Ring announces new smart intercom extension for apartment buildings
Ring is finally on its way to your apartment building with Ring Intercom
Ring has revealed that it will be releasing a new intercom system for apartment buildings later this month. Announced at IFA 2022 in Berlin, Ring Intercom will bring all the best features of a smart doorbell system to apartment dwellers through an Alexa-integrated, Wi-Fi-connected smart intercom.
Ring Intercom connects as an extension to existing intercom systems and sends notifications to a resident’s phone, allowing them to buzz in deliveries, give access to friends and family without getting a key cut and even buzz themselves in. To check if your intercom will work with Ring, take a look at this compatibility checker.
“Ring Intercom is the natural next step in Ring’s mission to make neighbourhoods safer, for everyone, regardless of home type,” said Jamie Siminoff, founder and chief inventor at Ring.
“Ring Intercom puts the customer in control, improving secure building access for residents and visitors, while introducing the added convenience Ring customers know and love. By upgrading the functionality of their existing intercom, customers no longer need to stay at home for a delivery or leave guests waiting outside in the rain when they’re not home,” he added.
The new intercom system will be released in the UK for purchasing on 28 September via Ring and Amazon, and will cost £120. Bundles are also available with Ring’s Quick Release Battery Charging Station and spare Quick-Release Battery Pack for £150. Shipping of the Ring Intercom and Quick Release Battery bundle will start on 26 October.
It’s also worth noting that, unlike Ring’s video doorbells, there’s no subscription fee to pay here.
What features will Ring Intercom have?
Remote Unlock will allow you to buzz a friend or family member into the building via the Ring smartphone app. The activity log will store every time the remote unlock feature is used, as well as giving users a log of missed and answered intercom calls.
The upcoming Auto-Verified Guests feature will let purchasers give specialised access to frequent visitors. No need to buzz in a significant other or get your house-sitter an extra key cut, as Ring’s app can verify a chosen guest you want to give access to, and let them into your building without fuss. Access can be granted and revoked at any time.
With Auto-Verify for Amazon Deliveries, you can choose to allow Amazon delivery drivers to leave packages in a secure location inside your building within specific hours of the day, even if you’re not around.
The Shared User feature means that customers can provide access to flatmates and other members of the household through the app. This feature shares the various access controls to other members of the house so that control is shared between tenants.
What about Alexa support?
If you’re a frequent user of Alexa devices, Ring Intercom will work seamlessly with them. If you so choose, you can have hands-free use over the Ring Intercom system by using voice control. If you need to answer an intercom call while you’re baking a masterpiece in the kitchen and you don’t want to get your phone covered in flour, Alexa will relay the call with two-way encryption.