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| Toshiba Partners with Northwestern Ohio Security to Upgrade High School to IP Video
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Updating analog surveillance systems to IP-based video is a major challenge
facing security professionals, especially in older schools. For one, these
buildings lack the dedicated network and power cabling required for IP cameras.
Moreover, the cost of new network switches, servers, software licenses and
installation can discourage a budget-strapped adminstration from implementing an
upgrade no matter how badly it's needed.
Fortunately, advances in open
platform software and Power over Ethernet (PoE) cameras are making the migration
to IP affordable in older facilities. A case in point is Sandusky High
School.
Located in Sandusky, Ohio, a city of 27,800, Sandusky High School
was built in 1957. It is currently home to 1200 students, making it one of the
largest secondary schools in the state of Ohio.
While Sandusky High
School does not experience the types of crime pervasive in America's inner
cities, it does have problems typical of high schools such as graffiti,
vandalism, fights and petty theft. Improving the feeling of safety prompted the
district a decade ago to install its first video surveillance system. That
system consisted of box-style analog monochrome cameras mounted throughout the
hallways connected via coax to on-site time-lapse VCRs and video
monitors.
In late 2005, Sandusky school officials contacted Northwestern
Ohio Security Systems, Inc. (NWOSS) seeking additional performance from their
surveillance system. Their goals included the remote centralizing of video
storage at the district's administrative office located a mile down the road
from Sandusky High School. In addition, officials wanted the means to view the
entire building through multiple camera feeds on a PC or notebook, along with
the ability to control camera zoom and panning functions to closely monitor
activities. Mindful of privacy concerns, administrators also sought to strictly
isolate video access to authorized users only.
John Kostelac, a design
technician with NWOSS's Dayton office, recognized that Sandusky's goals could
not be fulfilled without deploying a new IP-based video surveillance system: "We
presented a design proposal that combined Milestone® software running on a
dedicated Windows® 2000 server along with multiple Toshiba network dome cameras
that supported PoE. The cost of the new system was competitive, even with the
added expense of running new CAT 5e wiring."
According to Kostelac,
NWOSS's "ace in the hole" was a high-capacity fiber backbone recently installed
from Sandusky High School to district headquarters. The fiber allowed
Northwestern to tie into the district's remote server through the telecom
closet, reliability and cost-effectively.
In all, NWOSS installed fifty
Toshiba IK-WR01A IP-addressable dome cameras inside Sandusky High School.
Placement of the cameras concentrated on areas officials reported were prone to
student problems, such as the weight room, lunch lines and the gym. No cameras
were installed inside classrooms. In addition, a single Toshiba IK-WB02 IP
camera protected by an environmental housing was installed outside the main
doorway to monitor traffic moving in and out of the building.
"The
features that impressed me most with the IK-WR01A cameras is that they were
vandal-proof, delivered VGA resolution images at up to 30 frames per second and
most importantly, they supported PoE," explained Kostelac. "Anywhere CAT5e cable
was run we could put a camera, giving us more flexibility in mounting choices.
Also, it resulted in lower installation costs since we didn't need to put in
additional electrical wiring or power outlets, making our bid more
competitive."
Sandusky High administrators immediately recognized the
value of the Toshiba camera's vandal-proof design. The old analog cameras had
been tampered with and shoved by students away from their targeted direction.
The IK-WR01A has a thick steel body with tamperproof screws along with a
break-resistance dome cover, qualifying it for use in areas prone to damage.
Lens direction cannot be repositioned except by authorized
personnel.
NWOSS choose Milestone XProtect® software to automatically
manage the Toshiba cameras and digital image archiving. Toshiba has a strong
alliance with Milestone to assure compatibility. NWOSS employees, including
Kostelac, were trained by Milestone and are now authorized Milestone
technicians.
About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units:
Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division,
and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile
products and solutions, including industry leading portable computers;
projectors; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing
markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics
applications; and telephony equipment and associated applications. TAIS provides
sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the
United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned
by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, which is a global
leader in high technology and integrated manufacturing of electrical and
electronic components, products and systems, as well as major infrastructure
systems. Toshiba has more than 172,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of
over US $54 billion (FY2005). For more information on Toshiba's leading
innovations, visit the company's Web site at www.toshiba.com
Website: http://www.ipvideo.toshiba.com
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