In any type of commercial space, it’s important to keep people safe and well-informed. When
we think of ways to achieve this in huge places like an airport, school, or even a factory, what
comes to mind? Well, speakers are one of the biggest “solutions” to this issue, as they’re a way
that we can broadcast any important messages quickly and effectively throughout large spaces
and facilities.
The question then becomes, what type of speaker would work best for these commercial
zones? It’s a difficult thing to answer, considering how many different possibilities there are.
Additionally, we still must take into account the rest of the planning. You can find some
examples of that on this page, if you’d like to get a sense for how all of that works in tandem.
For now, we’ll be sticking to what these types of speakers are, how they work, and why they’re
so important to implement. If any of that sounds interesting to you, make sure to keep
reading!
What are IP Speakers?
Most of us are familiar with speakers in a broad sense. They’re used to making sounds louder.
Often, we see them in movie theaters and similar establishments to amplify music – that’s what
the ones in our cars do, too. However, there are others that are designed for a different
purpose.
The biggest example of this is the IP speaker. The goal of these types is to amplify specifically
the sound of human voices. Similar ones, known as VoIP (voice over IP) or SIP (session initiation
protocol) are designed to boost sounds of artificial human voice-overs.
Now, you probably already have an idea of why these are beneficial in large commercial areas
just based on their description. We’ll be covering more of that later, but there are plenty of
practical reasons why we would want to make human voices louder inherently. This is
especially true in commercial facilities.
How Do They Work?
The next question to consider when we’re making installation and layout plans is this: how do
IP speakers work? It might not seem that important, but understanding some of the mechanics
behind them will help you to make the best placement. Primarily, they’re designed to allow the
sound to travel for long distances without interruption.
Another thing to keep in mind is that most IP speakers for commercial environments are also
designed to continue their broadcasts with clear quality even if there is a lot of additional
ambient noise in their surroundings. Yes, that does mean things like airplanes taking off, the
sounds of factory machinery, or even a lot of chatter from visitors.
This means that when we’ve got these types of speakers, any personnel (such as security
officers) will be able to relay instructions quickly and efficiently for any emergency situations
should they arise. They also make for great speakers for football games or any sports that
require a lot of announcing, in a slightly less doom-and-gloom application!
Something else to keep in mind is that while most speakers before were analog, meaning that
they ran on their own internal system, IP ones ran via the internet. They’re a web–based
system, so they can be connected to ethernet or Wi-Fi – it’s really up to you. This makes them
much more flexible than the old analog ones.
How Are They Helpful?
The next thing to consider before you spend money on “fancy” electronics is this: how can they
help with everyday problems or inconveniences? As you’ll see, the answer to that is somewhat
complicated, if only because there are so many subtle ways in which they do so.
For one thing, they’re simple and easy to use. While most people don’t know this, it’s actually
quite affordable to install ethernet cables throughout a building – even a big one like an airport.
So, having your speakers connect to them is quite handy, and not overly challenging. Sites like
this one: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/types-of-ethernet-cable/# , offer some information on
how to select the right ethernet cables for your circumstances, if you’re looking for some tips
there.
There’s also the fact that these sorts of speakers are software based, making them easy to use
when you want to page someone or make an announcement, no matter how far away you are.
You can also integrate any SIP or VoIP systems into the base one, meaning that there’s less
hassle and setup there.
Paging Zones
Perhaps the biggest benefit of IP speaker systems is that you can set up paging zones without
needing to hardwire all of them, which was one of the most annoying parts of analog systems.
Now, we don’t need to worry about that, and we can use the WI-FI or ethernet connections to
set up these zones.
In case you aren’t familiar, paging zones are just when we decide to send a message or
announcement through certain speakers but not all of them. Through the software, you’ll be
able to easily select and designate zones. This is something to think about during the planning
phase of your project, but at least it’s not going to be a big stressor.
Are These Speakers Worth it, then?
Given what we’ve discussed so far, you can probably tell that the answer to this is “yes.”
However, we’re happy to delve into the specifics of why that is. Something to consider is that
all of these commercial spaces do need to have safety protocols in place. Why not make them
easy to utilize, right?
IP speakers are a lot more convenient than the analog ones, and they can project a human
voice or AI equivalent a lot louder, too. Any broadcasts made will be crystal clear, meaning that
everyone involved can feel a little safer.
While they might seem expensive up front, they actually can save you some cash, as we
mentioned above. All in all, it’s hard to deny their appeal, and it makes sense that a lot more
commercial buildings have started to make the switch.
