Home security is a high priority for many of us today. Crime figures for burglary and vandalism are falling across the UK and many think that’s because of the security measures householders take to ward off intruders before they’re tempted to break in or damage our property. Naturally physical barriers are the bluntest tool to use in protecting our homes but a steel shutter over the front door doesn’t look very appealing. The next best thing to deter would-be thieves is a comprehensive security lighting and camera system which would rather more discreetly tell people to keep moving. However, some people still don’t find these to be subtle enough.
Nobody wants to live in a prison, and locking your home up like Fort Knox is no way to live. So what is the best way to keep an eye on your front door without making your visitors feel like they’re entering the Big Brother House when they drop by to call?
The access control that Briant Communications sell would appear to be the perfect solution. We supply and fit intercoms which look exactly like any other bell push, only ours come with a few extras as standard. So let’s compare and contrast.
Know Who’s At Your Door Before They Even Ring The Bell
Old intercoms let visitors buzz and you had to be able to pick up the handset to talk to whoever it was to ask them who they were and let them in. If you had the additional security of a camera it would often me difficult to locate it anywhere but in such a position that the only images it captured were of the top of your visitors’ heads. If you were to get more information, you’d know that the picture would be fed directly to a monitor which would most likely not record the footage, it was simply there to tell you who was at the door.
Our modern door monitors are something of an improvement on that antiquated technology, and here’s why!
First of all, cameras are built in to the button panel meaning that you get a good image of your visitor’s face when they introduce themselves. But why wait for them to buzz you? With motion detection you can be alerted as soon as anyone comes into the vicinity of your door, so if someone you don’t know comes onto your property and is behaving suspiciously, you’ll know about it. If you want to put a positive spin on it, this also means that when the postman or your friends call by carrying armfuls of gifts you can let them in without them having to fumble about trying to press the buzzer.
Talk To Them In Person, Or Choose From A Number Of Pre-Recorded Messages
Wanted or not, you don’t actually have to talk to them. If it’s a friend or relative you can just buzz them straight up, however, if it’s someone you don’t want to engage with you have a number of pre-recorded security messages which you can use to ask them politely to leave, otherwise you’ll call the police.
Because our door security devices are Smart you can use them anywhere. If someone comes to the door it’s an app on your Smart TV, phone or tablet which lets you know they’re there. So you don’t have to rush to the intercom to let them in. If you’re in the bath, in bed, at the other end of the garden or even at work or away from home on holiday there’s no way for anyone else to know.
So, you’ve got the convenience of being able to get the door from anywhere so long as you have internet access, you can see the face of whoever comes to the door, even before they ring and you can record the footage in the event that someone breaks in or steals a package from your doorstep.
Choose Who Can Come And Go, And When, With Smart Access Control
Once you get used to the functions that your access control devices can perform you can really let it work for you. You can let it know who to let in automatically for example. Instead of giving friends, neighbours, home helps, cleaners or other domestic service providers (such as nurses, carers, etc) keys to your property you can simply add their smart phone to a list of trusted people who can come and go. You can put a time block on them so they’re only able to come in when you want, and they’ll have to ring, just like anybody else outside of those hours.
If you have mobility or health issues you can synchronise your emergency alert devices so that if you have a fall, for example, and need to call for help the door will be unlocked when assistance arrives.
There are several levels of function that your access control can serve. The most basic is that the panel works as a doorbell which lets you see and speak to who’s calling. Once you know who’s there you still have to get up and open the door yourself. Handy if you can’t get to the door quickly and delivery drivers have a habit of wandering off before you can get to the door.
Next would be what we currently associate with intercom entry. You can see and speak to who’s at the door and once you’re satisfied that they’re legitimate callers, you can open the door to them with the press of a button.
And finally there’s the automated control which lets you screen strangers while allowing members of your household and trusted guests to come and go freely.
Because the door monitor alerts you to the presence of anybody on your doorstep you might be concerned that anybody passing will cause your access control app to ring off the hook if you live somewhere where there is a high volume of foot traffic, outside your door. But this is covered too. Once your access control panel is in place you can identify areas where movement on screen won’t set off an alert, people passing on the pavement outside your house for example, however, once motion is detected where nobody but a caller would be, it lets you know they’re there.
Footage from the camera is sent via the home hub to whichever device you want to view it through, so if you’re watching TV it can appear there, or if you’re out and about it can be sent direct to your phone where you can speak to them in real time. The footage can also be recorded. You can choose to have it stored for a short time for free, or permanently archived for a fee.
If you are interested in having a safe, secure door monitoring access control device fitted at your home, why not get in touch? We can talk you through your requirements and advise on the best solution for your particular needs. We can also supply, install and set you up so it’s all up and running by the time we leave. Just click on the Contact Us link to arrange a call.