Barix Audio over IP Technology Adds Advanced Intercom and Access Control Functionality to Sureview Systems Immix Software Platform

Galeco Communications of UK among first to successfully deploy integrated Sureview/Barix solution for remote security applications

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, May 7, 2009 — Barix AG, a pioneer in IP-based audio, intercom, control, and monitoring, today announced that Sureview Systems, a commercial security monitoring solutions provider, has successfully integrated Barix IP Audio device support within its Immix automation software platform.  The connectivity with Barix devices enables communications with an unlimited amount of audio surveillance, intercom and access control points from a central location.

Immix is an open architecture software platform that provides monitoring stations and other centralized security businesses with a single point of control to send, receive and respond to alarm events for their customers.  The IP-based Immix platform and Barix Annuncicom devices offer seamless integration, minimizing cost and simplifying audio communications and supervision.  New or existing Barix devices can be added to the Immix infrastructure without modification.  

Immix operators can communicate with Annuncicom-enabled locations at any remote facility with a click of the mouse in response to live queries, intrusions and other critical or non-critical events.  A simple IP connection transports high-quality voice and audio one way or bi-directionally from a microphone to the Barix Annuncicom receiver at either side, allowing for clear, precise communication between locations.  The Annuncicom devices also provide relay and contact closure inputs for access control, allowing Immix operators to facilitate door strikes for permission to enter or exclusion from the monitored location.

Galeco Communications, based in the UK, is an ideal example of a CCTV monitoring center using the integrated Sureview/Barix solution for centralized remote control and monitoring.  Operators at the monitoring center use a single Immix GUI to access multiple Annuncicom stations over IP for voice communication and remote access control.  Galeco has taken the integration one step further by incorporating video cameras into the same system.  The seamless Immix platform integration ensures that Galeco operators can talk to the same person the camera is focused on over the same IP link.  

“Galeco has essentially built a video and intercom system based on the Barix Annuncicom solution, and incorporated all that functionality into a single Immix platform,” said Chris Eckersley, director of European sales for Sureview Systems.  “They have taken the Annuncicom, which offers outstanding audio quality, and added video and access control functionality through its various inputs and outputs.  They have also added LEDs so that if a visitor comes to a door late at night and is not well-illuminated, Galeco operators can clearly see the individual through the video camera, and speak to them through the Barix intercom technology.”  

Craig Evans, director of Sureview Systems, adds that customers such as Galeco can sharply reduce system costs based on this model of adding new functionality to an existing Immix software platform — including the specification of audio into an existing video system.

“Many commercially monitored facilities today use some kind of CCTV solution, and Barix offers an ideal way of specifying audio into a video system that doesn’t itself provide audio capabilities,” said Evans.  “There are enormous cost advantages to augmenting your current system without having to replace the current infrastructure.  And the combined platform opens new business opportunities for companies that can monitor facilities around the world and control multiple hardware components from a single Immix station.”

Evans added that Barix Annuncicom technology also opens new opportunities for elevator monitoring or other applications where Voice over IP connectivity can replace subscribed telephone lines.  “There are monthly costs involved with telephone lines as opposed to having a one-time installation cost with Barix using an existing IP infrastructure,” said Evans.

According to Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and Founder of Barix AG, the company’s Annuncicom IP intercom technology continues to gain in popularity both inside and outside the security industry.  “We are finding that the audio quality and universal control capabilities provided by our devices is essential for many applications where reliable voice, music and audio delivery is required, from building-wide zoned audio distribution systems to wide-area, remote intercom solutions,” said Rietschel.  “Leading companies like Sureview Systems can easily integrate support for our technology into existing software or hardware platforms, and end users can build IP-based distribution systems without studying rocket science.  We are pleased to be aligned with Sureview Systems and its world-renowned Immix automation software platform and look forward to future opportunities to work together.”

All Barix products are cost-effective, low-power devices that are scalable to the growth of the operation; offer reliability through a PC-FREE design with no moving parts; and serve as a flexible platform for integration into virtually any operation requiring audio transport as well as real world device control and monitoring.  Barix also provides customers with a programming environment to enable them to customize the functionality of the products.  Local control loops, audio relay, and low-latency streaming are a few examples of custom programs using Barix’ BCL software environment.