I'm completely ignorant of the options in this space, but I know Matt and some of you other guys have some experience in this area. I'd like a doorbell with functionality like Ring which pings a smartphone and records video, but also with the ability to pop a electric door strike open from within the same app. I would think this would be a most basic feature, as these sort of electric strikes are extremely common in Mexico, but I don't see anything on the Ring website about being able to control one from within the app.

It's for an office that doesn't have a receptionist and has an external locked gate for security reasons. The gate isn't visible from the office. Any suggestions?

Why do they need to be in the same app?

Can the door release be separately activated?

Ring doorbells have a ton of pins on the backside -- way more than they need just to interact with the doorbell wires. Perhaps this is meant to support future expansion features. But, so far, so such feature is supported directly by Ring.

They could be, and that may be the route I have to go, but I'm thinking of the scenario where transportation times can very widely in a traffic-heavy major city and a client could be waiting while the counselor is still in transit. It would be nice if the counselor could admit the client into the waiting room from their mobile device (and of course the ring app would allow the counselor to address the client with something like "please go on in and have a seat, I'll be there in 5 minutes").

This is for a family and marriage counseling consultorio, by the way. The psychologists volunteer their time or take a small honorarium and are often have to drive between their primary workplace and this office to meet with a client and the timing doesn't always work out as perfectly as one would like.

By the way, I'm aware that you can get this functionality with a Kwikset Kevo lock, but unfortunately that won't work for a gate where you could reach through the bars and turn the bolt on the back side. If they made a double-sided deadbolt that would be an option. EDIT: It also seems pretty clunky, where the ring app simply has a shortcut to open the kivo app from within and then you'd still have to issue a temporary electronic key, instead of simply popping the lock.

Weld some metal screening over the bars? That's a pretty common solution in Los Angeles, where apartment courtyards are secured by a gate with bars.

Unfortunately not an option at this point.

Unfortunately I'm not aware of anything with this kind of functionality. A church I work for has this kind of setup but I don't know what company makes it and I'd guess it's far more expensive than Ring and a smart lock.

While it may be common in Mexico, it's very uncommon here, as far as I know, except for commercial installations.

As much as I love home automation, these days you won't find products made for you if you don't live in an apartment in a US city. Basically if you're not like the people designing this stuff.

Is there power (AC or doorbell voltage) to the gate lock area?

If not, you are thinking of a battery powered solution?

I can run the power myself. Don't need electrician or permits here (or if you do, they never enforce it). It would be less than 10 feet of metal conduit with wires in it.

I am thinking of something like these.

Send a coded SMS to the SIM mobile number of the module, it closes a relay to release the electric door latch. Security would primarily be the secrecy of the SMS number and what code the module was set to respond to.

Choose a module that allows you to reprogram the open code, or even better, issue different open codes to different staffers. If a staffer is to be no longer authorized you can change just the code assigned to the- at person.

There are similar products sold for remote driveway gate opening, garage door openings, and more general ‘relay closure’ tasks.

I presume you would be enclosing everything inside a secured electrical box, plastic to allow radio communications.

I happened upon the Nest doorbell/lock/alarm etc...today. I wasn't aware of all of the additional Nest products outside of the thermostats. For a consumer-install option (although they recommend using an electrician if you don't have an existing doorbell), it looks to be better integrated than some of the other options out there.