Aiphone vs Urmet starts with the building’s wiring and how visitors reach the right person. A house with one gate, an office reception desk and a block of flats need different answering arrangements and access administration.
Aiphone offers residential monitor systems, commercial IP intercoms and apartment platforms. Urmet’s 2Voice, IPerCom and supported hybrid designs cover two-wire and IP installations. For an upgrade, identify the existing system and test the wiring before choosing replacement equipment.
How this fits SIPKO’s Melbourne work
SIPKO’s Aiphone installation service covers homes, businesses and multi-tenant properties. Its apartment intercom service includes both Aiphone and Urmet, with commissioning, door integration and user handover considered as part of the installation.
Know the product family before comparing features
Aiphone: home, reception and apartment platforms
JO and JV are compact wired residential video intercom families. JO-1MDW adds Wi-Fi connectivity for supported app answering; that does not turn the door station into a wireless device. Aiphone’s current Australian JV information does not offer app connectivity. JO and JV components are not interchangeable.
IX Series 2 uses an IP/PoE network and dedicated stations, with call transfer, priority queuing and paging. Relevant models offer assistance/emergency-call functions. These require a designed response workflow; they are not a substitute for an emergency service.
GT provides a bus-based apartment platform. IXG provides IP apartment door entry, indoor tenant stations and guard-station options. Their wiring, mobile accessories and programming differ. Do not order an “Aiphone monitor” without the family and model.
Urmet: two-wire, IP and supported hybrid designs
Urmet’s digital door-entry documentation covers 2Voice, a non-polarised two-wire bus family, and IPerCom, its IP platform. 2Voice spans homes and multi-user buildings; IPerCom supports IP door stations, indoor devices and concierge arrangements. Selected IP equipment uses PoE.
The IPerCom–2Voice gateway 1083/59 provides a specific bridge between these architectures. This matters where IP common areas and two-wire apartment risers suit the same project. It does not make arbitrary legacy intercoms compatible. Indoor monitors, entrance modules, power supplies and software must form a documented system.
Aiphone vs Urmet: practical comparison
Compare each requirement below. Features require the relevant models and configuration.
Home and gate
Aiphone
JO or JV for a compact wired system; app capability depends on the monitor.
Urmet
2Voice home configurations; suitable IP options also exist.
Office and reception
Aiphone
IX Series 2 provides networked masters, call transfer and priority workflows.
Urmet
IPerCom offers IP door entry and concierge options; check the operator arrangement.
Apartments and strata
Aiphone
GT bus-based systems or IXG IP tenant and guard stations.
Urmet
2Voice bus systems or IPerCom IP; a documented gateway can link these architectures.
Cabling
Aiphone
JO/JV two-conductor links; GT has its own bus design; IX/IXG use IP.
Urmet
2Voice uses a non-polarised two-wire bus; IPerCom uses an IP network.
Mobile answering
Aiphone
Selected monitors or gateways; JO, GT and IXG options are not interchangeable.
Urmet
CallMe depends on the family, monitor or forwarding device and account setup.
Multiple buildings
Aiphone
GT/IXG configurations require the correct interfaces and network design.
Urmet
2Voice/IPerCom designs require appropriate risers, gateways or server arrangements.
Door and access functions
Aiphone
Door-release outputs; selected IXG entrance models offer PIN, QR or reader options.
Urmet
Door release plus model-specific readers, lift interfaces or Ipassan integration.
Ongoing management
Aiphone
Document station programming, app enrolment and the authorised administrator.
Urmet
Document system configuration and, where used, CallMe administrator and resident accounts.
Seven property scenarios
1. A house or front gate
A Melbourne household usually needs a clear visitor call, an indoor screen and controlled gate release. Aiphone JO is a sensible starting point where that compact arrangement fits; specify JO-1MDW if its app functions are required. Urmet 2Voice is also worth assessing, particularly with compatible existing wiring. Check gate distance, weather exposure, lock power and monitor positions before selecting either kit.
2. An office with reception
A reception desk may need to answer several entrances and transfer unanswered calls. Aiphone IX Series 2 deserves early consideration because its master-station workflow directly addresses those needs. Urmet IPerCom can suit a project organised around concierge-style door entry. Demonstrate the actual answering station, lunch-break cover and after-hours route. An IP label alone does not establish compatibility with the office phone system.
3. A small apartment building
For several flats sharing one entrance, compare Aiphone GT with Urmet 2Voice against the existing cable layout. Both deserve consideration for resident answering and entry release. Choose indoor equipment residents can operate comfortably, then add mobile answering only through a supported design. A single flat’s replacement monitor must be compatible with the shared system; it is not an independent consumer purchase.
4. A larger strata development
Multiple lobbies, buildings and concierge desks justify comparing Aiphone IXG with Urmet IPerCom, alongside bus-based options where appropriate. IXG documents guard-to-tenant call transfer with tenant consent; Urmet provides porter/concierge arrangements. Request a schedule of entrances, apartments, simultaneous calls and operator duties. Advertised maximum capacity is not a design approval: interfaces, risers, network layout and optional servers affect the final configuration.
5. An occupied building retrofit
Where opening walls or replacing risers is disruptive, Urmet 2Voice deserves a close look after cable testing. Its documented IPerCom–2Voice gateway can also combine IP common areas with compatible 2Voice risers. An existing Aiphone installation may favour a compatible Aiphone renewal instead. Compare complete migration plans, including temporary loss of entry calling, access to occupied flats and equipment that must be replaced.
6. A new build
With cable routes still accessible, compare Aiphone IXG and Urmet IPerCom for IP apartment designs, or simpler families for a house. Specify network cupboards, power, entrance positions and spare capacity before walls close. A future concierge desk or additional building needs an expansion plan now. Full IP is a useful option, but a smaller property may have no operational reason to adopt it.
7. A commercial or mixed-use property
A building with shops below apartments needs clear separation between reception, residents and delivery access. Aiphone IX/IXG merits consideration for dedicated staff and tenant workflows; Urmet IPerCom, potentially with 2Voice risers, merits consideration where building door entry is central. Confirm any combined-family design with the manufacturer. Map who can release each door, how calls are routed and which system manages staff credentials.
Local calling, mobile answering and internet outages
Separate three functions: a visitor calling an indoor station, that station releasing the door, and someone answering from a phone away from the property. They can have different dependencies.
A wired JO or 2Voice local call path is distinct from its internet-connected mobile service. IX/IXG and IPerCom local stations rely on their designed IP network and power arrangements. Losing internet access and losing the building’s local network are different faults; neither tells you automatically what the lock will do.
Aiphone JO app answering requires the suitable monitor and internet connection; IXG mobile operation uses its specified gateway arrangement. Urmet CallMe requires compatible equipment and account setup. CallMe Set is an installer configuration tool, not the resident answering app. Confirm forwarding hardware, supported phones, internet access and any ongoing charges in the quote.
At commissioning, ask for separate tests of local calling, local release and remote answering during an internet outage. Record power-backup requirements and the agreed behaviour of every entrance.
Can existing intercom wiring be reused?
A cable survey should record cable type, condition, length, joints and branching through the building. The installer must also check power supplies, distributors and monitor loads before promising reuse.
Aiphone JO/JV two-conductor links, GT bus wiring and Urmet 2Voice are different designs. “Two-wire” is not a compatibility standard. An IP conversion may require new Ethernet routes; a supported hybrid design may preserve selected risers. Ask which cables and components stay, which are replaced, and what test results support that decision.
Door release is only part of access control
Opening a gate during a visitor call does not automatically provide staff access schedules, credential cancellation or an audit trail. Selected Aiphone IXG entrance configurations offer PIN/QR or reader options. Urmet documents 2Voice/Ipassan integration with specific interfaces and activation requirements, and model-specific lift control.
List the required doors, credentials and lift permissions separately. Confirm which controller owns those permissions, supported firmware and interfaces, lock power and authorised administration. Treat SIP/PBX, CCTV and third-party integrations as model-specific engineering checks rather than promises attached to the brand.
Strengths and checks before selection
Aiphone
Particularly strong when: a dedicated home, reception or guard-station workflow matches the appropriate family, with SIPKO’s established Aiphone installation and support offering.
Things to check: family compatibility, precise monitor/app support, network design, bus wiring and any gateway or integration accessories. A feature listed for IXG does not establish that JO or GT provides it.
Urmet
Particularly strong when: the 2Voice architecture addresses a tested retrofit requirement, or IPerCom and a supported hybrid design fit a building’s entry and concierge needs.
Things to check: riser design, power budgets, monitor compatibility, forwarding arrangements, administration software and Australian supply/support for the exact configuration.
Handover, Australian support and installed cost
Confirm Australian supply, lead times, warranty handling and the person responsible for programming changes. A global catalogue listing is not confirmation that the proposed equipment is stocked locally.
Resident turnover deserves a written procedure. For example, Urmet’s 1083/83 CallMe guidance requires the administrator to remove former users and issue a new registration QR code when a flat changes occupants. For either brand, hand over account ownership, configuration records and the process for removing access.
Compare installed scopes rather than kit prices. Entrances, apartment count, indoor stations, cabling work, network equipment, locks, gateways, labour, commissioning and integrations affect cost. Request recurring licence/service charges separately; a free app download does not establish that every related service is free. There is no sound basis for declaring one whole brand cheaper.
FAQ
Is Aiphone better than Urmet?
Start with Aiphone where its home, reception or guard-station arrangement matches daily use. Compare Urmet closely where 2Voice or an IP-to-2Voice design solves the building’s wiring constraints. The stronger proposal is the one that demonstrates the required calls and access functions.
Which should an apartment building consider?
Compare Aiphone GT/IXG with Urmet 2Voice/IPerCom according to cabling, entrance count, concierge requirements and resident administration. Include an indoor answering option where residents cannot or prefer not to use smartphones.
Do both support answering on a mobile phone?
Selected configurations do. Confirm the exact monitor, gateway or forwarding device, app availability and account process. Mobile capability is not standard across every family or older installation.
Does an intercom need cloud services to work?
Some local station-to-station functions can operate without an internet service when their required power and local connections remain available. Remote phone answering has additional dependencies. Have the installer document and test each function separately.
Can we keep our existing intercom cables?
Keep existing cables only where testing confirms they meet the chosen system’s design rules. Request the test results and a clear replacement schedule. Reusing cable does not make old monitors, power supplies or entrance panels compatible.
Manufacturer sources — checked September 2026
Aiphone: JO; JV; IX Series 2; GT; IXG.
Urmet: digital door-entry documentation; CallMe Set; 2Voice/Ipassan integration; resident account handover.
Capabilities and Australian availability must be confirmed for the equipment and service package quoted.
Start with the property, then choose the platform
Ask SIPKO for an intercom assessment before ordering equipment. Share the entrance count, existing system details and answering responsibilities so the proposal can explain what stays, what changes and how the system will be handed over.
