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

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.