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Teams for Calling with front door security system - New Office Planning NEED ADVICE

Steel Contributor

We are "all in" with Microsoft 365 and Teams Calling (using computers and mobile phone apps).  Our office is serverless.  We are renovating a new location and I want to plan for a front door entry and security system.  What do I need to know now (currently we are in the early stages of demolition) for planning.  We rent in our current location so I have not needed to purchase my own front door system in the past.  Can this all be done wirelessly or via POE these days connected to WHAT?  I really need to know what I need to plan for in terms of wiring (if anything).  What 3rd party technology or partners would do this type of work or at least consult on it?

 

Thanks for any tips.

11 Replies

Hi @Christine Stack,

maybe this other thread helps: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Skype-for-Business-Users/Door-Phone-Integration/m-p/33657

This seems to be a seamlessly integrated (front) door bell/intercom option for Teams.

@Christine Stack

Asking the same question 1 year later. Our new building will be complete summer 2021 and we are working on security and front door systems now.  We are 100% Teams for calling and 100% serverless.  I am wondering what the Team group thinks of  https://www.2nusa.com/en_US/news/here-it-is-2n-ip-intercoms-can-put-calls-through-to-ms-teams

ANY IDEAS OR ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

@Christine Stack Did you ever find a simple door station/intercom solution that did not require a combination of 3rd party products to work? I'm interested in the same.

@Christine Stack We are currently working on this solution for another client- Please let me know how I can help. holley.hunt@qcic-group.com 

 

HH

2N is a reputable product in the physical security space

@Darkwood185 Are any of these Teams certified or approved to connect via the SIP Gateway?

best response confirmed by Christine Stack (Steel Contributor)
Solution

@Stewart_Ross 

multiple options:

1. Viking door phone controller with Valcom door phone (this is analog equipment).  This is connected to an AudioCodes Media Pack MP-112FXS or MP-114FXS. 

The Audio Codes media packs work fine with teams and each port can be registered with a separate account providing a “line” of service.  

The Viking door phone controller connects to your door strike OR to a relay port on your access control system that activates the door strike.  When a person comes to the door they push the button on the VALCOM door phone.  This is connected to the VIKING door phone controller.  The door phone controller goes off hook and gets dial tone from the Audio Codes media pack (which is connected to Teams).  The Meida Pack auto dials the configured endpoint (user, call queue, phone number, etc.). 

A Teams users answers, speaks with the visitor and then the teams users can dial a digit sequence that the Viking door phone controller will hear and activate the relay to unlock the door.

 

2. Algo door phone controller.  

Algo has integrated Teams capabilities into their door controller.  This eliminates the need for the AudioCodes media pack.  The rest is the same.

 

The only upside to the Audio Codes media pack and the analog path is that it is a more “open” system.  If a component fails analog is compatible with other equipment.  

The Algo solution is a little cheaper, maybe a couple hundred dollars.  

I have multiple deployments of the Audio Codes solutions and it is rock solid.  That has been the case though for Media Packs for a long time.  I’m sure Algo is fine as well.  We use their paging adapter for overhead paging and multiple offices.

 

Third option would be to register a session border controller to Teams.  Then you can use any SIP based device you want.  Register it to the SBC, setup a dial plan in the SBC and in Teams so calls flow between the two.  An SBC only makes sense if you have a lot of SIP devices that need to be integrated and want to avoid the Teams phone system fees and don’t need to use the Teams platform to make PSTN calls.  You have to run the SBC somewhere.  Either a device like a ribbon or a virtual machine in Azure, on-prem, etc that runs compatible phone system package that can act as a session border controller.

Thanks for the information; we already have many analogue endpoints connecting to analogue ports on Ribbon SBCs. I was interested in understanding whether there was any IP devices (intercoms/door stations etc.) that could register directly as Teams devices.

@Stewart_Ross 

The Algo device is currently the only single manufacturer solution that attaches to the SIP gateway.  It’s still a two piece device as having a relay at the door phone is a security risk.  The door phone can be broken and the relay activated to unlock the door.   Normally the “phone” on the outside wall is just that.  The relay and dialer are located in a secure area inside the building.  

The audio codes ATA attaches directly to Teams via the SIP gateway.  It does not use an SBC.  

As for teams native, I don’t think there is anything. 

@Stewart_Ross 

We have Paxton 10 access control in the office, with an access panel that is SIP compatible.

Has anyone had any luck getting Paxton to work with MS Teams SIP?

 

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by Christine Stack (Steel Contributor)
Solution

@Stewart_Ross 

multiple options:

1. Viking door phone controller with Valcom door phone (this is analog equipment).  This is connected to an AudioCodes Media Pack MP-112FXS or MP-114FXS. 

The Audio Codes media packs work fine with teams and each port can be registered with a separate account providing a “line” of service.  

The Viking door phone controller connects to your door strike OR to a relay port on your access control system that activates the door strike.  When a person comes to the door they push the button on the VALCOM door phone.  This is connected to the VIKING door phone controller.  The door phone controller goes off hook and gets dial tone from the Audio Codes media pack (which is connected to Teams).  The Meida Pack auto dials the configured endpoint (user, call queue, phone number, etc.). 

A Teams users answers, speaks with the visitor and then the teams users can dial a digit sequence that the Viking door phone controller will hear and activate the relay to unlock the door.

 

2. Algo door phone controller.  

Algo has integrated Teams capabilities into their door controller.  This eliminates the need for the AudioCodes media pack.  The rest is the same.

 

The only upside to the Audio Codes media pack and the analog path is that it is a more “open” system.  If a component fails analog is compatible with other equipment.  

The Algo solution is a little cheaper, maybe a couple hundred dollars.  

I have multiple deployments of the Audio Codes solutions and it is rock solid.  That has been the case though for Media Packs for a long time.  I’m sure Algo is fine as well.  We use their paging adapter for overhead paging and multiple offices.

 

Third option would be to register a session border controller to Teams.  Then you can use any SIP based device you want.  Register it to the SBC, setup a dial plan in the SBC and in Teams so calls flow between the two.  An SBC only makes sense if you have a lot of SIP devices that need to be integrated and want to avoid the Teams phone system fees and don’t need to use the Teams platform to make PSTN calls.  You have to run the SBC somewhere.  Either a device like a ribbon or a virtual machine in Azure, on-prem, etc that runs compatible phone system package that can act as a session border controller.

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