School Security News

Texas District To Spend $1.7 Million on Video Surveillance Updates

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 03/08/10

Pflugerville Independent School District in Texas will be spending about $1.7 million to upgrade video surveillance. According to the recommendation document voted on by the board of trustees, the district's current camera and surveillance system is composed of a group of decentralized cameras and systems "that experience sporadic outages, require costly maintenance, and do not adequately serve district-wide safety and security needs." The new purchase will replace and expand the existing system.

The district recently approved the purchase after conducting a formal bid process that drew 21 vendor proposals. Winning company, Video Insight, was chosen, according to the recommendation document, for several reasons.

Although it wasn't the least expensive solution, the document stated, Video Insight's Digital Video Management system provided "the best overall features and value for the district." The district team that did the evaluation said the user interface and ease of use of the surveillance system, which is designed specifically for K-12 environments, were important factors in its selection.

According to district notes, it was also the only proposed product that integrates with the district's existing Novell e-Directory. This will allow authorized users to use their existing usernames and passwords to access the camera console system. The purchase will include online product training.

The product suite includes an IP camera server, a monitor station, Web client applications, and support for smartphones. The vendor will work with integration partner Titus Systems of Round Rock, TX on the deployment.