A commercial building operator cannot afford to take anything for granted to maintain safe and uninterrupted operations, and at the top of the list is the building’s security system.

And yet, some building owners and operators could be putting themselves at risk if they subscribe to an intercom system service rather than owning the hardware outright, said Sean Peterson, director of product, marketing and support for intercom provider Aiphone.

“People today subscribe to many different services in their daily lives, but security is something I wouldn’t want to subscribe to,” he said. “When it comes to my building’s security, I want to own it, and I want to control it. I don’t want to face a situation where, all of a sudden, I’m not able to control my doors or communicate with people or see what's happening on the premises.”

Aiphone’s model allows buildings to own their intercom system. Bisnow spoke with Peterson to learn more about how this approach works and why he thinks it is the smarter option for building owners.

Bisnow: As you have blogged, intercoms have been an important part of multitenant buildings for a long time — even playing supporting roles in TV shows like Seinfeld. What role do they play in today’s commercial buildings?

Peterson: When it comes to physical security, an intercom is probably the only piece that people interact with regularly. But it has evolved since receptionists used it in the 1950s and ’60s to buzz in the next appointment. Today, intercom technology is probably most synonymous with the crucial role it plays in keeping people, property and buildings safe in the multitenant market.

Bisnow: How has the technology evolved?

Peterson: When you boil it down to its everyday practical use, it's been the same since the first intercom: You press a button, and you talk to somebody. But technology evolves with people’s expectations and needs, and in 2026, we can leverage technologies like AI to introduce things like facial recognition. So you see a modern twist on intercoms today, but the core functionality is the same. 

Intercoms, like most things in physical security, have evolved to provide two things: convenience and a heightened level of security. What I like most about this segment of the security market is that we're purely about connecting people and letting them make decisions. Where the rest of the industry is leaning more into “how do we let computers make all the decisions,” our portion is staying a little more fundamental.

Bisnow: What sets Aiphone’s technology apart from competitors’?

Peterson: The analogy I think of is your Sony TV that lasts 30 years or your Toyota that goes 300,000 miles. It’s the same kind of idea for us, and there is a level of detail in the craftsmanship and pride in the quality of work that we do. It's not a consumer-driven disposable product. 

Our hardware is meant to last for a long time, and that's kind of the ethos of Aiphone in general. For most users, it probably goes unnoticed until you realize, “I've had this system in my building for 10 years, and not only does it work, but it works every single time. I've never let somebody in that shouldn't have been in. I've never not heard what somebody said.” 

Intercoms are the only part of the physical security ecosystem that allows two people to interact with each other and actually gives a human the ability to make a security decision. It has to work 100% of the time. It can never fail.

Bisnow: What is the advantage to a multitenant building in owning its own intercom system versus leasing it via subscription?

Peterson: Subscription services have always been a part of people's lives, and Covid took it to another level. But while I'm OK subscribing to Disney so my child can watch The Jungle Book, I don’t want to subscribe to anything concerning the security and safety of my child.

It’s the same for commercial buildings: Do owners and operators really want to subscribe to the safety of their tenants? There are certain platforms where the upfront cost is inexpensive, and it's easy to say “yes” to that. But what if you decide that the longer-term costs of subscribing are too high, and they flip the switch so that your security apparatus stops working? Why would you want to put yourself in that position? 

With Aiphone, we are and will always be hardware-first. When you buy Aiphone, you're buying the product, and it is yours forever. Your product will continue to work, and you’re also not dependent on us paying our servers, or anything like that that could affect your service.

Bisnow: A user might own your hardware, but how does Aiphone provide support in the event of an issue?

Peterson: We’re proud of our hardware, and it’s the thing most people will see. But I think the support, service and people behind Aiphone are also unique. All of our support staff is here in the U.S. The people to help you deploy your product and continue making it work are all here and reachable when you need them.

Bisnow: Is Aiphone designed to integrate with other aspects of an end user’s existing security system?

Peterson: Integration and being part of a building’s greater security ecosystem are really important to us. This also brings us full circle back to my point about subscriptions: With a lot of subscription-based security services, you're locked into a singular ecosystem. You don't get to pick which camera or access control function is going to work best for your needs. With a subscription, it’s, “Here's what we have. Take it or leave it.”

We prefer for the customer to have full control and decide what works best for them. We concentrate on the communication part of security and design all of our products to work with whichever access control or video management systems you want. We want to let people make these decisions based on their unique needs and budgets.

This article was produced in collaboration between Aiphone and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.