Locally owned MTSP delivers peace of mind, school safety with cutting-edge AVS products
COLUMBUS, Nebr. – August 2018 – Applied Connective, a local managed technology service provider (MTSP), is well-known to area businesses for delivering expert IT, voice and infrastructure solutions, but as their cutting-edge access control and surveillance systems are becoming increasingly popular in school settings, they can add “school safety” and “peace of mind” to the list of comforts they provide customers.
In a day and age where school violence splashes across headlines at an alarming rate, a growing number of area of schools are adopting a proactive and preemptive approach by upgrading their campus security systems and making school safety and crime deterrence a higher priority.
“We’re seeing an upsurge in local businesses—particularly schools—deciding to invest more in security technologies that prove to deter criminal conduct and keep their premises safe,” says Applied Connective President Ed Knott. “While our focus has traditionally been on managed IT services, we’re thrilled to see school administrators appreciating the value, safety and peace of mind our security technologies provide.”
Schools like Howells-Dodge, Scribner-Snyder, Leigh, Boyd County, Cross County, Burwell, Central Valley, Twin River, Boone Central and Palmer, among others, have all worked with Applied Connective in the recent past on various security initiatives, from small projects like installing bus cameras to full-fledged multi-campus infrastructure and security overhauls.
With years of combined voice and AVS (audio, video, surveillance) experience, Applied Connective (Albion, Columbus, Fullerton) has become the regional authority in designing, installing and configuring video surveillance equipment, access control and intercom and communication systems. These are the three key components to an airtight security plan, according to Knott.
“For effective unified campus security, our team starts by installing access control (door locks) at entry points to regulate and police access to the premises. This also affords schools the ability to lock down all doors at a moment’s notice, which can prove critical in an emergency, as well as go back and review who was in the building and at what times. The second key component is the surveillance system, which allows administrators to monitor the entire campus from a central location. Surveillance cameras are also a proven-effective system of checks and balances, as studies show that the mere presence of cameras is often enough to deter crime. It also affords the school the vital luxury of going back and reviewing footage when necessary. Finally, unified voice solutions allow for constant contact and immediate communication throughout the campus in the event of an emergency.”
Superintendent Amy Malander of Central Valley Public Schools (Scotia, Greeley, North Loup, Wolbach) is just one of the company’s happy customers. She reports that the school has already been thrilled with their new multi-campus surveillance and access control systems—both in the buildings and on the buses—and has high hopes for the benefits these upgrades will have on the safety and well-being of staff, students and visitors.
“Surveillance cameras and access control in schools are worth every penny,” says Malander. “The safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance, and having a state-of-the-art surveillance system in place has already helped us in more ways than one. Being able to review surveillance footage has been invaluable. It has allowed us to take reactive measures when necessary to ascertain offenders and gather accurate details in the event of an incident, instead of relying on eye witness accounts. Even more importantly, though,” Malander continues, “we think this is a very proactive step. We expect to see a sharp decrease in these types of incidents to begin with, as students are less likely to engage in bullying, theft, vandalism, trespassing and other misconduct when they know they are being monitored.”
Malander concludes, “I feel it is our obligation as faculty members to invest in school safety and security. Many people pass through our doors every day, from staff and students to visiting teams using our locker rooms and facilities for sporting competitions. I think the simple fact that we now have a surveillance system to monitor conduct on our premises will deter crime and make everyone inside our doors think twice about the actions they take. While we didn’t really have a big problem with behavioral issues before, we certainly anticipate an even more safe and positive environment for all those who come to CVPS.”
Knott, who co-founded the company in 2004 as an MTSP focused primarily on IT and business phone systems, is thrilled to have evolved into a leading provider of these services. “While these are far from the only services we provide at Applied Connective, we do take tremendous pride in our industry-leading security technologies and systems. Nothing could be more important than the well-being of those we live and work with, so we consider it an enormous privilege to be able to offer safety and peace of mind to the communities we work with.”