- Cameras
- 100 full IP, 4 MP, with audio
- Channels
- 128
- Cabling
- Over 8 km of Cat 6
- Voice
- 15-extension cloud PBX, 15 concurrent calls
- Wi-Fi
- 30 gigabit access points, full-property mesh
- Network
- 9 cabinets with PoE switching and backup power
- Connectivity
- 300 Mbps uncapped business fibre
- Installed in
- 2.5 weeks
The problem
The school came to us with three problems. The Wi-Fi did not reach the classrooms, so teachers could not run the online lessons they wanted. The phone system was dropping calls and could no longer carry the school's volumes. And there was no way to see what had happened in corridors and classrooms, which made discipline and exam invigilation difficult to settle after the fact.
We were one of five suppliers who quoted. They chose us, and we replaced the lot as a single working system.
What we installed
- Surveillance: a 128-channel system with 100 full IP 4-megapixel cameras with audio, covering entrances, corridors, stairwells and classrooms, over 8 km of Cat 6 on a full gigabit network.
- Voice: a 15-extension cloud PBX carrying 15 concurrent calls, with call recording and user PIN codes to prevent abuse. No PBX box on the wall.
- Wi-Fi: a full mesh covering the whole property, from the front gate to the sports fields, with 30 gigabit access points and separate networks for voice, offices, staff and guests.
- Network: nine cabinets with their own PoE switches and backup power, behind an enterprise firewall giving the school full control of who is on the network.
- Connectivity: 300 Mbps uncapped business fibre with a premium SLA.
- Viewing: two 43-inch screens, one at reception and one in the principal's office, plus secure remote access by app or web portal.
The two things others could not do
Fibre they were told did not exist. Three of the five suppliers who quoted reported that there was no fibre in the area. We installed it.
A camera 200 metres from the nearest building. Rather than trenching across the school's sports fields, we put the PTZ camera on a custom pole and bracket and linked it back over a point-to-point wireless connection carrying the same network. It pans automatically and does number-plate, intrusion, animal and human detection.
How it was paid for
The whole installation went in on a rental agreement: no installation fee, no deposit and no capital outlay. The school pays one fixed monthly amount with no escalation, covering every service and a premium SLA across all of them, which is a figure the governing body could budget and approve up front.
Cameras in the classrooms help us manage discipline, and settle questions about what happened during an exam. The phone system could not carry our calls. And we needed internet that reaches every class, so our lessons mean something to the learners. What I valued most was the consultation: they told us when they were coming and they were there. We have recommended them to other schools.
Ntando Zwane, Principal, Riverside High School