Aiphone JO, GT and IX Intercom Systems Explained: Choosing the Right Platform

Aiphone takes a slightly unusual approach for an intercom manufacturer. Rather than stretching one product family across every type of building, it maintains separate platforms for separate jobs. The three ranges most often weighed up against each other are JO, GT and IX | IXG, and while they appear side by side in a catalogue, they are not really competitors at all.

A JO kit and an IX entrance station are built for different buildings, different cabling and different numbers of people who need to answer the door. Understanding that separation is the fastest way to choose between them, so this guide covers where each platform fits, how the underlying architecture differs, and what is worth checking before committing to an upgrade.

If you already know the series you are after, the full Aiphone Intercom Systems range is a useful starting point. Otherwise, read on.

Three platforms, three different design briefs

It helps to think of the three ranges as answers to three questions. JO answers “how do I speak to whoever is at my front gate?” GT answers “how does a building with dozens or hundreds of apartments manage visitor entry?” IX answers “how does an intercom become part of a wider security and communications network?”

Because those questions are so different, the engineering diverges too: how power reaches each station, how many devices can share the system, whether the entrance is a single unit or a modular directory panel, and how much the platform wants to talk to CCTV, access control and telephony.

The Aiphone JO Series: homes and small offices

JO is the residential end of the range, and the most straightforward of the three to specify. A typical system pairs a door station at the entrance with an indoor answering station, usually a 7-inch video monitor, connected over comparatively simple cabling. It is designed around one household or one small team rather than a building full of residents.

Depending on the models chosen, JO configurations can support:

• One or two door stations, which covers a front door plus a side gate, garage entry or second entrance
• One or two indoor answering stations, useful in a multi-level home or a small office with both a reception point and a second handset
• Visitor video before answering, so the occupant can see who is there without opening the door
• Hands-free two-way audio
• Door or gate release when wired to a compatible strike, lock or gate controller
• Call recording on some equipment
• Surface-mount, flush-mount and vandal-resistant door station options
• Smartphone answering on app-compatible configurations

One practical caveat matters more than the spec sheet suggests. Smartphone functionality is not a property of the series as a whole; it depends on the specific answering station and the network it sits on. A JO kit assembled around a non app-capable monitor will not gain mobile answering later simply by downloading software, so it is worth settling the remote answering question before the hardware is ordered.

The Aiphone GT Series: apartments, strata and multi-tenant buildings

GT exists for a problem JO cannot solve: one shared entrance, hundreds of possible visitors, and a separate answering point inside every apartment.

A GT system is built around an entrance panel carrying a resident directory, tenant stations inside the apartments and, where the building warrants it, a guard or concierge position. On larger systems the numbers are a different order of magnitude from a domestic kit: expanded configurations can reach into the hundreds of entrance stations, close to a hundred guard stations and thousands of tenant stations.

Entrance panels are modular rather than fixed. A building might use a digital directory, a keypad, individual call buttons or a mix of all three, with the panel frame sized to suit the entrance. Higher-end configurations add video at the door so residents can see a visitor before deciding whether to answer, and guard stations can monitor and place calls across the system.

That makes GT a natural fit for strata apartment buildings, residential towers, retirement living, mixed-use developments and buildings with a reception or concierge function. It is worth noting that GT is not aimed solely at new construction; much of its practical value sits in buildings where something is already installed.

Why GT’s analogue multi-tenant design suits retrofit projects

The GT platform is an analogue multi-tenant system, meaning it communicates over dedicated intercom cabling rather than requiring every apartment to be a networked IP endpoint. In an established building, that riser cabling already exists. Where the conductor count, cable type, condition and distances suit the new equipment, much of that infrastructure can be reused, and the project becomes a matter of replacing entrance panels, apartment stations and power or control equipment rather than pulling new cable through every apartment.

That distinction matters financially as much as technically. Retrofitting a building usually means access to every apartment, owners corporation coordination and making good after the works. If new cabling is required, cost and disruption rise sharply. An analogue multi-tenant platform can often work with what is already in the riser.

Two qualifications are worth stating plainly. First, “often” is doing real work in that sentence: whether existing cable can be reused depends on conductor count, insulation condition, run distances and whether the old system left spare pairs, and that has to be inspected rather than assumed. Second, an analogue platform is not a compromise in a retrofit. For a building where IP networking does not reach into every apartment, it is simply the architecture that fits.

Aiphone IX and IXG: IP systems for commercial and larger sites

IX is a network platform. Each station is a networked device, typically powered over the network, and the system reaches the rest of the site over its data infrastructure rather than over dedicated intercom cabling. IXG extends the same approach into multi-tenant residential and mixed-use buildings where the developer or owners corporation has decided on IP throughout.

Depending on the configuration, IX systems can provide:

• IP video door stations powered over the network
• Physical answering stations, guard stations and PC-based answering software
• Mobile answering on compatible equipment
• Internal calls, paging and emergency or assistance call points
• SIP integration with a VoIP telephone system
• ONVIF integration with IP cameras and video management software
• Access control integration and remote system management

What IP buys is integration and reach. A visitor call at a loading dock can be routed to a reception desk, a security control room and a mobile device in the same operation. A door station camera feed can be recorded alongside the rest of the site’s CCTV. The intercom can share infrastructure with access control and telephony instead of standing apart from them.

That suits corporate offices, schools and universities, hospitals and healthcare facilities, government sites, warehouses and logistics facilities, large apartment developments, campuses and multi-building sites – anywhere the intercom has to do more than answer a single front door.

JO vs GT vs IX: comparison at a glance

FeatureJO SeriesGT SeriesIX | IXG Series Best suited toHouses, townhouses, gates, small officesApartments, strata and multi-tenant buildingsCommercial, enterprise, campuses and larger IP sites ArchitectureWired video intercom, app options on compatible modelsAnalogue multi-tenant platform over dedicated intercom cablingNetwork-based IP platform, typically PoE Typical scaleOne to two doors, one to two indoor stationsFrom small buildings to thousands of tenant stationsSingle buildings through to large multi-site networks Smartphone answeringYes, on app-compatible equipmentAvailable with selected compatible tenant stationsYes, on compatible configurations Door / gate releaseYes, with suitable lock or gate hardwareYes, from tenant, entrance or guard stationsYes, from stations, software or integrated access control Retrofit strengthGood where existing residential wiring suitsStrong, particularly in established apartment buildingsBest where network infrastructure exists or is planned IntegrationDoor and gate release, app answeringDirectories, guard stations, tenant stationsSIP, ONVIF, CCTV, access control, remote management Smartphone access and remote answering

All three ranges offer remote answering in some form, but they are not interchangeable. On JO, the app runs alongside a small number of household answering points, commonly up to eight users on supported configurations; it is designed for a family who want the front door on their phone. On GT, app answering is available with selected compatible tenant stations, which is useful for residents who are not home, though not every GT station supports it. On IX, mobile answering sits inside a broader network platform and is usually specified for staff, departments or facility teams rather than a single household.

Two things are worth weighing before relying on it. Remote answering depends on the site’s internet connection and on power at the answering station, so it complements a physical monitor rather than replacing it. And every mobile answering point is, in effect, a device that can open a door: residents’ app access should be removed when they leave, and app credentials deserve the same care as building keys.

Door and gate release

Every series in this guide can release a door or gate, but the intercom itself only supplies a signal. The hardware that physically allows entry sits outside it: an electric strike or magnetic lock on a pedestrian door, or a gate operator with a compatible input on a driveway.

The decisions that matter in design are usually these:

• Whether the lock is fail-safe or fail-secure, and what happens to the entrance during a power failure
• Power supply sizing and voltage drop over the cable run to the release hardware
• Exit and egress requirements where the door is also a required exit
• Whether release should also be available from a reception desk, guard station or access control system
• Whether a gate has safety edges, auto-close behaviour or interlocking that the intercom must work alongside

Retrofit considerations when replacing an older intercom

Replacing an old intercom is more often an infrastructure project than a product swap, and the difference shows up in the quote. A survey before any series is recommended should establish:

• The existing model and series, and whether the system is audio or video
• Cable type, conductor count, spare pairs, insulation condition and run distances
• How many entrances there are and how each is cabled back to the riser
• How many apartments or tenancies the system serves, and how many stations are installed today
• What door release hardware exists and whether it can be reused
• Where power supplies are located and whether there is capacity for new equipment
• Whether the owners corporation intends to stay on an analogue platform or move the building to IP
• How works can be staged so residents retain entry communication through the changeover

In established apartment buildings, the condition and capacity of the existing wiring is usually the single biggest factor in choosing between a GT upgrade and an IP rebuild.

2-wire and analogue-style systems compared with full IP

People use “2-wire” and “analogue” as though they mean the same thing, but they describe different layers of the problem. 2-wire is about how few conductors a station needs: the door station and monitor share a single pair that carries both power and signal, which is what makes it practical where new cable cannot easily be pulled. Analogue describes how the signal travels – a dedicated intercom system that does not join the building’s data network. A multi-tenant analogue platform such as GT uses dedicated intercom cabling throughout the building, but that cabling is typically a multi-pair riser rather than one pair to each apartment.

IP systems remove both constraints by handing the job to network infrastructure. Each station becomes a networked device, usually powered by PoE, and reaches the rest of the system over the building’s LAN. That delivers integration and flexibility, at the cost of switch ports, PoE budgets, network design, VLAN separation and some deliberate cyber hygiene: firmware updates, an isolated intercom network and remote access that is configured rather than left open.

The practical conclusion is that neither architecture is inherently better. A new commercial building being designed from scratch should probably be planned around IP. An established apartment building with sound existing cabling often should not be.

Matching the series to the property

A house, townhouse or front gate. JO covers the core needs: video screening, two-way audio, indoor monitor, door or gate release and optional app answering. Moving up to GT for a single dwelling rarely makes sense, because the platform is built around multiple tenants.

An apartment or strata building. GT is often the pragmatic choice where the building already has usable cabling and the priority is reliable communication between entrances and apartments. IX | IXG is the stronger option where the building is new, where network infrastructure reaches every dwelling, or where the owners want advanced mobile access and integration with CCTV and access control.

A commercial property. A small office with one reception and one entrance may need no more than JO. Once there are multiple entrances, several answering points, after-hours routing or integration with CCTV and access control, the IX | IXG platform becomes the more sensible starting point.

Why professional system design and installation matters

Intercom failures are rarely about the door station. They are usually about the unglamorous parts: an undersized power supply, a cable run at the edge of its limit, a strike wired without suppression, a door station mounted where it faces the afternoon sun, network ports that were never configured, or a directory programmed once and never updated as residents came and went.

Design is where those questions get settled: station placement relative to doorways and gate approach, entrance panel size and layout, where power comes from, how the release hardware is powered and controlled, how the system is programmed and handed over, and how it will be maintained in a building whose tenants change regularly. In strata buildings, it also means coordinating with the owners corporation and staging work around residents.

CTC Communications supplies and installs Aiphone systems across Sydney and will work through the existing wiring and door hardware before recommending a series. For installation-specific questions, see intercom installation Sydney wide.

Frequently asked questions

Which Aiphone system is best for a house?

The JO Series is the natural fit. It provides video visitor screening, two-way audio, an indoor monitor, door or gate release and optional smartphone answering on compatible models, all over a straightforward wired installation designed for a single dwelling.

Which Aiphone system is best for apartments?

It depends on the building rather than the apartment. GT is usually the better match for an established building where existing cabling can be reused and residents need reliable entrance-to-apartment communication. IX | IXG suits new developments, buildings moving to IP, or sites that need mobile access and integration with CCTV and access control.

Is Aiphone IX an IP intercom?

Yes. The IX platform runs over a network, typically with stations powered over the network, and supports integration technologies including SIP for telephony and ONVIF for cameras and video management.

Can an old apartment intercom be upgraded?

In most cases an upgrade is possible, but the right path depends on the existing system and wiring. Cable type, conductor count, condition and run distances determine whether an analogue multi-tenant platform can reuse what is installed, or whether the building needs a new network-based system. A site survey before quoting is what separates a realistic proposal from an optimistic one.

Can Aiphone systems unlock doors and gates?

Yes, when installed with suitable release hardware. The intercom supplies the signal; an electric strike, magnetic lock or gate operator does the physical work. Whether the lock is fail-safe or fail-secure, how it behaves in a power failure and whether the door is a required exit all need to be resolved during design.

None of the three ranges is better in isolation. JO is the right answer for a single household, GT for an existing multi-tenant building, and IX for a site where the intercom is one part of a wider security network. Start with the property, then choose the platform. For a product-by-product view of the same three ranges, see the Full Aiphone JO vs GT vs IX Comparison Guide.