The need for enhanced school safety has become very clear in recent years. The increasing incidence of school violence has catalyzed many districts to upgrade their security systems and protocols and deploy more video surveillance cameras across their campuses. And while that is a good thing, the increased amount of video footage being generated by these cameras is becoming very difficult for many schools to manage.
Traditional, on site storage solutions are becoming overwhelmed and overworked, jeopardizing the ability to retain video footage for an extended period and, worse, raising the probability of all video data being lost altogether.
It’s important for school security teams to comply with the regulatory requirements that are often imposed on school systems that mandate longer retention periods for video surveillance. There’s a reason for retaining video – it can be vital to investigating incidents, resolving disputes, and ensuring the overall safety of the school community. Those institutions still relying on a traditional and often limited storage capacity solution risk not being able to retain that vital video. That’s because traditional on-premises storage systems in school systems are often designed for short-term storage or limited camera deployments. As video surveillance networks grow, these systems can struggle to handle expanding storage requirements.
Another key consideration that school security teams need to contend with is protecting the data.Video surveillance data in school systems contains sensitive information about students, staff, and the school community. Safeguarding that sensitive footage from unauthorized access and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations such as FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is critically important. In addition, school administrators, security personnel, and local law enforcement officials sometimes need quick and easy access to video surveillance data for investigations or incident response. Many traditional storage systems simply don’t offer efficient tools for accessing, searching, and sharing video footage, adversely impacting effective collaboration and response times.
To address all these challenges, school security teams are looking for video storage solutions that stay within their budgets but are scalable, offer robust data security measures, including encryption, access controls, and auditing capabilities, and enable remote accessibility and collaboration. Many are choosing to leverage cloud-based video surveillance data storage solutions, because they address and meet all these challenges. Here’s how.
Cloud-based storage solutions provide virtually unlimited storage capacity, so school systems can easily scale their storage needs as their camera networks grow. Having this kind of scalability allows schools to retain surveillance footage for extended periods, worry-free.
Cloud storage providers employ robust security measures to protect video surveillance data. These include data encryption, access controls, and regular security updates, which all provide an added layer of protection for sensitive information. And, a cloud-based storage solution empowers authorized personnel to access video footage from anywhere, anytime. This accessibility enables remote monitoring, more comprehensive incident investigations, and collaboration among stakeholders that can result in improved response times and increased overall security.
Another perk that budget-conscious school security teams will happily embrace is the cost-effectiveness of a cloud-based video storage solution. It eliminates the need for on-premises storage infrastructure, thereby cutting upfront hardware costs, maintenance expenses, and the need for additional IT staff and resources. This allows schools to allocate their often tight budgets more efficiently while at the same time benefiting from a scalable and reliable storage solution.
Our Cloud Collect Bridge solution delivers all of these benefits. Call on us today to learn more about how we can help you migrate to a secure, cost-effective cloud-based video solution.