If you have people coming and going from your property, your business can benefit from a telephone entry system. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a residential building or a commercial property; you’ll want to manage access using a more reliable system than a simple buzzer.
Telephone entry systems have been around for a long time and are common in many entrances, such as apartment buildings, office buildings, industrial complexes, gated communities, and storage facilities.
Thanks to modern technology, these entry systems now feature cost-effective access control and surveillance systems, which are beneficial to businesses and residences alike.
There are important advantages of upgrading your telephone entry system from an analog system to a more recent integrated technology, but first, let’s briefly see the different phone entry system options available.
Types of Telephone Entry Systems
Landline Systems
Before the cellular towers and smartphones era, traditional telephone entry systems were designed to work with landlines. The systems were placed at the building entrance and connected to a telephone line inside. When a visitor requested access, residents received calls on their landline (just like they would a normal telephone call), speak with the visitor, and decide whether or not to grant access.
Cellular Systems
With landlines phasing out, telephone entry systems are now connected via cellular service providers.
Cellular systems don’t use old-fashioned phone jacks on the wall. Instead, they use cellular connection boxes linked to a service provider to enable cell service.
While cellular systems are great, most of them are not cloud-based, which means they don’t offer access control via mobile apps or deliver PINs. It also means you won’t get a video feature with this telephone entry system.
Telephone Entry Systems with Cameras
Access control providers now add cameras to some telephone entry systems. Some camera models provide high-quality color images both in well-lit and low-light conditions, during the day and at night.
Instead of relying only on audio at the entry point, residents in large apartment buildings and staff in office complexes can see and identify visitors before letting them in, thanks to the addition of cameras in some telephone entry systems. Some models even allow users to access video footage through mobile apps on their smartphones.
Video Intercom Systems
Modern video intercoms take telephone entry systems up a notch. Some designs allow two-way video communication (instead of one-way video communication available with camera models).
It is also possible for businesses and residents to chat with visitors on video calls and let visitors into the building using mobile apps on their smartphones.
Benefits of a Telephone Entry System
Enhanced Security for Your Building
Installing a telephone entry system with an access control device, such as a camera or video, allows you to screen visitors before entering your facility or building. This is not the case with an open-door type of business, where just about anyone can enter your business premises and potentially cause a nuisance.
Keeping unwanted people off the premises gives you and your staff (or tenants) peace of mind, knowing that only authorized people are allowed in your building. You can communicate with people at your entry point and choose to deny them access to your building or permit them to come in. Interestingly, all of this happens without face-to-face contact with the person at the entry point.
Also, incorporating video into the system enables you to identify trespassers from the video footage of your entry points.
Higher Productivity
While increased security readily comes to mind when people think about telephone entry systems, the systems offer a lot more than that. Integrated intercom systems enable quick communication between offices, even if they are floors apart, leading to potentially higher productivity.
The good news is that you don’t have to install new lines for these systems to work in many cases. Businesses can use their existing telephone lines to set up high-quality telephone intercom systems, reducing setup costs. This could also eliminate or minimize the need for hiring receptionists at your entry points and potentially minimize overhead costs.
Easier to Manage with Remote Access
Installing a modern telephone entry system allows you to manage access control remotely instead of locally. That’s because many modern systems are cloud-based, allowing you to grant or deny access, even if you are not on the property.
While they function based on sophisticated programs, they are easy to use and scalable. This means you can easily change your service or upgrade it without making extensive adjustments to any physical hardware on-site.
Offers Increased Convenience
You, your staff, or tenants don’t have to physically check who is at an entry point. Modern options allow you to identify who’s at the door or gate via cameras or video footage.
Although not every visitor to your building may know how to use a telephone entry system, most modern options come in simple designs that almost anyone can operate.
Increased Property Value
If you manage a multifamily apartment building, adding a telephone entry system to the property can make it more attractive to prospective tenants. That’s because the system enhances the sense of safety and security of the building.
Beyond making your building more attractive to occupants, the overall value of your property can go up just by investing in modern security infrastructure.
People prefer to rent apartments in areas where they and their families feel safe. Adding a modern intercom system to your property or one that you manage gives you a competitive advantage, allowing you to slightly increase the rental value of your property.
Thinking of Upgrading Your Telephone Entry System?
If you’re thinking about upgrading the old-fashioned telephone entry system for your business, feel free to browse and choose from our collection of modern video intercom systems.
Need help deciding what security technology will work best for your business? Don’t hesitate to call us at (800) 730-8382. We’ll be glad to help you!
