Swinburne University security camera rollout continues - video analytics being deployed

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 18:34

Business IT - Security

The number of surveillance cameras at Swinburne University will almost double over the next nine months, and the use of video analytics is likely to increase.

Around a year ago, iTWire reported on a major deployment of IP surveillance cameras at Swinburne University in Melbourne. At that stage, around 300 cameras had been installed.

While that number has only increased by around 25, another 150 are set to be deployed by the end of the year. IT security officer Chris Goetze told iTWire they will be installed at the Lilydale, Wantirna and Croydon campuses as the rollout at Hawthorn and Prahran had been completed.

That said, an additional 140 cameras will go into two new buildings during the first half of 2011, and after that the pace will slow.

Last year, we reported that the video system had led to a decrease in major crime on campus. There has been a continued decline in security incidents at Hawthorn and Prahran, and the same is expected at the remaining campuses when the cameras are rolled out there.

The university has upgraded the Milestone Systems XProtect software from the Enterprise to the Corporate edition to take advantage of its ability to manage cameras across multiple sites. The Smart Wall option has also been added to automatically change the view presented in the security office according to the time of day.

The video analytics software is being introduced - see page 2.