It's kind of easy to look at an offering like Control4's new Intercom Anywhere service and dismiss it with a shrug. After all, DIY smart home video doorbell systems like Ring have been playing a similar game for a while now, and are available for less, without the need for a custom installer. So, what makes Intercom Anywhere different? It's like Dirk Gently says: everything is connected.

With a solution like Control4, you not only get a "video doorbell" of sorts, in the form of the company's lovely Door Station, along with video communication features that can be accessed from anywhere in the world via the new Intercom Anywhere app; you also get complete integration with your smart locks, your alarm system, your lights... you name it. So, yeah, if you're chilling on the beach in Tahiti and your folks drop by to check on the house, you can not only chat with them when they show up at the door, but you can also let them in if they forgot their keys.

But if the face you see on the other side of the screen is a ne'er-do-well, you can just as easily sound the alarm, make your exterior lights flash, and even have your sound system fire up and sound an ominous audible warning from your favorite enforcement droid if you really want them shaking in their boots.

More deets from Control4:

Control4 Corporation (NASDAQ: CTRL), a leading global provider of smart home solutions, announces the availability of the new Control4 Intercom Anywhere, including a new app for iOS and Android mobile devices. With Intercom Anywhere, Control4 homeowners can receive video intercom calls from a Control4 Door Station, enabling them to see and communicate with visitors at the front door or gate, whether they're home or away. In addition, homeowners will see who's at the door prior to answering the call, and can simultaneously activate a home scene such as turning on lights, opening the gate, or unlocking the door or garage in response to who has arrived. Homeowners can also quickly activate alerts such as sounding an alarm, locking all doors, or turning on all interior and exterior lighting for additional safety measures.

"Intercom Anywhere adds compelling everyday utility and capability to Control4 smart homes -- elevating the "smart doorbell" through a comprehensive in-the-home/away-from-the-home peace-of-mind solution that unifies access control, video surveillance, security, and interactive communication," said Control4 Chairman and CEO Martin Plaehn.

Peace-of-Mind with Control4 Intercom Anywhere
Control4's Intercom Anywhere places homeowners in control with an app that's designed to launch and connect quickly. By providing video previews from the Control4 Door Station, like caller-id for the front door, homeowners can simply ignore unwanted calls, answer calls from a welcomed guest, or accept a delivery even when they're miles away.

Modern video doorbell products allow the use of mobile phones to see and talk to visitors at the door, but only Control4 Intercom Anywhere supports additional customizable programming. For example, while in an Intercom Anywhere call, the user can turn on lights, unlock the door, open the gate or garage, disarm or trigger the alarm, or any other action uniquely enabled by the Control4 automation system.

Control4 Intercom Anywhere also provides new ways to communicate among family members. Family members can make calls from Control4 Touch Screens within the home to a family member's mobile phone or vice versa. The babysitter or child not answering the landline phone at the house? Use Intercom Anywhere to dial directly to any or all Control4 Touch Screens for a video-call to get connected, fast. Want to call the family to dinner? One tap and you can broadcast the call to dinner throughout the house.

Control4 offers a complete audio/video intercom system with sleek video door stations and dedicated interactive video touch screens with premium audio and video quality. Whether at home or away, homeowners can now receive incoming audio and video intercom calls on their mobile devices or call from their mobile phones to Control4 Touch Screens installed throughout the home.

The Intercom Anywhere app can be downloaded today from the Apple store or the Google Play store. To activate and use Intercom Anywhere, a home must have Control4 installed, running the latest Control4 OS (v 2.10.3), and also have an active 4Sight subscription ($100 USD Annual MSRP).

For more information on Control4 Intercom Anywhere, visit www.control4.com/o/intercom.

For more information about Control4 4Sight, visit www.control4.com/o/4sight-services.