The e-book includes practical tips and guidance for school governors and senior team, education risk managers and systems integrators working in the sector, and it is entitled – Implementing video solutions to transform education settings.

Serious security incidents, including attacks against students and staff, are thankfully rare, but by law the risks must be taken seriously. The Idis e-book outlines some of the key regulatory requirements in educational settings and highlights factors that can contribute to the successful use of video.

The guide examines issues of cost and affordability and explores strategies for putting in place the most appropriate protection, covering perimeters, grounds, entrances, corridors, and learning areas. As well as up-front (CAPEX) costs, buyers should make sure they understand ongoing (OPEX) costs in all price comparisons they make. Unfair VMS and analytics pricing models are still common, with users being charged annual licence and device connection fees, hidden charges for functions they never use, or high additional charges to connect extra cameras. The e-book includes advice on how to avoid this.

A key benefit of properly designed video solutions is that they give school staff, including receptionists and senior management, a clear overview of activity on site, allowing faster interventions.

As well as detecting and reviewing external threats, video is also being used to help teaching staff identify problem behaviours and intervene more effectively in negative behaviour cycles, allowing them to resolve conflicts sooner and giving them confidence that they are making fair judgements. The ability to retrieve HD video footage of events in schools, for example, has been proven to be an effective deterrent against both anti-social behaviour and false claims of bullying. By providing an accurate record of events video can reduce the need for police interventions, but greatly assist those interventions when they really are necessary.

“From system ease-of-use to performance, durability, and value, there are many issues for buyers to take into account when they invest in new or upgraded video technology,” says James Min, Managing Director, Idis Europe. “Based on Idis’s extensive experience working in education settings this e-book breaks down those issues and explains them very clearly. We believe this will give senior managers and their contractors the most helpful starting point.”