A CCTV case study of a school. The project by NS Optimum Ltd includes 35 cameras delivering megapixel quality as part of a combined data, voice and video network.
With a campus in the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove, Bromsgrove School is a coeducational 1500 pupil boarding/day school. In 2003, the school decided to improve its security measures in response to concerns over pupil and staff safety. Expansion of Its existing small scale analogue CCTV installation covering a few car park areas was deemed unacceptable due to poor quality and unreliability.
The school approached NS Optimum Ltd, an ICT solution provider who had implemented and managed its IT network for many years. Based on a demonstration of MOBOTIX technology, the school agreed to deploy MOBOTIX DualNight Megapixel cameras at key entrance points across the campus. “The initial deployment was extremely successful and provided good coverage over critical areas,” says Scott Fisher, Network Manager for Bromsgrove School, “The MOBOTIX method of compressing and sending IP video allowed us to run CCTV without upgrading our network with no negative impacting on data or voice traffic.”
Over the subsequent seven years, the school has increased the coverage of CCTV to include its preparatory school, pre-preparatory, nursery, boarding houses, all car parks and some sports facilities. “We now have several MOBOTIX hemispheric cameras which give us complete 360 degree coverage of entire areas like the computer rooms and library while the ability to use internal camera memory means that we only archive footage at night to ensure that the data network is always fully available for students and staff.”
The CCTV installation has suffered no mechanical faults, “We don’t use any protective housing or heaters and all of the cameras have given us 100pc reliability,” says Fisher, “The cameras are incredibly discreet and key staff around the campus can instantly access both live and archived footage from anywhere on the site with the proper security clearance.”
“We have had no major incidents across Bromsgrove but the quality of the images and the lack of drain on the network or management overheads provide us with a perfect system for a healthy school environment.” Fisher adds.
