In Corpus Christi, Texas, the Flour Bluff Independent School District (ISD) recently upgraded to an Arecont Vision megapixel IP camera system. Among many benefits, the school cites dramatically improved image clarity and more comprehensive coverage with fewer cameras.

Flour Bluff ISD serves over 5,600 students who range from pre-kindergarten through high school. It features six campuses, three athletic gyms, two football fields, a baseball and softball complex, tennis courts, auditorium, wetlands pavilion, and district office buildings. These facilities had in place a 12-year old video surveillance system that had become too outdated for school administrators to justify expansion. The low quality video, its proprietary nature, and performance issues made it abundantly clear that a new system was needed.

“We were immediately impressed with the video quality and clarity Arecont Vision’s cameras provide,” said Alex Puente, director of technology for Flour Bluff Independent School District. “When we saw a demonstration of their low-light performance, network-friendly bitrates and other features, we knew they would be the best choice for our new surveillance system.”

The Arecont Vision solution selected by Flour Bluff ISD consists of more than 130 cameras, including the SurroundVideo AV40185DN 40 megapixel 180 degree panoramic camera for covering and monitoring large, open exterior areas. The SurroundVideo AV8185DN 8 megapixel panoramic cameras are installed at front entrances, parking lots and for coverage of the entire cafeteria. MegaVideo AV5115DN compact MP cameras provide highly detailed views of the high school from across the street. Additional MegaDome cameras cover entryways, exits, and throughout the school for indoor coverage.

The Arecont Vision megapixel cameras, along with 16 legacy analog cameras, are integrated with exacqVision’s enterprise video management system (VMS) software for live and recorded video administration and playback. As an added benefit, the new system allows security officers to view and monitor live video images on their iPads.

“Our security officers can easily see all the hallways at once, which increases their situational awareness and allows them to respond to incidents more quickly and appropriately,” Puente said.