Decide who comes in. Log every visitor.
IP video intercoms, multi-tenant lobby panels and visitor management for NYC offices, medical practices, schools, retail and warehouses. They work with access control: staff get in on their credentials, and visitors go through the intercom.
VISITOR · The visitor scrolls the directory to Suite 450. The panel places a SIP call through the phone system to the tenant's desk phone. The tenant sees the video, presses Door, and the relay inside cuts maglock power.
DELIVERY · A courier picks Suite 600. Nobody is at that desk, so the call goes to the tenant's phone app. The tenant checks the video and releases the lobby door from the app.
AFTER HOURS · The schedule switches routing: every directory call goes to the security desk. The guard talks with the visitor and decides. Here the door stays locked, and the call is still logged.
Example: an aluminum storefront door with a magnetic lock on the inside of the header and an exit sensor, so people inside can always get out. A magnetic lock needs a free way out from inside at all times.
Commercial intercom systems.
A commercial building needs more than a buzzer: a visitor log, access control on the same doors, and a system that handles dozens of visitors a day.
Multi-tenant lobby panels
Lobby directory panels listing tenants or suites. The visitor picks the business or the person, the call goes to that desk or phone, and the receptionist releases the door. Common in NYC office buildings.
IP video door stations
Network door stations with an HD camera, two-way audio and remote door release. Calls go to a SIP desk phone, a computer client or a phone app. Every call is logged, with a snapshot on systems that support it, and the video can also go to the camera system for recording.
Access control integration
Employees and authorized staff use key fobs or cards, with no intercom call. Visitors use the intercom. Both systems release the same lock, each through its own relay, wired so either one can open the door.
Visitor log and records
Every call is logged with the time: which entrance, which tenant was called, who answered and whether the door was released. Useful when you need to look back at who came in.
After-hours and night mode
Calls route differently after hours: to a security desk, a mobile phone or a recorded message. A facilities manager can let in an expected after-hours visitor remotely, with no one on site.
Multi-door coverage
Loading docks, side entrances, parking garages and roof access doors get door stations on the same system. Each door has its own call routing, its own answering stations and its own access control settings.
Intercom, card reader and camera in one station.
A station with a built-in reader calls visitors in, lets staff in on their cards and sends its video to the camera system. Every door event becomes one record, with a snapshot.
A staff card at the reader
A visitor presses Call
An expired card
The reader is built into the intercom station. The card goes to the access control panel, which decides and closes its own relay. The strike gets power, the door opens, and the recorder bookmarks the moment.
Same station, different path. The call goes over the network to the tenant's app or desk phone. When they press Door, the station signals the intercom relay on the secure side, which powers the same strike.
The access control panel refuses the card, so neither relay closes and the strike stays locked. The attempt is still one event: time, card, decision and a snapshot of who was at the door.
The request-to-exit sensor and the door contact go to the access control panel. We pick the lock for each door around its use and the building's fire and life safety requirements.
Power, cable and calls on one Cat6.
An IP door station is a network device. It takes power from the switch, lives inside the Cat6 distance limit, and calls desk phones like any extension.
Swipe sideways to see the whole run
Power from the switch port
Inside the 100 m channel
The door station as an extension
The station takes its power and its network on one Cat6. The switch first checks for a valid PoE device, reads its power class, then turns the port on. No power supply at the door.
Ethernet over Cat6 is limited to a 100 m (328 ft) channel, patch cords included, with the permanent link in the walls up to 90 m. Every run is tested end to end before the station goes up.
The station registers with the phone system like any desk phone. A visitor call rings a group of desk phones at once; the first to answer gets audio and video and presses a key that sends a door code back to the station's relay.
Intercoms by property type.
Multi-tenant lobbies, visitor management, IP systems: what a building needs varies a lot by type. Find yours below.
The old system stays on until the new one is tested.
Most commercial intercom work can be phased so the building is never without a working entry system. When a building cannot have any interruption, we work evenings or weekends.
Old system stays live
The existing panel keeps working while we pull new cable and mount the new stations beside it.
New system installed
Stations, network and lock wiring go in alongside, without touching the working doors.
Tested door by door
Every call path and every door release is tested on the new system before anything is switched.
Cut over, one entry at a time
Each door's hardware connections move to the new system, one entry point at a time. Then the old panel comes out.
How a commercial intercom job works.
Four steps from the walkthrough to a building where every door opens from every answering point.
Walk every entry point
We walk each entrance, check the doors and frames, the existing panel and wiring, and the network and phone system the intercom will use.
Written scope and price
You get a written scope and price: the stations, the lock hardware for each door, the cabling, and how calls route by day and after hours.
Install and cut over
Cat6 to each station, the lock wired through a relay on the secure side with its own power supply, and the old system kept running until the new one is tested. New power is coordinated with the electrician. Every penetration we make through a fire-rated wall or floor is fire-stopped.
Test and train
Every door release is tested from every answering point. We train building management on the directory, codes and call routing.
Commercial intercom questions.
What is the difference between a SIP intercom and a standard IP intercom?
A SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) intercom uses the same signaling as VoIP phones. It registers with the phone system or a SIP server like any other extension, so the door station becomes an extension and its calls ring at the reception desk, a specific phone or a ring group. A desk phone that supports video shows the camera, and the person answering presses a key that sends a door code to release the door. A standard IP intercom calls through the maker's own app or software instead, and many IP intercoms do both. Both run on your network and both support video. SIP is the better fit when you already have an office phone system. We look at your network and phone system during the quote and recommend the platform.
Can the intercom and access control share the same door hardware?
Yes. When we install both, they share the electric strike or magnetic lock on the door. The intercom releases it when a visitor is let in, and the access control panel releases it when a valid credential is presented. Each system has its own relay on the same lock power supply, wired so either one can release the door: contacts in parallel for a strike, in series for a magnetic lock. The request-to-exit sensor and the door position contact go to the access control panel, and some intercoms also read the door contact so their log shows when the door actually opened. It takes careful coordination during installation, and the result is one set of door hardware with two systems using it.
How does a multi-tenant lobby panel work in a commercial building?
The panel lists tenants on physical buttons, one per suite, or on a touchscreen directory where visitors search by name or suite number. The visitor picks the tenant, and the system calls the number set for that tenant: a SIP extension in the suite, a phone number or a phone app. The tenant answers, talks with the visitor and presses a key to release the lobby door. Building management updates the directory without replacing hardware, and on some systems tenants can edit their own entries and call forwarding. We set up each tenant's routing during the install and train building management on the admin screens.
Do you work on occupied commercial buildings during business hours?
Yes, with planning. Most commercial intercom work can be phased so the building is never without a working entry system. We sequence the install so the old system keeps running until the new one is fully tested, then we cut over one entry point at a time, moving the door hardware connections to the new panel. For buildings that cannot have any interruption, we can work evenings or weekends. We go through the schedule in detail during the quote so you can plan around it.
What brands do you install for commercial intercom systems?
We choose the platform for each building rather than leading with a brand. We work with several commercial IP and SIP intercom lines: SIP-compatible stations managed over the network and built for commercial use, multi-tenant lobby panels for mid-rise office buildings, and cloud-managed systems with visitor management software where that fits. The choice comes from your requirements: budget, your network, the number of tenants, and whether you want cloud management or an on-premises system. We do not install consumer video doorbells in commercial buildings. Ask during the quote and we name the models we recommend for your building.
Need intercoms for a residential building?
Ready to upgrade your building's intercom?
Same-day quotes when we can. We walk through your entry points, look at the existing wiring and network, and give you a written scope and price.