Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

What's the latest in surveillance systems?

In campus environments, there are unique challenges not present in a typical commercial surveillance system deployment. A deployment that spans multiple buildings can seem complicated for operators whose main job focus may not be full-time video monitoring.

There are technologies that are available to help mitigate these issues. Some are new, and others have been in existence for years. It’s important to review and be aware of these technologies, especially if you’re thinking about upgrading your existing system.

One newer trend is the proliferation of panoramic cameras. Once thought of as a specialty camera with limited capabilities, panoramic cameras have become more useful as higher megapixel technology has become available. Some cameras have multiple lenses and provide a very wide stitched image. Others use a single lens and provide a 360-degree field of view. Whichever technology is used, such cameras enable the system to eliminate problematic gaps in coverage.

Another development is the ability to embed maps of your campus and buildings into a Video Management System (VMS). Maps in these systems can have multiple layers, enabling an operator to go from a campus-wide map to a building map, even to a floor and office map. This functionality enables users to understand not just what they are seeing but where they are seeing it. During a serious incident, this sort of knowledge can save lives and direct first responders exactly where they are needed.

What’s important is understanding what features are most helpful to you so that you can start considering the VMS systems that provide the flexibility you require. Whether your campus is large or small, working with your integration partner and helping them understand your individual needs will be key in getting the features and functionality that’s right for you.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Robert LaBella is a technical sales engineer for Pelco.

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.