One key administrative area for Pearland Independent School District (ISD) is the management of an extensive video security system throughout the school district. Amazingly enough, the district manages a network of more than 800 IP video surveillance cameras with only a part time telecommunications manager.

Cameras Deployed in Stages

Pearland ISD first installed video surveillance cameras at Pearland Junior High School, where the design of the stairwells was causing security and discipline concerns. The cameras quickly proved to be a powerful tool that was hard to dispute. They provided administrators with data needed to support investigations and provide documentation of incidents.

The next security camera implementation was at the agricultural center. Exterior and interior cameras were installed to provide security for the animals and property in that location. It was quickly becoming evident that the security cameras were playing an important part in providing secure and safe environments for the staff and students of Pearland ISD.

The school board invested a large amount of funding through bond proceeds to install cameras at the high school. IP cameras were placed at exits, throughout the building, in the cafeteria and in the kitchen area. This was the first school to have cameras throughout the building. 

The SROs (safety resource officers) and administrators believed that this was money well spent. The presence of the cameras significantly improved safety on campus, decreasing discipline problems, thefts and vandalism reports. The expansion of the IP camera system proceeded at a rapid pace, but managing all of this additional video proved to be challenging. 

New System Is User Friendly

Dissatisfied with their existing IP video surveillance system vendor, personnel in the telecommunications department began investigating alternatives. They looked at all of the major players in the market and decided to look at Video Insight in greater detail because non-technical staff could quickly learn how to use the company’s software.

To put the software through its paces, district personnel set up a side-by-side live test comparing their existing system with Video Insight. School administrators were surprised to learn that the Video Insight solution required 40 percent less CPU utilization than their existing system with the same number of cameras.

So, not only was the software easy to use, but it made efficient use of their bandwidth and CPU capacity. Because the infrastructure was already in place, the switchover to Video Insight was relatively painless; the Pearland techs merely uninstalled the old software and installed Video Insight’s product.

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