Advantages of Federated Architecture
The district continues to implement the Milestone and Axis solution across its schools and recently moved to centralized management of the system with the Federated Architecture platform from Milestone XProtect Corporate. For Mike Reece, account manager for ISG’s Topeka branch, the move is both cost-effective and forward-thinking.
“We realized after doing a few schools that server costs were really adding up,” Reece said. “We decided to migrate to the Federated Architecture platform. It’s a move made with school budgets in mind, but more importantly with the future in mind. Now, each system is linked, and we have a central command center where every school and every camera is viewable. It’s immensely valuable.”
Through the Milestone Federated Architecture, system operators have access to video, audio and other resources across all the individual XProtect Corporate systems in the federated hierarchy based on their user rights in each system. In addition, administrators have the ability to centrally manage sites within the hierarchy through the Management Client, based on administration rights set up for the individual sites in the hierarchy.
Axis IP Cameras Provide Functionality and Flexibility
Reece appreciates the tight integration between Milestone and Axis, and that they are easy to install and offer a variety of options for every environment. He says the cameras adjust to light fluctuations extremely well, which is especially important in a school setting where doors are continually opening and letting sunlight flood the space.
Reece and his team at ISG worked closely with school resource officers to design a solution that provides coverage in the areas where it is needed. From parking lots to hallways, the district now has full surveillance where incidents may occur.
Director of School Safety for Topeka Public Schools Ron Brown has been instrumental in getting the district to expand and upgrade its video system. He’s been very pleased with the Milestone and Axis solution and its ability to provide actionable information.
“The IP zoom capabilities are very good. We’re able to identify kids a block or two away and see what they’re doing,” Brown said.
He added that coverage surrounding the schools helps protect the facilities since staff and officers are now able to monitor suspicious people, especially in high crime areas around some schools. The district also uses the cameras to monitor sporting events or school functions in gymnasiums and stadiums rather than having a lot of officers patrolling, which could be intrusive.
A Robust, Easy-to-Use System
The district’s Milestone VMS allows each officer to create custom views that are readily available when they log in. Jeremy Leithoff, school resource officer at Topeka High School, particularly likes being able to set cameras to a ‘home’ position so they automatically return to a set default when they are not being moved manually.
“When we get done looki
ng for a student or staff member, we simply hit a button and it goes right back to a preset position,” Leithoff said.
Video from any camera within the district can now be viewed from any computer by users with login credentials. Milestone Mobile expands access to video from the district’s system by allowing those with access to view video on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets).
ISG also hosts brief training events each time it rolls out the system to new schools and provides training booklets to district officers. Reece said the officers pick up the system easily and quickly learn new capabilities on their own.
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