Side-by-side overview
ButterflyMX and 2N both serve the modern IP-based intercom market, but they answer different questions. ButterflyMX is a turnkey cloud platform purpose-built for multifamily with deep integrations into property management systems. 2N is an open SIP-based intercom hardware platform that integrates with third-party VoIP and access control infrastructure. JB Technologies installs both, and the right choice depends on what the operator already runs and how much flexibility versus turnkey simplicity they want.
ButterflyMX in summary
ButterflyMX is a vertically integrated platform: the hardware (Video Intercom panel, Smart Locks, Package Room, Front Desk Station, Key Locker) is built around the ButterflyMX cloud, the resident-facing mobile app, the property manager admin console, and the integrations with Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, AppFolio, HID Origo, Brivo, and OpenPath/Alta Access. For a multifamily operator, the path of least resistance is "install ButterflyMX and run it as a single platform."
2N in summary
2N is a Czech-based intercom manufacturer (owned by Axis Communications) that makes IP-based SIP intercoms. Their product line includes flush-mount and surface-mount panels, video and audio variants, and answering units. Because 2N is SIP-based, the intercoms register to a SIP server, that can be a hosted PBX, an enterprise VoIP system like Cisco or 3CX, or a building's own SIP infrastructure. 2N intercoms also integrate with third-party access control systems through standard protocols, and 2N has its own access control hardware lineup as well.
The key 2N value proposition is flexibility: it slots into whatever VoIP and access control architecture you already run, and it does not lock you into a single vendor's cloud.
Architecture and integration model
ButterflyMX uses its own cloud. The lobby panel talks to ButterflyMX's servers; the servers route calls to the resident's app on their phone; the platform handles resident management, credentials, amenity locks, and PMS integration. The operator does not run any infrastructure between the panel and the cloud beyond standard internet connectivity.
2N panels register to a SIP server. The operator (or their VoIP provider) configures the SIP infrastructure separately. The 2N panel calls a SIP extension, which can be a desk phone, a softphone on a smartphone, a hunt group, or a virtual extension that rings multiple devices. Access control is configured either on the 2N hardware itself or through a third-party access control system that the 2N panel sends events to.
For an operator who already runs an enterprise VoIP system and an enterprise access control platform, common in mixed-use developments, corporate campuses, and certain commercial buildings, 2N drops into that architecture cleanly. For a multifamily operator who runs Yardi or RealPage and does not want to assemble a SIP server, an access control system, and an intercom hardware vendor into a coherent stack, ButterflyMX is the simpler answer.
Resident and tenant experience
ButterflyMX residents install the ButterflyMX mobile app, receive video calls from the panel, see the visitor, and tap to grant access. The experience is consistent because the app is purpose-built for this use case.
2N panels route calls to whatever SIP endpoint the operator configures. If that endpoint is the 2N mobile app, the experience is similar to ButterflyMX. If it is a desk phone or a softphone on the resident's smartphone, the experience varies with how that endpoint handles incoming calls. The flexibility cuts both ways: an integrator and operator who configure the routing thoughtfully can deliver a great experience, while a less polished configuration may produce a janky resident experience.
Property management system integration
ButterflyMX has native, supported integrations with Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, and AppFolio. Resident provisioning is automatic when a lease is signed in the PMS.
2N does not provide native PMS integrations of the same kind, because 2N sits at a layer below, it is a SIP intercom, not a multifamily property management platform. PMS integration in a 2N deployment is the operator's or the integrator's responsibility, typically through middleware or custom scripting if needed.
For Class-A multifamily operators running on standard PMS platforms, this is the single biggest differentiator. ButterflyMX eliminates a meaningful chunk of manual provisioning work that 2N does not address directly.
When ButterflyMX is the right choice
- Multi-property multifamily operators running Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, or AppFolio
- New podium and high-rise construction in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Smyrna, where the operator wants one platform from day one
- Operators who do not have an in-house VoIP team and do not want to assemble a SIP infrastructure
- Buildings where amenity smart locks, package rooms, and resident self-service are part of the scope and the operator wants them on the same platform as the intercom
When 2N is the right choice
- Mixed-use developments and corporate campuses with an existing enterprise VoIP system and an existing access control platform, where 2N drops into the existing architecture cleanly
- Operators whose integrator and IT team prefer open SIP standards and third-party access control over a single-vendor cloud
- Buildings where intercom is a smaller component of a larger access control and security design, and the design team wants pure hardware flexibility
- International deployments or other contexts where the ButterflyMX cloud presence does not match the operator's geography or policy requirements
JBT's recommendation framework
Walk us through what you already run, property management platform, VoIP infrastructure, access control system, and the building's scale. JBT installs both ButterflyMX and 2N and we will recommend the architecture that matches your existing stack. For most Class-A multifamily in Atlanta and the Southeast, ButterflyMX is the cleanest fit. For mixed-use developments and corporate campuses with deeper existing infrastructure, 2N often wins on flexibility. Call (770) 637-2094 or visit jbtecknologies.com/partners/butterflymx for the ButterflyMX hub.
Frequently asked questions
When is 2N the right choice over ButterflyMX?
2N wins when the customer's existing infrastructure already commits them to a SIP/VoIP intercom model. Specifically: corporate campuses with an established 3CX, Cisco UC, or Microsoft Teams calling platform that the intercom needs to integrate with; mixed-use developments where the intercom calls need to land on physical desk phones rather than smartphones; deployments that require the customer's own VMS (Milestone, Genetec) to handle the video feed; or scenarios where the customer wants full control of the intercom call routing logic via a SIP PBX they already operate. 2N is also stronger when individual unit hardware (a wallpad) is a hard requirement.
When is ButterflyMX the right choice over 2N?
ButterflyMX wins for most Class-A multifamily and modern office in Atlanta and the Southeast. The turnkey cloud platform — no on-prem SIP PBX, no per-unit hardware, native PMS integration with Yardi and RealPage, smartphone-first resident UX — collapses what would be a multi-vendor 2N + PBX + PMS-bridge architecture into a single managed platform. For multifamily owners optimizing lease-up speed and turn cycles, and for office owners who want a packaged tenant-of-tenants administrative model, ButterflyMX is the cleaner fit.
What is the controller and hardware lock-in story on each platform?
ButterflyMX panels and the ButterflyMX cloud are a closed ecosystem — the panel only works with the ButterflyMX cloud, and there is no path to swap clouds while keeping the hardware. 2N panels speak open SIP, can register against any compatible SIP PBX, and remain useful even if the customer changes UC vendors. That openness is real: a 2N intercom installed in 2020 can be re-pointed to a different PBX in 2026 without replacing the panel. The trade-off is that the customer is also responsible for the PBX, the call routing logic, and the integration plumbing on the open side — work that ButterflyMX absorbs into its managed platform.
How does resident or tenant credential portability look on each side?
ButterflyMX credentials (the smartphone app + per-resident PIN) are ButterflyMX-specific and have to be re-issued on any new system. 2N credentials are more portable in the sense that 2N integrates with multiple downstream access control platforms (Brivo, Salto, Genetec) and the credential lives in whichever access platform is doing the door release — so if the customer keeps the access platform and swaps the intercom, the credentials don't change. The right call depends on whether the customer thinks of the intercom as a credential system or as a video-call system.
What is the integration ecosystem gap between the two platforms?
ButterflyMX has deep first-party integrations with the PMS platforms (Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, AppFolio), the Brivo and Salto access platforms, and smart locks — all delivered as managed integrations inside the ButterflyMX cloud. 2N has a broader integration ecosystem on the UC and access side: any SIP-compliant PBX, Milestone and Genetec VMS, dozens of access control platforms via OSDP/Wiegand/relay. ButterflyMX wins on PMS/property-management integration depth; 2N wins on UC/VMS/access flexibility.
Which has the lower total cost of ownership across a multifamily building?
For a typical 200-unit multifamily new-construction project, ButterflyMX usually wins TCO. Capex is comparable, but ButterflyMX eliminates: per-unit wallpad hardware and wiring (zero in-unit work), the SIP PBX server and its annual maintenance, the PMS-to-intercom integration consulting, and the IT labor to operate the call-routing logic. 2N's per-panel cost is lower, but once the architecture costs (PBX, per-unit stations if used, integration work) are added, the all-in is typically higher on a multifamily new build. For a single-panel office retrofit where infrastructure already exists, the comparison gets closer.
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