In the popular TV show Seinfeld, four friends have various misadventures in life, love and work environments. The series aired for nine full seasons, running from 1989 to 1998. One of the interesting things about the show is that many episodes revolved around scenes that would take place in the apartment of a character named “Jerry Seinfeld” (who was also one of the creators of the series). To let people in to his apartment, Jerry listened to them talk over his apartment’s intercom, then pressed a button to unlock the apartment’s door downstairs.
These intercom systems were actually invented around the time that train travel was expanding in popularity. The antique ring system that was used on trains helped the development of today’s sophisticated intercom systems. We now have various types of intercoms for emergencies, home security and even video conferencing. However, how useful are these intercom systems at protecting your home’s security?
Types of Intercoms
There are a few different types of intercoms that are used for security. These types include:
Audio Entry Intercom
This is the type of intercom that is commonly used in large apartment buildings in large cities. A person will press a button on a keypad that corresponds to the apartment that they are trying to reach. This results in a “call” being placed to that apartment, where the apartment’s resident usually asks the person downstairs to identify themselves. Then, the apartment resident has the option to push a button, in order to allow the downstairs door to be unlocked for a few seconds, allowing the person to gain entry.
Video Intercom
The video intercom system is the next to develop after audio-only intercoms. A video intercom allows a resident to gain a more positive identification of the person attempting to gain entry, which results in better security. Most of these systems stream live video, which is also accompanied by an audio feed. Though video intercoms were once too expensive for the average homeowner, demand for their secure method of identification helped make them more accessible and less expensive.
Emergency Intercom
The emergency intercom is a system that is present on many monitored home security systems. Its features may vary depending on the specific system, though most of these intercoms offer direct connection to emergency systems. They are particularly useful because they allow the resident of a home to converse with emergency services (or the system’s monitoring station) without using the phone. These emergency intercoms are also commonly used on “panic button” pendants, which are sometimes used by elderly people living alone.
So, Do I Need An Intercom?
Like many other security products, choosing to install an intercom is all a matter of preference. Do you want to have video confirmation of the identity of anyone attempting to enter your property? Would you like a security system that offers one-touch access to the monitoring station and emergency services? Some security systems even offer emergency intercom systems at no additional charge, as they come standard on many of today’s systems.
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