Video Door Entry and Intercom Systems

What is a video door entry system and what is it for?

A video door entry system lets you see from inside who is at the door, talk to them and, if you choose, release the door remotely; an intercom uses the same infrastructure for internal calls between apartments, office units or a security point.

The job of door entry is communicating with visitors: the person inside decides whether to open the door. Users who let themselves in with a card, PIN or mobile credential, and the permission plan behind them, are the subject of our access control, turnstile and time attendance systems page. Vehicle entrances are covered under licence plate recognition and parking management systems.

In many buildings the two systems meet at the same door: residents present their card to the reader on the entry panel, while visitors call the apartment with the call button.

Which buildings and needs is a video door entry system suited to?

Any building whose entrance is shared by several people or units, and where visitors need to be answered from inside, benefits from a video door entry system.

• Apartment buildings and residential complexes: calls between block entrances, the main gate and the security gatehouse.
• Offices and business centres: receiving visitors at floor or company entrances.
• Villas and detached houses: video calls at the garden gate and front door, answered on a phone.
• Factories and warehouses: calls from pedestrian and service gates to security or the administration.
• Healthcare and education facilities: directing visitors from inside at controlled entrances.

What types of video door entry system are there and what are the components?

Door entry systems fall into two broad groups: analogue systems on dedicated cabling and IP systems that run over the network. In existing buildings, analogue or two-wire systems that reuse the old door entry cable may be preferred; in new buildings and large complexes, IP systems give more flexibility.

Which option suits you is decided during the survey, based on the existing cabling, the number of blocks and apartments and expectations such as answering on a phone. The main components of a video door entry system are:

• Entry panel (outdoor station): camera, speaker, microphone and call buttons or a digital directory; an optional card reader.
• Indoor monitor: the screen in the apartment or office for video calls and door release.
• Concierge unit: lets the security gatehouse on a complex talk to every entrance.
• Lock: an electric strike or magnetic lock on the door.
• Power supply and distribution: a distributor in analogue systems, a PoE switch in IP systems.
• Mobile app: lets authorised users answer from their phone in IP systems.

What does our door entry service scope include?

Our video door entry service runs from the survey to periodic maintenance; the detailed scope of each project is written into the proposal after the survey.

• Survey: review of entrances, the number of blocks and apartments, the existing door entry cable and door hardware.
• System selection: analogue or IP, entry panel type, indoor monitors and concierge unit.
• Bill of materials and procurement.
• Cabling or reuse of the existing wiring, and installation of entry panels and indoor monitors.
• Lock connection and setting the door release time.
• Configuring the directory, apartment entries, concierge unit and mobile app.
• Commissioning: call and door release tests for every apartment and entrance; user and administrator training.
• Periodic maintenance and fault follow-up (subject to contract).

How does a door entry project run?

The process starts with a discovery call about the building's entrances and users and ends with calls and door release tested in every apartment.

1. Discovery call: we discuss the building, the number of entrances, the users and your expectations.
2. Site survey: doors, existing cabling, risers and the security point are inspected.
3. System and device selection: analogue or IP, and the panel and indoor monitor types, are defined.
4. Proposal: scope, bill of materials and work schedule are put in writing.
5. Installation: cabling, panel and indoor monitor mounting and lock connection are carried out.
6. Configuration and testing: the directory, apartment entries and app are set up and every call is tried out.
7. Training and handover: use of the system is explained to building management and users.

Which factors affect the choice and the cost?

The cost of a video door entry system is driven mainly by the number of entrances, blocks and apartments, the chosen infrastructure and whether the existing cable can be reused; an exact figure can only be given after the survey.

We do not publish price ranges: even with the same number of apartments, the condition of the existing cable and the entrance layout change the cost of two buildings significantly.

• Number of entrances, blocks and apartments or units.
• Choice of analogue or IP infrastructure and the condition of the existing cable.
• Entry panel type: call buttons or a digital directory, with or without a card reader.
• Indoor monitor type and the number of units in each apartment.
• Need for a concierge unit, a mobile app and answering on a phone.
• Integration with systems such as the phone system, cameras and access control.

Which standards and regulations apply?

Building intercom systems are covered in Europe by the EN IEC 62820 series of standards; the current edition of the part defining general system requirements dates from 2026.

The entry panel's camera captures images of visitors, and some systems store a photo or video clip at each call along with a call history. These records may contain personal data; whether recording is enabled and how long records are kept is a decision for you or the building management as the data controller. For projects in Türkiye, see the Personal Data Protection Authority website for general guidance; this page does not give legal advice.

Where the entry panel controls a door on an escape route, the lock type and how it behaves in a fire are determined by the building's approved design.

• EN IEC 62820-1-1:2026 — Building intercom systems, Part 1-1: System requirements, General (supersedes EN 62820-1-1:2016).
• Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK), Law No. 6698 (Official Gazette 07.04.2016, No. 29677).

How does video door entry work with other systems?

Because IP door entry systems run over the network, they can share infrastructure with the phone, camera and access control systems, so a door call reaches the right person on the right device.

In offices, routing entry panel calls to desk phones or reception can be set up with IP PBX and telephone systems where the equipment supports it. Adding the entry panel camera to the recorder means the entrance can also be viewed and recorded within CCTV and IP camera systems.

A card reader added to the entry panel lets residents' and staff access be managed together with the access control software. For a view of the building systems as a whole, our low-voltage (ELV) systems page summarises how door entry relates to the other systems.

Which questions do we ask during the survey?

A sound door entry plan starts with understanding the building's entrances and how visitors will be received, so we work through the following questions together during the survey.

• How many entrances, blocks and apartments or units are there; are calls needed between the main gate and block entrances?
• Is the existing door entry cable in good condition, and can it be used for the new system?
• Do you want to answer and release the door from a phone?
• Is there a security gatehouse or reception; should calls go there first?
• Will the entry panel have a card reader, and will it be combined with the access control system?
• Should images be recorded at each call, and who will be able to view the records?

What are the common mistakes in video door entry systems?

Most problems stem not from the devices but from where the entry panel is placed, mismatched locks and apartments handed over without testing.

• Placing the entry panel against backlight: with the sun behind the visitor, their face appears dark on screen.
• Choosing a lock that does not suit the door: if the door closer and lock do not match, the door opens but does not relock by itself.
• Not testing every apartment: apartments not tried one by one at handover come back as faults with the first visitor.
• Opening mobile access insecurely: app accounts must be personal, and a resident's access must be removed when they move out.
• Reusing old cable without checking it: worn wiring can cause picture and sound problems; it should be measured during the survey.