Austin ISD Switches 3000 Plus Camera System to Video Insight

Massive Texas School District with 3,000 Cameras Switches Video Management Provider

One massive Texas school district recently upgraded its video surveillance system in an effort to keep up with advancements in Web management platforms.

Austin Independent School District – the nation’s 38th largest school system – has replaced its existing video management system with Video Insight software. Encompassing 230-square miles, Austin ISD has 86,000 students, 11,000 employees, 124 campuses and more than 3,000 video surveillance cameras.

“We were unhappy with the platform that we had invested in and we needed a more practical solution – something that was easy to use,” says Austin ISD Police Department Representative Wayne Russell. “We needed something that didn’t require an incredible amount of CPU processor power that could also serve as a fully-functioning Web client.”

After an exhaustive bid process, Russell found the solution in Video Insight. “Video Insight was the only software solution that worked seamlessly with our existing cameras and it offered a very dependable Web client," Russel says.

A fully functional Web client application was very important to Austin ISD, says Russell, due to the number of employees that tend to move from campus to campus in such a large school system. Russell says prior to the Video Insight implementation his VMS administrator spent a considerable amount of time with user maintenance. “With this number of users a reliable Web client is more economical than installing (and uninstalling) thick VMS clients on each PC, which also overburdens our already taxed VMS administrators,” he says.

The switch to Video Insight has resulted in an improved video management system for Austin ISD in many respects, including: Little to no training for employees; increased video camera image quality; more efficient storage; faster system performance; variety in camera choice and LDAP integration. The 3,000-plus camera system is monitored by the AISD police dispatch 24-hours a day, seven days a week, paying particular attention during peak times to camera feeds in the bus drop off and pick up areas, cafeterias during breakfast and lunch time, playgrounds and in hallways during class changes. Administrators monitor cameras at each school campus, but they report incident to the AISD police who have the sole authority to clip and export video.

Video Insight Chief Technical Officer James Whitcomb says that Video Insight’s open architecture, ease of use and features that were developed specifically for large systems with multi-campuses and facilities is what makes it best suited for a project like Austin ISD. And because Video Insight software supports more than 1,000 cameras from 60 manufacturers, users have a wide variety of choice when it comes to adding cameras to their system.

“As a result of our work together Austin ISD has better system management, better use of storage, no need for in-depth training,” Whitcomb says. “The best news is that they have reliable video surveillance that adds to – and does not detract – from a district-wide safety program.”

Featured

  • 2025 Security LeadHER Conference Program Announced

    ASIS International and the Security Industry Association (SIA) – the leading membership associations for the security industry – have announced details for the 2025 Security LeadHER conference, a special event dedicated to advancing, connecting and empowering women in the security profession. The third annual Security LeadHER conference will be held Monday, June 9 – Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. This carefully crafted program represents a comprehensive professional development opportunity for women in security this year. To view the full lineup at this year’s event, please visit securityleadher.org. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Report: 82 Percent of Phishing Emails Used AI

    KnowBe4, the world-renowned cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, today launched its Phishing Threat Trend Report, detailing key trends, new data, and threat intelligence insights surrounding phishing threats targeting organizations at the start of 2025. Read Now

  • NRF Supports Federal Bill to Thwart Retail Crime

    The National Retail Federation recently announced its support for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025. The act was introduced by Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Representative Dave Joyce, R-Ohio. Read Now

  • ISC West 2025 Brings Almost 29,000 Industry Professionals to Las Vegas

    ISC West 2025, organized by RX and in collaboration with the Security Industry Association, concluded at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas last week. The nation’s leading comprehensive and converged security event attracted nearly 29,000 industry professionals and left a lasting impression on the global security community. Over five action-packed days, ISC West welcomed more than 19,000 attendees and featured 750 exhibiting brands. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Tradeshow Work Can Be Fun

    While at ISC West last week, I ran into numerous friends and associates all of which was a pleasant experience. The first question always seemed to be, “How many does this make for you?” Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

New Products

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.