Western Kentucky University Deploys Milestone VMS

Milestone Systems IP VMS ís proving the advantages of the open platform approach for Western Kentucky University’s diverse surveillance needs with the ability to expand and customize the system for growing requirements over the years.

Spread across 200 acres with dozens of buildings and thousands of students, Western Kentucky University is like a small city. The university has numerous departments, each with a unique set of requirements for a video surveillance solution. Meanwhile, a single small team in the IT division must be able to plan, deploy and manage all these different surveillance situations.

The solution for the IT division at Western Kentucky University was to implement Milestone’s open platform IP video management software, XProtect Enterprise, and later to upgrade to XProtect Corporate. Over time, they have deployed more cameras as needed and now have roughly 300 network video cameras around the campus. The team uses various XProtect add-ons for additional advanced features, such as XProtect Smart Wall, and leverages Microsoft Active Directory for managing permissions of users in various departments.  

Milestone’s flexible XProtect VMS has also allowed the university’s network team to deploy custom solutions for different departments throughout the university. Thanks to the Milestone open platform, they have been able to tweak their system, install add-ons and create specialized integrations with the Milestone Integration Platform Software Development Kit (MIP SDK) to support different scenarios, such as pulling up the video from emergency call phone locations around campus. 

The XProtect management application allows them to perform most management tasks from a central location, making it possible for a small team with limited resources to maintain such a large deployment with ease. 

"Milestone XProtect Corporate software is very stable and reliable, allowing us to focus on the design and field work. We can expand the solution and support our clients without worrying about having to babysit the software," said Jeppie Sumpter, lead network engineer at Western Kentucky University.

Featured

  • Empowering and Securing a Mobile Workforce

    What happens when technology lets you work anywhere – but exposes you to security threats everywhere? This is the reality of modern work. No longer tethered to desks, work happens everywhere – in the office, from home, on the road, and in countless locations in between. Read Now

  • TSA Introduces New $45 Fee Option for Travelers Without REAL ID Starting February 1

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026. Read Now

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.