University of Central Florida Modernizes IT Infrastructure

Campus Achieves Comprehensive Data Protection and Centralized Management for Entire Security and Surveillance Ecosystem with Pivot3 and Milestone Systems

The University of Central Florida has deployed its Pivot3 hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) platform for more robust video surveillance data protection, improved remote access to sensitive and critical data from any device, streamlined management for all their campus safety and security IT systems, and support for additional datacenter workloads as they grow.

Located in Orlando, Fla., the University of Central Florida (UCF) is one of the largest universities in the country with more than 66,000 students and more than 12,000 employees. It is regularly recognized as one of the best colleges for quality, access, impact and value. U.S. News & World Report recently named UCF as one of the nation’s Most Innovative Colleges for 2018.

Prior to implementing Pivot3, UCF was struggling with the costs and complexity of managing 58 standalone servers, 12,000 individual access points, hundreds of video surveillance cameras, and a diverse range of digital video recorders, or DVRs. The university’s IT organization and security teams required a solution that could easily consolidate these disparate systems, centralize management and provide more effective, efficient and reliable video data storage.

Pivot3 HCI streamlines video management and storage capabilities by hosting the university’s Milestone XProtect VMS, and server and storage management on a single platform. Pivot3 also offers industry-leading resilience — critical in environments such as public universities that have demanding data protection and retention requirements in order to mitigate risk and ensure legal compliance. If multiple hardware failures occur, servers remain online and previously recorded data is protected and available when needed. Pivot3 is also designed to support mixed workloads and can host multiple applications on a single infrastructure, delivering significant return on investment for the university as its security and IT needs evolve.

“We wanted a security solution that specialized in video storage but also offered options to expand into other datacenter use cases as needed, and Pivot3 was the hands-down winner,” said Joseph Souza, assistant director of security for UCF’s Department of Security and Emergency. “During our selection process, both our security team and our IT organization discovered that Pivot3 delivered the best solution for our growing environment.”

In addition to hosting Milestone System’s video management software, Pivot3 also captures and protects video data from 2,500 video surveillance cameras and supports up to three petabytes of storage. Pivot3’s ability to easily scale to this level was a key criterion in UCF’s selection process as its demand for more cameras and video data storage capacity continues to grow. The UCF camera count is expected to rise to over 3,000 when the university’s downtown Orlando Campus opens in the fall of 2019.

“UCF is a leader in educational excellence, and we are pleased to play a role in helping the university protect critical assets and enhance security operations,” said Brandon Reich, surveillance practice leader, Pivot3. “The education market in particular experiences significant benefits and cost savings through the implementation of Pivot3 HCI – not to mention the increased security benefits for students and staff - which reduces complexity and cost, delivers scalability and increases resiliency.”

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • 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.