Providence College - USA
- Client
- Providence College
- Region
- Americas
- Location
- USA
- Solution category
- Comment
-
John Croke, Providence College Card Systems/CCTV Analyst
- Challenge
- Addressing Costly and Frequent Equipment Updates to an Existing Analog System
- Solution (BusinessSolution)
- Video Surveillance System Overhaul: From Analog to IP
Located in Providence, RI – one of America’s first cities – and rich with history, culture and tradition, Providence College is a near 100-year-old institution with approximately 4,000 students. Although its academic offerings are superior, its outdated analog video surveillance system, charged with monitoring 50 campus buildings, was becoming a costly burden.
Through its relationship with systems integrator J & B Communications, Providence College had access control installed to secure entrances and rooms on campus. After approaching J & B with the task of procuring a solid video surveillance solution, J & B recommended Video Insight.
Issue
Addressing Costly and Frequent Equipment Updates to an Existing Analog System
“Basically we were throwing good money after bad,” said Providence College Card System/CCTV Analyst John Croke. “We had six DVRs in place all operating with analog cameras. The DVRs were getting old and were having to be replaced.”
Making the upgrade to campus-wide fiber optic cabling gave Providence College the opportunity to transition from its existing analog video surveillance technology to a far superior IP video surveillance solution operating on Video Insight IP software.
Solution
Video Surveillance System Overhaul: From Analog to IP
The best college in the city voted “the best city to live in” now has the best in video surveillance – an IP system from Video Insight.
Houston-based Video Insight is a software development company that focuses exclusively on writing Digital Video Recording software. Updated monthly with major upgrades releas annually, Video Insight also offers end users tailored solutions by offering direct access to developers who can provide a solution for practically any surveillance scenario.
“Put simply, Video Insight is an excellent product that is easy to use, affordable and is far superior to anything that is available in video surveillance,” said J & B Communications President Robert O’Connor. “It fits so well into the suite of services we provide as an integrator.”
The Providence College solution using Video Insight brought them into the “new age of video surveillance,” said O’Connor.
J&B Communications converted 100 existing analog cameras to digital through the use of H.264 Video Encoders and installed nearly 50 new Axis digital cameras. The cameras are installed in many of the college campus security mainstays including hallways, parking lots and on campus security telephones. Operating on two Windows-based servers located on the IT mainframe, the new system “provides the ability to access all cameras over the campus network and via the internet with different levels of security,” said O’Connor.
Our users have been so impressed with the quality of the images as well as the ease of use of the Video Insight system,” said Croke. “Our administrators are thrilled!”
“The digital system is so much easier than analog – especially when we have to look up older footage,” he said.
Croke and technology personnel have conducted the training and manage the installation of the cameras and continue to add cameras.
“Had we known that the digital solution was affordable and so easy to use – with such sharp imagery – we would have made the transition a long time ago rather than spending so much time and money on an outdated technology,” said Croke.
