Blackboard and LiveSafe Partner to Enhance Campus Safety through Mobile Communications

Blackboard and LiveSafe Partner to Enhance Campus Safety through Mobile CommunicationsBlackboard and LiveSafe, two companies focused on campus safety and security, have joined forces to bring LiveSafe’s mobile safety technology to more schools and students across the country.

Blackboard provides integrated campus commerce and security solutions through Blackboard Transact to hundreds of higher-education institutions. LiveSafe’s mobile technology allows for direct, two-way communication between safety officials and students that allow students to report safety concerns, receive emergency notifications and engage with an interactive safety map. The partnership marks a joint effort to offer LiveSafe to more schools and help enable them to better deter, prevent and respond to safety concerns.

With a single touch, the LiveSafe app enables any student with a smartphone to share GPS-tagged video, photos, audio and text to a secure Web-based dashboard monitored by campus safety teams. Free for students, each school may customize the app by layering branding elements and information such as the location of key buildings, resources for emergency management and shuttle bus routes.

“Safety is fundamental to ensuring a positive teaching and learning environment in order to achieve meaningful learning outcomes,” said David Marr, senior vice president of Blackboard Transact. “We are excited to partner with LiveSafe to empower students in becoming a ‘force multiplier,’ adding more eyes and ears to campus police departments in real-time. By using a mobile technology that most students own and have with them at all times, schools can take a crowd-sourced approach to safety and facilitate a more direct and meaningful relationship with their students.”

Created with the expert guidance of practitioners within the public safety and education sectors including advisors Mark Sullivan, the 22nd Director of the U.S. Secret Service, and Dr. Alan Merten, President Emeritus of George Mason University, LiveSafe has been implemented in schools across nine states and is growing rapidly.

“As we continue to meet an increasing demand for LiveSafe, we are thrilled that one of the most significant leaders in education technology has recognized the value of bringing LiveSafe to students across the nation,” said Jenny Abramson, CEO and president of LiveSafe. “We are excited to partner with Blackboard to help empower every student and give them the tools they deserve to be safe.”

The LiveSafe app can be downloaded on both Apple iOS and Android smartphones, and is available to campuses for a modest annual per student fee.

Featured

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

  • DHS to End ‘Shoes-Off’ Travel Policy

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new policy today which will allow passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. Read Now

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.