Aiphone builds audio and video intercom systems for entries, suites and multifamily buildings, with families that run over existing two-wire cable or over a network. SecureComm chooses between them by what is already inside the wall, because wiring decides most of the cost on a retrofit.
On a multifamily or office entry project, the intercom is usually the smallest line item and the one most likely to go wrong. Aiphone has stayed relevant because the line spans the whole problem: stations for the door, handsets and video monitors for the units, power supplies and the wiring methods that connect them across a building. That range is why an aging panel can often be brought back without replacing every station.
The design decision that follows is not which station looks right. It is what cable already runs from the entry to each unit, how much of that riser can be reused, and whether the building is moving toward network entry or holding on to the two-wire plant that still works. That answer sets the budget before a single part is ordered, and a retrofit that ignores the riser stalls at the first occupied unit.
Two-wire, network and the retrofit decision
The most consequential choice on an Aiphone project is wiring, not the station. Older multifamily buildings often have two-wire or coaxial cable running from the entry to each apartment, installed decades ago and still serviceable. A system designed for that cable can reuse the riser and avoid pulling new wire through occupied units. The cable is a building asset, and it is usually in better shape than the client expects.
A network system needs Cat cable and a switch, which is straightforward in new construction and costly in an occupied building where every wall is finished. Where a full rewire is impractical, a hybrid is common: a network entry station and power supply at the door, with converters serving the existing apartment stations. That keeps the riser and still modernizes the entry. The hybrid is less a compromise than a recognition that the riser already works.
Multifamily stations and visitor flow
Multifamily work is a sequence of small decisions. Each apartment needs a station or a phone-based answer point, the lobby needs an entry station that can call by unit rather than by published name, and the building needs a policy for deliveries, guests and staff. Directory listing, resident privacy and the ability to call without a name all come up, and they are settled before programming. None of those answers is technical, and each one is easier to settle with the client in the room.
Door release is the other half. The intercom can trigger a strike or magnetic lock, but a multifamily building usually wants that release logged and subject to the same rules as the garage and amenity doors. Where the site has an access platform, we tie the entry release to it, so a propped door or a held door appears in the same report as a badge event. That single log is what a manager needs when a resident disputes a delivery.
Selection, service and the parts that fail
Station selection follows the building. A video entry station lets a resident see who is calling, which matters in a property with package theft, while an audio station is enough for a small office suite. Hands-free operation and hearing-aid compatibility exist across the families and are worth specifying where residents or staff need them. Where residents have limited mobility, the station height is part of the accessibility review.
Service is unglamorous and predictable. Power supplies fail, handsets crack, entrance cameras fog and call buttons stick after years of use. We stock the parts that fail most often, record every station and address, and keep the programming file for the building, because a system without a directory or a configuration record is rebuilt expensively the first time a board fails. Keeping that file is cheaper than reconstructing it under pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Can Aiphone reuse the existing building wiring?
Often yes, when the cable is the type the chosen family expects and it is in good condition. We test the run before committing, because a reused riser with a damaged conductor fails intermittently and is far harder to diagnose than new cable.
Does every apartment need a video station?
Not necessarily. Audio stations cost less and are adequate for many buildings, while video adds value where residents want to see a caller before releasing the door. A building can mix them, since the entry station drives both.
Can Aiphone release a door through access control?
Yes, by wiring the intercom relay to the access controller instead of directly to the lock. That keeps schedules, audit records and fail-safe behavior in one system and avoids a second, unlogged path into the building.
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