Challenge
New School Building Outgrows Existing Technology

Working through the requisite RFP (request for proposal) process, a committee of Cony administrators, security officers and technology personnel based their selection of an upgraded video security solution on two factors: cost/features and ease of use.

Augusta City Schools Network Administrator Fred Kahl said the system had to be sophisticated, yet technically straightforward enough for school administrators to grasp quickly. Cony found the system they were seeking – and more – in a partnership with systems integrator NAVCO and Video Insight IP Surveillance Software.

NAVCO – the largest privately held national security system integrator in North America that counts JP Morgan Chase and Whataburger among clients – chose Video Insight IP Video Surveillance software for the Cony High School upgrade.

Video Insight software allows users the ability to use map and floor plan-based navigation to view live and recorded video from anywhere on the internet, network, monitoring station or even smart phone. Video Insight software has been installed on over 4,500 high school and college campuses and supports 400 camera models from 40 major camera manufacturers.
Video Inight benefits
NAVCO National Account Manager, Skip Cole, recommended Video Insight software for the exact reasons Cony administrators specified in their RFP selection.

“Video Insight software is easier to use than the more expensive systems,” said Cole. “But what really got our customer’s attention was that you could get the same functionality that usually comes with much more expensive software platforms. It came standard with Video Insight for a lot less money.”

For exterior school campus areas, including the parking lot and building perimeter, NAVCO installed IQeye megapixel cameras from IQinVision. Kahl said they chose different cameras for the exterior because outside they needed a camera that would cover a wider area, enabling them to zoom in (on license plates, for  example) from a wider field.

Administrators and security officers access the system on a regular basis via the monitoring station or through web access, burning their own DVD’s when a copy of an event is needed. The system has proven to be “very easy” to use, said Kahl.

Kahl said he was initially concerned with how much bandwidth IP cameras would use on their network, but was pleased to discover that they had more than enough capability to run the system efficiently. In fact, since Cony shares a fiber network with all of the Augusta school and city buildings, Kahl said he was even able to add four cameras for the Augusta City Police Department to the network within their project. Additionally, the new system allows them to grant the police instant access to monitor the school’s cameras and stored video in the event of an emergency. Since Cony administrators retrieve recorded video often (for discipline, vandalism and other security related investigations), Kahl said he increased his network storage from 3.5 TBS to 11 TBS so they can recover video from up to 10 weeks prior to an event.
new Video Insight solution
“The ability to go back several weeks has really been beneficial for our campus, especially since oftentimes events don’t get reported right away,” Kahl said.