Blackboard Security Platform Adds Mobile, Browser-Based UI for Video Management

  • By Kevin Hudson
  • 03/05/13

Blackboard has partnered with physical security company S2 Security to enhance the capabilities of its commerce and security platform, Blackboard Transact.

A key aspect of the partnership includes integration of S2's browser- and mobile-delivered user interfaces for access to physical security and video management systems into the Blackboard Transact platform. This feature will enable authorized administrators to activate emergency requirements, such as total facility lockdowns, either on location or remotely via wireless device.

The agreement calls specifically for integration of the S2 Security NetBox and Enterprise SMS products into the Blackboard Transact security product suite beginning this month.

"Security technology plays a critical role in creating a supportive learning environment," said David Marr, president of Blackboard Transact, in a company release. "Partnering with S2 will give our clients who have more complex security requirements even more options when reviewing security solutions."

These enhanced capabilities are intended to complement the Blackboard Transact platform's cloud-based ServicePoint architecture, Web services, and DR series of door readers, according to a Blackboard release, while leveraging near field communication (NFC)-compatible credentials, including FeliCa and MIFARE, through enabled cards or mobile devices.

The partnership also enables schools to protect current infrastructure investment through compatibility and potential re-use of Mercury Security hardware, the most widely installed controller panels in the world, according to the companies.

Blackboard was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia employing more than 3,000 people.

S2 Security is a provider of IP-based integrated physical security systems, specializing in network appliances that require only a Web browser to use. S2 Security systems support access control, alarm monitoring, temperature monitoring, video surveillance, and intercom.

About the Author

Kevin Hudson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].

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