Barix to Expand Annuncicom IP Product Family at Infocomm 07

InfoComm 07
SOURCE: Barix AG · POSTED: 06/20/07
www.barix.com

INFOCOMM BOOTH 9425

Barix to Expand Annuncicom IP Product Family at Infocomm

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, June 19, 2007 – Barix AG, a pioneer in IP-based audio, Intercom and monitoring, today announced it is expanding their Annuncicom IP range of products.  The company will show prototypes of the new Annuncicom 1000 model at Infocomm in June. (Anaheim Convention Center, June 19-21, Booth #9425).  The Annuncicom 1000 is designed for integration into complex, professional intercom and paging environments.  It retains Barix’s philosophy of providing inexpensive, low-power devices that are scalable to the growth of the operation; reliability through a PC-FREE design with no moving parts; and a flexible platform for integration into virtually any operation requiring audio transport and delivery.

In addition, Barix announces availability of SIP compatible Annuncicom firmware, seamlessly integrating high quality Audio over IP applications with standard VoIP systems. 

Annuncicom 1000

The Annuncicom 1000 is a premium, professional grade device that combines intercom, paging and IP-based audio conversion for PA system playback into a half-width 19-inch, rack mountable box. With eight supervised contact closure inputs for audio control, eight relay outputs for audio routing or control, and a redundant power supply input suitable for both 24 and 48 volt based systems,, the Annuncicom 1000 marks a major step forward for Barix in the intercom market. The Annuncicom 1000 is ideal for military, transportation, building security, recreational, and alarming applications that are looking for a flexible, scalable and cost-effective audio distribution, paging and intercom solution. 

“The Annuncicom 1000 is designed to be used in use in reliable, professional Intercom and PA systems.” said Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and Founder of Barix AG. “The traditional Annuncicom 100 is still an excellent solution for standard applications.  The Annuncicom 1000 is an excellent choice if telecom power supplies (-48V), balanced inputs and outputs, or several control inputs and outputs are needed to switch speaker circuits, for example. The Annuncicom 1000 offers eight relays for operation within a more complex system architecture. This is ideal for routing voice and contact closures to the amplifiers of large scale PA systems featuring multiple sets of speakers, allowing the operator to choose the speaker set or sets that will playback live or recorded voice announcements.”

A professional microphone input offers switching between mic and line level sensitivity, and as with all Barix devices, programmable software is available for universal custom programming. Local control, surveillance and modification of the system’s integrated Intercom Client applicationare a few examples of custom programs using Barix’s BCL software environment.

Annuncicom SIP compatible firmware

Barix will also introduce new application software for the Barix Annuncicom, Instreamer IP audio encoder, and Exstreamer IP audio decoder (as well as for the company’s IPAM OEM modules). The firmware, now available as an early adopters version. offers SIP application software that allows Barix Audio over IP devices to easily integrate with the most common SIP phones and systems  Standard benefits include:

• Point-to-point communication to a single SIP phone carried by a security guard or facility operator who often roams throughout the building
• Operation as a SIP phone alike device in conjunction with central SIP PBX'es for operations such as door intercom, help points, emergency call points.
• WAN/large scale deployed customer service points, based on SIP communications.
• Through the Annuncicom SIP firmware, control operations can be issued from the connected partner (typically a SIP phone), such as opening a door, selecting speaker groups to address with a page, triggering an alarm playback, etc.

“The Annuncicom SIP application software is the ideal mediator between secure, IP based Intercom and Paging solutions and the VoIP world, for applications such as door intercom, building paging, campus alarming or customer service points in public transport applications.” said Rietschel. “As the device can understand DTMF messages generated by the phones and can play back messages from its local memory, it is also an ideal device to interface non-voice control functions into a SIP VoIP installation, from barrier control to automatic announcement of water temperatures.”

High interest is expressed by companies installing Campus Security Systems. Using the traditional Barix IP Intercom approach, alarming and paging can be added at little cost without the need for wiring in most cases, as the existing IP infrastructure can be used. With the new SIP functionality, it is even easier to operate the system for standard paging calls, using just a standard SIP phone for security and teachers’ offices.

About Barix AG

Barix AG, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, specializes in the research, development and manufacture of IP-based audio and data distribution, communication, monitoring, control, and automation hardware solutions for commercial, industrial, security and military applications. Barix’s smart, reliable, compact, stand-alone components stream and communicate over standard network infrastructure and Internet, for local or worldwide networked solutions, eliminating the need for extra wiring and PCs. Barix provides customers with a wide range of additional services, including private labeling, licensing and OEM engineering.