Advance Technology provides assistance above and beyond hardware specs The education vertical market continues to adapt to the changing landscape by upgrading the security infrastructure with new technologies so stakeholders, students and visitors can be in a safe environment. Whether college campuses or K-12 facilities, one of the biggest hurdles is the budget - or getting the funding to add a network infrastructure, cameras or access control. For both public and private schools alike, it takes planning in partnership with many different entities to find the right way to make the most of allocated funds. In New England, private schools are embracing security and audiovisual technology and planning for the future and companies like Advance Technology are guiding these institutions with a design process that facilitates an attainable migration path. According to the National Council for Education Statistics, in 2011 to 2012 some 24% of all schools in the U.S. were private institutions, which means they receive funding in whole or in part by student tuition. Jeff LaChance, Senior Technology Consultant with Advance Technology, has found common ground and a great way to assist Cheverus High School in Portland and other private schools through the Independent Schools Association of Northern New England (ISANNE), Bath, Maine, of which the company participates in their Corporate Partner Program. ISANNE is a membership association of some 63 schools located in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and Canada. The organization, which requires members are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, provides professional development, mentoring and other support for issues or challenges arising among members. ISANNE's Corporate Partner Program includes business memberships that provides a vetting process and allows corporations to develop relationships with its private school members. Consulting comes first before hardware LaChance has been providing technology consulting to Cheverus High School, finding new ways to protect students and make the campus safer. "We'd been trying to find a good security company we could trust and develop a long-term working relationship with," said Brian Lemay, Director of Physical Plant for Cheverus High School. "With Advance Technology, we have been able to realize our downfalls and get up to speed with what we could do with what we had and stay within budget," he said. Lemay said the school initially approached Advance Technology at a local business conference and LaChance immediately got to work - guiding the school past its access control challenges as a result of legacy equipment. "BrianLemay simply asked for assistance in setting schedules, because it was affecting the use of the school space. The school's funds are limited, tied to enrollment and tuition, but we were able to devise a multi-phase plan for migrating access control and video surveillance to the Genetec video management system (VMS) platform," said LaChance. "The consultative role was such critical part of what Advance Technology provided," said Lemay. "I'm not a security expert. It's good to have a company that can help us decide what we need. We now have a vision and a plan in place, as well as a budget for exterior surveillance installations next year." Laurie Hurd, Executive Director of ISANNE, said the organization believes in best practices and promotes a philosophy of cooperation between parents, students and the corporate community. "I think the emphasis on healthy and safe campuses has been a very important topic for our schools, as well as technology," said Hurd. LaChance said it's critical for Advance Technology to participate in vertical market organizations, so the company can better understand the specific needs and challenges of the user. With the work Advance Technology has completed to date at Cheverus, the school can now easily set different schedules for its access control, which integrates seamlessly into the Genetec platform. Lemay can also use his smartphone to remotely access the system for arming or disarming or other simple functions. Near-future upgrades will include switching the remainder of current cameras to the Genetec platform, which will allow for audit trails, as well as upgrading two-way intercom stations. "The goal going in and working with Brian Lemay and Cheverus was to create a system that's easy to use and gives them the protection they need," LaChance said. "We look forward to working with them in years to come."
