Barix to Introduce Compact Master Paging Station at ISE
icon4 12 7th, 2011| icon3Comments Off on Barix to Introduce Compact Master Paging Station at ISE

Bi-directional audio path also supports intercom communications

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, December 6, 2011 — Barix AG unveils its Annuncicom PS1 Paging Station at the ISE show in Amsterdam early next year (January 31-February 2, RAI Center, Booth 2E70). The compact, elegant device gives commercial businesses, office buildings, educational institutions, medical facilities and others a simple, fully-integrated hardware solution for paging and intercom over IP.

The PS1 features two backlit push-to-talk buttons, volume control and a built-in speaker and microphone, giving security guards, receptionists and other operators a simple way to make announcements to an entire facility. The device’s IP addressability enables a simple connection to the network, allowing systems integrators and end users to take advantage of existing infrastructure, reducing costs and equipment requirements. Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability further simplifies installation, requiring only a single cable to the device.

The PS1 can also merge with background music systems — ideal for retailers, restaurants, hotels, clubs and other entertainment venues that wish to break into a stream with announcements. Bi-directional capability enables intercom for facility-wide, two-way communications — taking the PS1 beyond a basic paging device for ski areas, university campuses and other large areas that require talkback capability.

Barix introduced its first master paging station, the Annuncicom PS16, in 2009 to support complex, multi-zone paging and intercom applications. The PS1 addresses market needs for a simple and reliable, yet elegant and affordable solution.

“Many Barix customers have reported the need for a simple, compact one-to-two button desktop paging station for universal use,” said Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and Founder of Barix. “Hospital and school receptionists, for example, can page doctors and teachers or make general announcements without a learning curve. Ease of use and reliability were of paramount importance in its design.”

The compact PS1 design accommodates wall-mount and desktop installations, with minimal real estate requirements. This makes the PS1 ideal for central offices and control rooms, as well as secondary rooms and remote points. A belt clip also enables mobility for those that need IP intercom on the move.

Existing Barix customers can easily integrate the PS1 with other Barix devices on a network, including Instreamer IP encoders, Exstreamer IP decoders and Annuncicom two-way IP devices — enabling a complete, customized Barix IP audio and control solution that meet the requirements of the facility.

Audio over IP and the SIP Enviroment
icon4 10 14th, 2011| icon3Comments Off on Audio over IP and the SIP Enviroment

The introduction of a SIP gateway is the most effective way to merge audio over IP distribution with an already established SIP-based phone system. This is most useful when you are directing background music, paging and public address to loud-speaker systems as opposed to simply routing phone calls.

IT Telephony Article

SIP firmware for Barix IP Audio devices upgraded
icon4 03 14th, 2011| icon3Comments Off on SIP firmware for Barix IP Audio devices upgraded

All,

there is a new application firmware out for the Barix IP Audio devices. SIP Client version v01.07 brings a major change intended to make the use of the devices much more easy.
The Web UI, through which the device is configured, now offers “profiles”, to allow easy configuration of different use cases

1) SIP phone
This profile is intended for applications on bidirectional devices, for applications which are similar or identical to a SIP phone. The Barix devices can be used ideally in call stations, help points etc, preconfigured numbers can be called using the contact closure inputs etc.

2) SIP paging endpoint with Background Music support
This profile works on all devices which provide output capability (all Exstreamer and Annuncicom devices) and is typically used for “IP Speaker” application or to drive a paging amplifier.

3) SIP door station
This profile enables typical door station functionality, is able to operate in automatic “half duplex” mode to support simple door intercom panels (Aiphone), and also allows to activate a relay via SIP Info/DTMF to open the door.

4) SIP gateway
An interesting “glueware” application, when this is selected, the device can work as a “SIP to standard Multicast RTP” converter, will serve as an endpoint, and re-broadcast (or multicast) the received audio stream so it can be used with any device which can play audio from a standard RTP stream.

5) SIP based audio monitoring
This mode is typically used for audio surveillance, covert operations, etc. In this mode, the device can establish a call silently to a configured destination if it picks up audio above a certain level.

The SIP application firmware now supports the PS16, the desktop IP paging station from Barix, and on the Annuncicom 155, even the microphone and speaker supervision are supported.

The firmware can be downloaded, as usual, from our website free of charge and devices can be updated via browser.
Johannes

Door Intercom for Siemens Gigaset IP phones using the Barix Annuncicom
icon4 08 23rd, 2010| icon3Comments Off on Door Intercom for Siemens Gigaset IP phones using the Barix Annuncicom

Many people use IP Phones at home. A very popular phone is the Siemens Gigaset product range, which provides analog line as well as VoIP/SIP connectivity. Models C470IP, C475IP, S675IP and S685IP are currently in the market.

But .. how do you connect a door intercom or door station to them ?

Fortunately, the latest SIP firmware for the Annuncicom makes a perfect companion for the Siemens Gigaset IP phones, it can talk with the Siemens phone via IP !

  • A visitor, who presses the “ring” button on the phone, places a SIP call to the Siemens base. This can be done “peer-to-peer”, so it won’t consume an account entry, and it does not need a PBX or server to work.
  • The DECT phones will ring, indicating a call from the IP address of the Annuncicom
  • The user can answer the phone talk to the person in front of the door, and also open the door by typing a configurable number sequence on the keypad (for example, “11”).
  • Even multiple Annuncicoms can be used in this fashion, for example, for front door and back door !

The solution works, of course, also with other SIP PBXes like Asterisk, but the beauty with the Siemens IP phones is that there is no servers, no PBX, only little configuration needed.

Contact us if you are interested in more details, or check out our wiki pages.

Johannes