Only a few years ago, the “inevitable shift” to all things cloud was met with guarded optimism. But today, the shift is becoming more of a reality in K-12 schools.
While many physical security departments were previously hesitant to consider cloud-connected solutions, they now have a greater understanding of the benefits these solutions bring. Cloud solutions are helping campuses better utilize resources to achieve goals while minimizing operational complexity.
Cost is an important driver for many schools. While on-premises security solutions remain common, the investment in infrastructure can be significant. Servers, information technology (IT) and security staff, wiring, software installations, maintenance, and updates all add up.
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Cloud solutions offer an alternative, especially for schools that have limited IT resources to manage and maintain servers and hardware. While some institutions have transitioned fully to a cloud-based system, many find a hybrid solution appealing.
A hybrid approach provides flexibility. It allows K-12 campuses to keep using some of the hardware or components they purchased over the years while reducing the need for onsite servers to maintain. Schools can decide whether to store some data in onsite servers and some in the cloud. Depending on issues like bandwidth and internet stability, the sensitivity of the data, and the cost of both options, this may be an appealing option.
Not All Cloud Solutions Are the Same
There are several kinds of cloud solutions available to the market, but not all are equally suited to meet the evolving challenges schools face today. Two cloud-based video management systems may look similar on paper, but how they operate may be quite different.
Focus on defining outcomes and not just features. Outcomes could include identifying who’s vaping in the bathroom, who started the fight, or sharing live video with police in the event of a threat.
Describing your needs in terms of your desired outcomes makes it clear if you need a video system that can be linked to vape-detecting sensors, a camera with powerful zoom or analytics, or a digital evidence management platform that’s compatible with your local law enforcement’s tech stack.
Some other examples of outcomes include:
- Track school buses on their route and notify someone if there’s a significant delay or deviation
- Automate video analysis to identify people who aren’t authorized to be in specific locations
- If a gun is detected, notify police immediately and lock all classroom doors from the outside to prevent entry
- Alert staff if a car with a license plate that matches a watchlist approaches school property
Once you’ve articulated what you need and want your system to do, review proposed solutions. You’ll probably find more than one way to solve the problem, and you can then decide which solution is the best fit.
Key Decisions to Consider
Proprietary or open? Unified or integrated? These are just some of the key decisions that will define the options that are available to you when selecting a security Software as a Service (SaaS) system, and what you can do with it in the future.
A proprietary security SaaS system may entail fewer choices at the outset. The simplicity of this can be appealing, but in the long run, it can introduce complications if you eventually need something the partner doesn’t offer.
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An open architecture cloud solution offers a different kind of simplicity. When you need something new, it’s easier to find the solution you’re looking for. For example, after installing a system you may decide that you need a camera with a more powerful zoom to be able to identify the faces of people at the edges of the surveillance zone. If your proprietary systems don’t have the right type of camera, you may be out of luck.
With a non-proprietary, open architecture system, you’re much more likely to be able to find specialty sensors, cameras, or other hardware to solve specific problems. The system is compatible with hardware from many different manufacturers, so you can shop around and find the best option for your needs and budget. Over time, continued innovation and competition in the marketplace will make more features available as well as lower-priced options.
Selecting an open and unified system is also more resilient and cybersecure because all components of the system are built to work together from the first lines of code. There are no integrations to break or compatibility issues with software updates to worry about because everything is coded and updated together. Reputable security SaaS partners will have a dedicated team to monitor and respond to emerging cyber threats, which can also lighten the load on your IT team so they can focus on other priorities.
Another benefit of open architecture security SaaS solutions for schools is that it’s easier to share evidence with law enforcement and emergency services if the need arises. Open solutions are built to support secure sharing of data with public safety authorities in times of crisis. Proprietary systems may introduce more barriers, such as unique video codecs that require downloading additional software to view shared footage.
Select the Features, Storage, and Cybersecurity Your School Needs
To choose the solution that is right for you, start by focusing on the problems and pain points you hope to solve. Then review the features and benefits that are most important to you.
Depending on which spaces you need to monitor, for example, you may need different kinds of cameras. Big outdoor spaces may need a higher resolution, more zoom, or night vision. For smaller indoor spaces such as hallways, this might not be needed. Consider what video analytics may help you address your pain points.
Next, consider storage. You’ll need to review what kinds of data you want to store, whether you prefer to store it on-prem or in the cloud, and for how long you need to keep it.
When evaluating potential solutions, remember to consider the full experience you’ll have with them. This includes everything from onboarding to what happens to your data if you choose to end the relationship with the vendor. Data collected by the system may be handled differently by providers. Sometimes the end user will lose access to it if the contract ends. Other companies take the opposite approach and ensure that customers can access and download their data at any time. In other words, the end user “owns their data.”
Cybersecurity is another important aspect to consider. Cloud solutions offer quicker access to the latest technology advancements, including many built-in cybersecurity and data privacy features. Ask potential partners about what they do to ensure you’re protected, and how they ensure their employees follow cybersecurity best practices. Your security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain.
Write down everything and identify which elements are must-haves and which are nice-to-haves. This can help you identify a short list of candidates more quickly. For example, if you know you want an open-architecture solution, that will immediately eliminate all vendors that offer only proprietary solutions.
Is Your School Ready for a Cloud or Hybrid System?
Fully cloud, hybrid, or on-prem (on premises) systems can all be effective and secure. With an on-prem system, you own everything and are fully responsible to manage and maintain it. With a cloud system, you pay for the services you need, but you aren’t fully responsible for maintaining or updating the system itself.
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By incorporating a cloud-based or hybrid solution, schools can reduce investment in new hardware and easily scale computing and storage resources up or down as their needs change. No matter how many systems are running on local servers or connected to the cloud, you can bring them back to a central headend. This allows you to streamline monitoring, response, and maintenance tasks across your operations to boost efficiencies. To the user, it’s a seamless experience where all systems can be accessed from one platform.
Hybrid-cloud solutions enable you to be more strategic in your physical security deployments. You can pick and choose which installations would benefit from on-prem solutions versus those where cloud might be a better fit.
Either way, cloud solutions can take the strain off budgets and IT and security teams’ time. With the flexibility of today’s hybrid architectures, there’s an option for your needs. Speak with your integrator to review solutions based on your goals and requirements.
Bruce Canal is the education account executive lead for Genetec, Inc. He joined Genetec in 2023 and is responsible for developing and driving business strategy for the education vertical. He brings over 25 years of education-related security experience. Bruce is the former director of physical security for the eighth largest school district in the United States and previously served as an officer for the Indiana State Police.
NOTE: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety.
