercoms robust?
Vandal & Weather resistance
Intercoms are often mounted to the exterior of a building and can sometimes be targeted by vandals. You need to be confident that the unit has protection from vandalism.
The IK rating determines how vandal resistant a unit is on a scale of 1 – 10, 10, 10 being the highest vandal protection for the hardware.
An IP rating rates how how resistant your intercom will be to dust and water ingress.