Abraham Alvarez, Vice President of Product Management (Cameras), Verkada explains how UK and global campuses are moving beyond traditional on‑premise video security systems in favour of cloud‑based solutions.
One of the biggest security challenges college campuses face is managing their video surveillance system at scale. Here is how the cloud can help.
Leaders at college campuses across the UK are rethinking the foundations of their security infrastructure.
For many, the biggest shift underway is moving away from traditional on-premise video security systems toward hybrid-cloud solutions.
The catalyst for this shift is clear: On-premise systems were never designed for the scale, complexity or urgency of today’s security needs.
They are difficult and costly to manage, require tedious maintenance and often create unnecessary friction in emergency response.
Instead of empowering security teams, these legacy systems tend to create more roadblocks than results. Cloud-based physical security solutions are changing this.
Video security camera deployments managed in the cloud are easily deployed across multiple sites and locations, intuitive to use and continuously updated with powerful new features and analytics, empowering education leaders to respond quickly and effectively in emergencies when seconds matter.
Managing a large-scale video surveillance system is one of the biggest hurdles for college campuses.
Security teams are often responsible for managing hundreds of cameras across sprawling campuses.
With on-premise systems, each camera typically requires manual configuration, local storage management and ad hoc manual system updates or on-site troubleshooting, making it difficult and time consuming to maintain a consistent level of visibility and uptime across locations.
Cloud-based systems reverse this script. Video security cameras connected in the cloud allow teams to onboard, configure and manage devices across multiple sites from a single dashboard.
The cloud removes the need for local servers, complex setup processes or frequent physical site visits to perform updates or troubleshoot issues.
With the cloud, installation is magically simple: Video security cameras are up and running as soon as devices connect to power and internet.
This simplicity unlocks the kind of scalability that is especially valuable for campuses that are constantly growing or evolving their physical footprints, whether that is opening a new building or facility, renovating an existing space or expanding to satellite campuses.
Time matters most when an incident occurs on campus.
Cloud-based video security systems give security teams the speed and flexibility to respond in real-time – enabling them to view live footage and investigate incidents from anywhere using a mobile device or web browser.
Sharing critical footage with stakeholders is just as seamless. Teams can instantly send footage to law enforcement or administrators through secure links via email or SMS, helping accelerate investigations and improve coordination.
Cloud-based video security cameras also integrate easily with other security tools and systems that provide essential information for campus security teams.
For example, a panic button integrated with video security cameras can be programmed to share a live video feed of a lecture hall with law enforcement, campus leadership or both simultaneously, giving first responders real-time visual context before they even arrive on the scene.
And because cloud-based video security platforms are automatically updated with new software features and improvements, schools can quickly adapt to evolving threats without the need to invest in major upgrades or overhauls.
For example, if a new AI-powered feature like loitering detection or line-crossing alerts becomes available, it is instantly accessible to teams and ready to use without the need for a manual system upgrade.
AI is rapidly accelerating the speed at which providers can bring new and novel features to market, so campuses with cloud-based systems have a clear advantage in accessing the most advanced tools available.
At Bath Spa University, managing security across multiple campuses used to be a challenge.
Their legacy system was slow, disjointed and made investigations time-consuming.
Footage had to be pulled manually, often requiring someone on-site to search through hours of video.
Since switching to Verkada, Bath Spa has been able to modernise its entire approach to campus security.
The team now manages all cameras and devices through a single cloud-based dashboard, accessible from any browser or mobile device.
This shift has drastically improved visibility across the university’s campuses and enabled faster, more coordinated responses to incidents.
John Murphy, Senior IT Technician, Bath Spa University said: “One of the biggest benefits for us is the ability to access footage remotely, whether from a phone or a laptop.”
With automatic updates and built-in analytics, the university is also better prepared for the future: No costly upgrades, no complicated rollouts, just a smarter, more responsive system that scales as the campus grows.
As the safety landscape for colleges and universities continues to evolve, so must the systems designed to protect them.
Cloud-based video security platforms offer a modern, scalable and future-proof approach – one that meets the speed, complexity and responsiveness that campuses of today and tomorrow demand.
9 October 2025 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM BSTTop of Form
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He has served in the Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit at Sussex Police and within Specialist Operations at the Metropolitan Police.
From 2019 to 2022, Jon acted as a Counter Terrorism Security Adviser (CTSA) across Thames Valley, advising on the protection of public spaces and critical national infrastructure.
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This article was originally published in the August edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
