Your Apartment Building Entrance Opens Onto the Cloud
Some 1.7 million apartment building entrances across Russia need modernization. ER-Telecom is launching its own production line for smart intercoms.
ER-Telecom Holding JSC (Dom.ru) has begun manufacturing smart intercom panels at the Morion plant in Perm, combining hardware production with its own cloud service and mobile app. The initiative is designed to replace imported equipment used in smart apartment buildings, strengthen the company’s service portfolio and improve resident safety.
Intercoms for Smart Buildings
The new panel features a 5-megapixel camera with HDR and infrared illumination, a display, and a two-way communication system with a microphone designed to filter out background noise. Its aluminum housing is rated to withstand temperatures from −45°C to +40°C. Residents can unlock the entrance using an electronic key, an access code or a smartphone.
The device is more than a replacement for a conventional analog door-entry unit. It also serves as a network gateway connecting residents to cloud services. The panel was developed to meet more than 600 technical and user requirements and complies with the new GOST R 71872-2024 standard, which took effect in February 2025 and sets requirements for multi-subscriber intercoms in smart buildings.
The Intercom Market Is Ripe for Modernization
Production is starting amid major changes in the market. According to BusinesStat, intercom imports into Russia fell 51% in 2024–2025, to 790,000 units, as domestic electronics production expanded. Rubetek Rus reported that 90% of its assembly operations in Oryol had been localized, while Roselectronics began exporting printed circuit boards to other CIS countries.
Establishing production in Russia is a strategic contribution to the country’s technological sovereignty. Localizing the entire manufacturing process, from assembly to testing, eliminates dependence on foreign equipment suppliers and helps ensure a stable supply of hardware for digitalization projects across Russian regions.
The Perm facility gives ER-Telecom the opportunity to build an end-to-end operation, from design through assembly, while developing its capabilities in complex electronics manufacturing. For Perm territory, the project expands the industrial base and creates new high-tech jobs.
The market potential is clear from the numbers: Russia has approximately 1.7 million apartment building entrances, but only 200,000 are equipped with modern intercoms. The remaining 1.4 million represent a substantial opportunity for future modernization.
Security at the Touch of a Button
Intercoms are one of ER-Telecom’s key business areas. Under the Dom.ru brand, the company serves more than 180,000 building entrances in 51 Russian cities. That experience laid the groundwork for developing its own panel. As part of the Safe Home project, 62,000 properties have already been integrated into security systems, enabling video monitoring, door access for emergency responders and a button for requesting assistance.
The results are reflected in reported figures. In St. Petersburg, for example, the introduction of smart intercoms helped reduce street crime by 40% and ease the burden on police. The new devices add further layers of protection: residents can see visitors before opening the door and grant access remotely. Video recordings and access logs also help investigate incidents involving unauthorized entry or property damage.
From Standalone Devices to a Unified System
ER-Telecom is building its security architecture on three levels: services, data management and infrastructure. This connectivity brings previously separate devices into a unified information system, helping improve the urban environment and make more efficient use of resources.
Global experience supports this approach. Major technology companies are moving away from isolated devices toward integrated hardware and software systems. Amazon, for example, progressively added smartphone control, virtual keys and video monitoring to Ring Intercom between 2022 and 2025, turning a physical entry panel into part of a software-based interface.
An Entry Point to the Smart City
In the coming years, ER-Telecom plans to manufacture next-generation intercoms for both its own network and partners in Russia and abroad. Success in international markets is likely to depend on competitive pricing, reliability and the device’s ability to operate consistently in open environments.
The panel’s potential extends well beyond a single building entrance. It could become an entry point into a smart-city ecosystem. Through shared interfaces, the equipment could connect with municipal services: sending alerts to dispatch centers during emergencies, synchronizing with parking access-control systems and linking to housing and utilities platforms so residents can submit service requests. The company’s strategy is aimed at creating a smarter, safer urban environment built on Russian technology and domestic manufacturing.
