Campus Security Upgrade Ensures Success for the Kangan Institute

The Kangan Institute, with numerous campuses offering a wide range of courses in a variety of fields, chooses Allied Telesis PoE switches for a reliable, robust security network.

Kangan Institute is a major Australian training provider for the automotive, aerospace, health, and nursing sectors, as well as indigenous education. It also has a strong presence in a variety of industries such as fashion, business, and justice, and legal.

Kangan Institute’s campuses offer a wide range of courses in a variety of fields, ranging from certificates to diplomas.

Campus Safety and Security

Student safety is paramount. Every year, more than 30,000 students attend classes at Kangan Institute. Campus grounds are highly trafficked, with students passing through both day and night. It’s a constant challenge for security staff to keep students safe and to deter vandalism. Security staff must remain alert, ready to respond to any emergency.

One of the tools relied on by the security team is the Institute’s Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system.

Security System Upgrade

In 2010, spurred on by the opening of a multi-million dollar Automotive Center of Excellence, Kangan Institute decided it was time to upgrade its CCTV system and replace the existing analog technology with a modern IP network solution.

Aware that the new surveillance system would need to be stable and exceptionally reliable, the Institute turned to CCTV specialists, Q Video Systems, for advice.

« We had an asset to protect, so we made a conscious decision to move our security system to an IP format. We wanted IP, partly because it would allow us to tap into the corporate network. We have a significant investment in place to protect and grow our data network, and we didn’t want to duplicate this effort by investing in yet another infrastructure, » says Kostas Kyrifidis.

A New IP Network and CCTV Solution

Q Video Systems advised that Kangan Institute should build an IP network across campuses, using Allied Telesis Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches and a Verint security system. Kyrifidis happily accepted the recommendation. “Initially, we were drawn to Allied Telesis because of Q Video System’s confidence. They said that Allied Telesis switches were very reliable and that they had encountered no problems using their equipment. We also liked the fact that service for the switches is readily available,” he says.

With Q Video Systems’ assistance, the IP network was developed. Approximately 400 cameras and 30 24-port 1GB PoE switches were strategically placed around the campuses.

Success

The new IP network and CCTV solution has delivered all the Kangan Institute’s security team had hoped for. Using CCTV in conjunction with the Institute’s information systems, the security team can now provide a more seamless and immediate response to emergencies. If an emergency occurs, interfaces to other applications enable staff to build an understanding of the emergency and the affected location.

In 2012, the Institute’s work in developing a streamlined, sophisticated, multi-campus CCTV solution was publicly acknowledged, with the organization receiving a highly commended award in the Integrated Security Solution category at the Australian Security Industry Awards for Excellence. “Kangan Institute is committed to our learning community and the variety of stakeholder partnerships. Our investment in our security and safety programs is well developed and, in particular, our extensive CCTV system has proven itself time and time again,” says Richard Turnball, General manager.