To set up the device, follow the steps for Creating a Video Reader Pro / Video Intercom Reader Pro in Avigilon Alta Access.

Prerequisites for using the Video Intercom Reader Pro features

• Network Requirements

• Video Intercom Voice Assistant app from the App marketplace.

• Cloud Video Storage plan (for Visual Voicemail).

• Set up the Access Groups.

• Set up Entry Schedules

• Set up Routing profiles.

• (Optional) Set up Building Management.

New Alta Access Features for the Video Intercom Pro

• Alert Settings

• Rules Engine

• Roles and Permissions

• Account level Security

Alert Settings
We’ve added three new events that can trigger alerts in the Alert Settings - Configurations > Alerts: Intercom Button Pressed, Motion Detected, Audio Detected, and Video Reader Tamper Detected. If you have a busy environment with frequent motion detection, consider whether enabling Motion Detection alerts is the best option for your Alert settings.

Rules Engine
Similar to the Alert Settings, we’ve added new events that can trigger rules in the Rules Engine. You can now filter these rules to apply to only one Video Intercom Reader Pro, allowing you to fine-tune the rules to suit the environment of that specific device.

• Trigger:

  • Type: Video intercom reader

  • Event:

    • Intercom button pressed

    • Intercom direct connect session requested

    • Intercom front desk connect session requested

    • Motion detected

    • SIP DTMF digit heard

    • Sound detected

    • Tamper detected

    • Video device - QR code detected

    • Video voicemail notification

Roles and Permissions

We understand that incorporating video and images into Avigilon Alta Access can be sensitive for some organizations. Therefore, we’ve added permissions to ensure every organization can configure the system to meet their needs.

The Role Management page now allows a Role to have the following permissions:

• View Live Feed: View live feeds from linked cameras.

• Playback Video Clips: Playback video clips from linked cameras.

• Export video clips: Export video clips for local storage.

• Openpath video device: Fine-tune video setting.

• Openpath video intercom: Fine-tune intercom settings and routing.

Account-Level Security

We’ve also added account-level security settings to your organization's videos to control access for Avigilon Alta Support and parent organizations (if applicable). If this setting is set to No, Support will not be able to view any video:

• The live video stream will not load.

• Video clips will not play.

• Any thumbnails will be obfuscated.

Intercom Video Features: Video Settings Tab

The Video Settings tab lets you fine-tune the video feed on your Video Intercom Reader Pro.

• Video Properties: Adjust image controls to ensure the best quality image.

• Detection Settings: Enable or disable Motion Detection and set a Sensitivity level. Any motion detection events that exceed this threshold will be stored as video clips, making it important to align this setting with the environment your Video Intercom Reader Pro monitors.

  • Enable QR code recognition: Read third-party QR codes (Premium and Enterprise software licenses).

  • Privacy Mask: Blackout certain areas of the video feed to hide sensitive areas from users.

  • Region of Interest: Apply motion detection settings only to a specified area. Multiple Privacy Masks and Regions of Interest can be applied.

• Recording Settings: Control the display of a burned-in timestamp and device name, which appear in the top right corner of any recordings made by the Intercom camera.

Alta Access Intercom Calling

You can call the Avigilon Video Intercom within Alta Access using certain browsers (Safari and Firefox are not supported). To initiate a call, open the live view window and click the phone icon.

You can also configure Alta Access to receive notifications for the currently logged-in Avigilon Alta users when they are being called. To enable these notifications:

1. The user must be part of an active Intercom Routing Profile to be reachable by a visitor.

2. The user needs to navigate to their user settings in the top right corner of the screen, click on “My profile,” then “Settings,” and enable “Push Notifications.”

When a visitor calls, a notification will appear at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen with a button to bring up the live view of the Intercom. From there, the user can choose to answer the call, unlock the entry, or ignore the incoming call.

Calling the Intercom via the Avigilon Alta Open App

You can also call the intercom using the Avigilon Alta Open app. Open the app, click the camera icon at the bottom, and you will see the intercom video with a small phone icon at the bottom of the video. Clicking that will connect you to the intercom.

Intercom/Voice Assistant Features

The Intercom Settings tab provides configuration options for the language, messaging, and Audio features of the Video Intercom Reader Pro.

• Configuration:

  • Language: Select the language spoken to and replied to from the Video Intercom. We currently support:

    • English (North America)

    • French (France)

    • German (Germany)

    • Italian (Italy)

    • Polish (Poland)

    • Spanish (Mexico)

    • Spanish (Spain)

  • Default Message: Plays if no user Routing Profiles have been added.

  • Initial Greeting Message: Plays when a guest presses the Intercom Call button.

  • Skip greeting for front desk: This setting skips the Initial Greeting and Forwarding message if the only routing profile active is the Front Desk. When visitors press the call button, front desk users will be notified immediately.

• Audio:

  • Microphone - Control when the microphone is enabled, its sensitivity level, and whether it records audio.

    • Enabled - Always On: Audio can be heard during Intercom calls and from the Live View.

    • Enabled - On During Intercom Events: Audio will not be heard from the Live View.

  • Codec - The default audio codec is OPUS, except for intercoms using ONVIF. Although ONVIF supports OPUS, if your VMS (Video Management System) is configured to use G.711, changing the codec on the intercom to OPUS will break the audio. To restore audio, you'll need to update the VMS settings to match the intercom's codec.

  • Audio Recording: Allows audio to be recorded during events.

  • Audio Detection (Only available with Microphone Enabled - Always On): Triggers events based on audio detection.

• Speaker Settings:

  • Enable or disable the speaker.

  • Control the volume level.

• Privacy:

  • Help improve intercom voice interactions by sharing data

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

SIP can be used as the primary protocol or as a failover system. For information about installing and configuring your PBX software and VoIP phone systems, refer to third-party vendor documentation.

SIP Configuration Settings:

• SIP mode: Change from SIP disabled (default) to SIP only to use SIP exclusively, or to SIP failover to use SIP only during internet outages.

• SIP address: The IP address of the PBX software.

• Authentication user: The extension number for the Video Intercom Reader (e.g., 5555).

• Authentication password: The password for the extension number for the Video Intercom Reader.

• Display name (optional): The caller ID that is displayed on the Video Intercom Reader (e.g., OP Intercom).

• ID/Call destination: The extension number for the VoIP phone system.

• Device SIP number: The extension number for the Video Intercom Reader, which should be the same as the Authentication User.

Intercom Voice Assistant Configuration

The Intercom Voice Assistant can be configured through Routing Profiles, which determine which users and groups can be reached and at what times they should be available.

Setting Up Routing Profiles

1. Prerequisites: Ensure that Access Groups and Entry Schedules are already configured as they are needed for Routing Profiles.

2. Creating a Profile:

   • Go to the Routing Profiles page and click the + button to add a new Routing Profile.

   • Name the profile and select the Profile Type. There are four Profile Types:

     • Direct Connect: Allows guests to call individual users by stating their full first and last name to the Voice Assistant.

     • Front Desk Connect: Forward the intercom call to a configured user/group.

     • Visual Voicemail: Records a Visual Voicemail from the guest and notifies all users added to the profile.

     • Unit Connect: Allows guests to call a group of users by asking for the unit name/number those users are associated with under Building Management configurations.

Configuring the Profile

• Profile Schedule: Set the time frame when this Intercom Profile will be active, using the Entry Schedule. This prevents users from being interrupted by intercom calls outside of business hours or other predefined timeframes.

• Available Recipient Groups: Assign one or more User Groups who can be reached by this Intercom Profile. Configure the User Group ahead of time.

• Backup Configuration: Controls the behavior for ending or transitioning sessions with this Intercom Profile.

  • Timeout Until Fallback Profile: The duration the intercom will wait before switching to a Farewell Message or another Intercom Profile.

  • Fallback Profile: Select whether the Intercom should read a Farewell Message or switch to a different Intercom Profile if the initial profile is unavailable.

Example Configuration

• Initial Profile: Direct Connect with a set group of users.

• Fallback Profile: If a guest requests a user not found in the initial group, the fallback can be a Front Desk profile or another Intercom Profile, providing the guest with additional options or routing.

• Farewell Message: Played if the fallback profile has a different schedule and is unavailable when the initial profile is active.

This setup ensures that guests are efficiently directed to the appropriate users or groups, even outside standard availability times.

Related:

How to set up Building Management for the Video Intercom Reader Pro

How to set up Access Groups, Entry Schedules, and Routing Profiles for the Video Intercom Reader Pro

Advanced Video Intercom Reader Pro Information

Making and Answering Video Reader Intercom Pro Calls