SURVEILLANCE
Strategic migration The University of Massachusetts shifts from analog to IP using an open video recording platform that solidifies campus-wide security The University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., (UMass Amherst) located in the Pioneer Valley maintains a sharp focus on security and safety of the campus population of more than 32,000 and has been executing a strategic shift from analog to IP video, integrated with access control and intrusion detection. As technology has progressed, so has UMass Amherst, seeking solutions to effectively leverage current components while migrating to networking technologies and future-proofing surveillance recording solutions with the ability to incorporate the latest, high34 | June 2022 | IN SECURITY
resolution megapixel cameras. When the university’s legacy, siloed recording system was nearing its end of life several years ago and would no longer be supported, it was time to re-evaluate the present with an eye to the future. UMass needed to incorporate existing analog where necessary yet add the highest quality IP video when and where it needed as the campus continued to grow. The UMass video strategy is purposeful and planned – with the evaluation of new products focusing on the openness of solutions, ease of use and keeping bandwidth from being taxed as the security department and police department
pull video locally across the LAN for investigations and forensics. Eyeing the Future Today UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450 acres in western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to several major urban centers. The UMass Amherst Police Department (UMPD), located on campus, works in partnership with the staff of Residential Life Operation Center to ensure that its residence halls are safe places to live. The UMPD is a full-service police department with
