ButterflyMX Video Intercom — Cloud Smart Entry for Apartments, Condos & Mixed-Use | Vidimost Chicago

ButterflyMX Video Intercom — Cloud Smart Entry

The ButterflyMX Video Intercom is the cloud-based smart-entry platform for multifamily and mixed-use buildings — visitor video calls go directly to residents’ smartphones via the ButterflyMX app, with no in-unit monitor required. The Chicago choice when management wants a modern smartphone-first entry experience for residents, zero in-unit hardware to install or maintain, and a polished glass-front panel at the entry that doesn’t look like a generic 1990s intercom.

Two Screen Sizes — 8 in and 12 in

ButterflyMX offers the panel in two screen sizes to fit different entry environments:

• 8-inch (portrait) — the smaller, vertical-orientation panel. Resolution 720 × 1280. Right-sized for standard front-door entries, side / amenity entries, and most multifamily use cases. Power consumption is lower (12.7 W standard / 34 W max at 24 V DC).
• 12-inch (landscape) — the larger, horizontal-orientation panel with more on-screen real estate. Resolution 1280 × 800. The right pick for flagship lobbies, large mixed-use buildings, and high-traffic main entries where the panel itself is part of the architectural statement. Includes infrared proximity sensors for motion-based wake and two USB 3 ports. Power consumption is higher (16.8 W standard / 38 W max at 24 V DC).

Both sizes share the same camera (156° field of view, up to 1080p adaptive bitrate), same capacitive multi-touch glass with up to 1500 nits brightness, same IP65 outdoor rating, same vandal-resistant polycarbonate-glass construction, and same operating temperature range (−40 °F to 140 °F).

Two Mount Styles — Flush (Recessed) and Surface

ButterflyMX panels are also available in two mounting styles, and the choice usually depends on the wall and the install scenario:

• Flush / recessed mount — the panel sits inset into the wall behind a stainless-steel trim frame. Cleanest, most premium look. Best for new construction or major renovation where the wall opening can be cut to size and the back-box is planned in advance. Both 8” and 12” panels are available in flush form.
• Surface mount — the panel sits on top of the wall in its own protective housing, with cabling run behind. Easier retrofit when the wall is brick, concrete, or otherwise difficult to cut into; works on existing pedestals; faster install on takeover / replacement projects. Both 8” and 12” panels are available in surface form (the 8” surface profile is the most common choice for retrofit).

The gallery photos on this page show all three of the most common configurations — 12” flush in stainless trim, 8” flush in stainless trim, and 8” surface mount.

What’s Confirmed by the Official ButterflyMX Spec

These specifications come from the butterflymx.com product / installer-resource pages for the 8” surface, 8” recessed, and 12” surface models:

• Display sizes: 8 in (720 × 1280) and 12 in (1280 × 800)
• Mount styles: recessed (flush) and surface
• Touch: capacitive multi-touch, anti-reflection / anti-fingerprint coated
• Brightness: up to 1500 nits with auto-adjusting LED
• Camera FOV: 156°
• Video: adaptive bitrate up to 1080p HD
• Power: 9–24 V DC; NEMA 5-15 socket; UPS-backed dedicated circuit recommended
• Power consumption: 8” — 12.7 W std / 34 W max; 12” — 16.8 W std / 38 W max (both at 24 V DC)
• Network: wired + WiFi + RFID; DHCP-assigned IP
• Door release: 4 dry-contact relays, adjustable timing, 2 A max
• Environmental: IP65; −40 °F to 140 °F operating
• Construction: polycarbonate glass, vandal-resistant
• Extras (12 in): infrared proximity sensors, two USB 3 ports

Why Buildings Choose ButterflyMX in Chicago

Three reasons dominate every project:

1. No in-unit hardware — visitor video calls go to the resident’s smartphone, so management doesn’t have to install, maintain, or replace 50–500 in-unit monitors. Lower install cost up front, lower service cost over the building’s lifetime.
2. Resident UX — residents unlock the door from anywhere (work, vacation, the gym), grant temporary virtual keys to dog walkers / cleaners / Airbnb guests, and manage delivery instructions from the app.
3. Cloud management — property managers add and remove residents, configure delivery PINs, and audit entry events from a single web dashboard, across one building or an entire portfolio.

When ButterflyMX Fits

Pick the ButterflyMX Video Intercom when:

• The building is multifamily (apartments, condos, mixed-use) — the smartphone-first model fits this segment best
• Management wants zero in-unit hardware to install / maintain / replace
• Residents value remote unlock, virtual keys, and delivery PINs over a traditional in-unit monitor
• The building is a takeover / replacement of a legacy intercom and the customer wants a UX upgrade, not just a like-for-like swap
• The portfolio has multiple buildings and centralized cloud management is a priority

For modular hardwired IP intercom with on-panel keypad / RFID / fingerprint / Bluetooth and a wide module ecosystem, see the 2N IP Verso 2.0. For toughest IP69 / IK10 vandal-resistant single-piece outdoor entry, see the 2N IP Force 2.0.

Where the ButterflyMX Wins in Chicago

• Apartment building main entry (typical use case)
• Condominium association main entry with cloud-managed resident roster
• Mixed-use retail + residential common entry
• HOA / townhome community gate or amenity entry
• Hospitality boutique-property guest entry with smartphone unlock
• Office building lobby with mobile-first staff / visitor entry
• Multi-building campus entry (each building gets its own panel; one cloud)
• Property-management portfolio centralized resident management
• Co-working space main entry
• Buildings transitioning from legacy in-unit-monitor intercoms

Local Chicago Coverage

Vidimost installs the ButterflyMX Video Intercom across the full Chicago metropolitan area for multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial smartphone-first entry deployments — flush and surface, 8” and 12”.

Recommended Pairings

• 2N IP Verso 2.0 — modular hardwired alternative for projects requiring on-panel keypad / RFID / Bluetooth
• 2N IP Force 2.0 — vandal-resistant outdoor sibling pattern for service / staff entries
• Network gateway, PoE switch, and structured cabling (specified per project)
• Door release hardware — electric strike or maglock — driven by the ButterflyMX dry-contact relays

Professional Installation by Vidimost

Vidimost LLC installs the ButterflyMX Video Intercom across Chicago for multifamily and mixed-use deployments. Full-scope service includes site walkthrough, screen-size selection (8” vs 12”), mount-style selection (flush vs surface) based on wall construction and aesthetics, electrical rough-in (UPS-backed dedicated circuit per ButterflyMX recommendation), CAT5e / CAT6 network cabling, integration with existing or new door release hardware (4 dry-contact relays available), cloud onboarding and resident roster import, and management training. Contact us for a free site walkthrough and quote.