CASE STUDY / Hikvision protects students and staff at college in Massachusetts

Local integrator SoundBytes Security was challenged to create a 100-camera surveillance system that would contribute to the safety of students and faculty members across the Massasoit Community College’s two sites -- the 100-acre Brockton Campus and an 18-acre complex in Canton.

Massasoit Community College caters to more than 8,000 students. It is one of the largest community colleges within the Massachusetts Public Higher Education system and offers a variety of associate degree programs and certificate courses. 

The end-user wanted the ability to monitor live video as well as to inspect footage retrospectively, for the prior calendar month, at high frame rates. The storage implications of keeping this amount of data were significant, and the nature of the site necessitated the use of Power over Ethernet (POE).
 
SoundBytes chose two dome camera models from Hikvision, along with the company’s DVRs which the integrator had custom-assembled. At interior locations, the college is benefiting from Hikvision’s mini PTZ speed dome cameras which have been installed at the college’s laboratories, computer centers, theaters, media studies studios and major hubs, such as the library, refectory and gymnasium.
 
The mini speed dome features a ¼-inch Sony CCD and is appreciated by security staff for its 3.8-38mm, 10x zoom ratio, as well as for its 200 pre-set positions, tour mode and ability to set privacy zones.
 
SoundBytes is using a fiber optic network and recording the data to servers by Sun Oracle.

Ed Morando Snr, of SoundBytes, said, “The RAID demands for this number of cameras functioning at 30 frames per second are significant, and we are benefiting from Hikvision’s H.264 dual stream real-time compression. Footage is monitored both within the college and at a local police department, with officers having had input on the programming of the high-activity cameras that they often wish to scrutinize in detail.”
 
“The conduct of Massasoit students is exemplary, though in the unlikely event of any inappropriate behavior, the problem could also be monitored on the camera system,” Morando continued. “But the surveillance is designed to protect students and faculty members from the threat of intruders and possible assault, as a result of trespass. The camera system covers all public spaces, such as entrances, exits, hallways and foyers. The larger outdoor domes from Hikvision [model DS-2DF1-617X] have a zoom ratio of x36. They are effective in helping to protect users of the many parking lots, where low-light capability (0.01 lux at F1.4) is one of many valuable attributes.”
 
College administrators and police can not only observe live footage, but may review it retrospectively to assess specific incidents, going back 30 days. SoundBytes, which is based in Middlesex County, has laid Cat6 cable across the two sites and taken advantage of the ability of the Hikvision cameras to function as part of a Power Over Ethernet (PoE) installation, though the remote location of a few outside cameras meant hard-wired power was necessary. The external dome cameras are fitted with heaters that allow the units to operate within the widely fluctuating temperatures encountered on this part of the eastern seaboard.
 
Polo Cai, vice president of Hikvision, said, “Our company is delighted that the academic excellence at this college is being matched by the quality of its camera surveillance, with Hikvision units being central to the safety of everybody on the two sites. The client had high expectations of how CCTV should work and these demands were passed on to the integrator who immediately opted for our dome units.”