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Project VPASS - School Security System

Virtual Public Announcement Security System is an affordable solution to secure schools and encourage intra-school communication.

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Project VPASS - School Security System

Project VPASS - School Security System

Project VPASS - School Security System

Project VPASS - School Security System

Project VPASS - School Security System

Virtual Public Announcement Security System is an affordable solution to secure schools and encourage intra-school communication.

Virtual Public Announcement Security System is an affordable solution to secure schools and encourage intra-school communication.

Virtual Public Announcement Security System is an affordable solution to secure schools and encourage intra-school communication.

Virtual Public Announcement Security System is an affordable solution to secure schools and encourage intra-school communication.

Liam Cardenas
Liam Cardenas
Liam Cardenas
Liam Cardenas
1 Campaign |
Santa Barbara, United States
$720 USD 12 backers
9% of $7,500 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

The goal of Project VPASS is to create a secure, low cost, campus management system that provides security to everyone while increasing communication between the administration and staff.

Everyday, millions of students attend schools with inadequate security systems. Although it is true that some schools are equipped to deal with a major crisis, there are many schools that have no effective way of protecting their students. Their strategy is simply to cross their fingers, and hope for the best.

But we should not fault them for this. Unless a school gets a generous donation or a large grant, they have no way of paying the $50,000+ it requires to buy and install a conventional security and communications system.

Another challenge faced by many of our schools is that even with these expensive systems, there are critical vulnerabilities that they cannot protect themselves against.

What if a shooter comes to the office and prevents administrators from sounding the alarm? What if someone tampers with or disables the schools PA system? What if the school administration needs to urgently contact a teacher but doesn't want to do so over the intercom?

We kept concerns like these in mind while designing Project VPASS and after talking with officials from local schools, we finally have a product that can benefit schools all across the country. This affordable solution will allow all schools to benefit from cutting edge approaches to campus management so that they can run much more safely and efficiently.

So how does it work?

It is really quite simple. There is an easy-to-use, secure administrative control panel. This is the hub of the campus management system. An administrator will log into this control panel from any web enabled device and select whether to send an announcement (non-emergency message) or an emergency alert. After targeting which classrooms or people will receive this message, they will fill out the message text, include pictures if needed, and optionally send a voice recording. This message will then be sent to the computers of each teacher and classroom as specified by the administrator. This way we can use the school's pre-existing computer infrastructure to provide them with a comprehensive communication and security system.

Message Pop-up Example
Message Pop-up Example:
 
 
After clicking "View Message"
 

Emergency Page On Web Panel:

These images are not final.

Why Project VPASS?

  • Accessible via the web - if for some reason an administrator is not nearby or able to enter their office, they can sound emergency alarms and send announcements from any location.
  • Off-site and secure - we host everything on our secure off-site DDOS mitigated servers. We are also taking extensive security precautions to patch up any vulnerabilities someone might find in our system.
  • Affordable and simple - we will offer this for a fraction of the cost of any of our competitors because the upkeep costs are minimal. This also means there is less of a chance that a school will constantly need support, which saves them time and money.
  • Connects to all devices - our system not only connects to Windows/Mac/Linux computers, but also iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Android Phones/Tablets, Windows RT/Phone, and even regular cellphones and other web enabled devices.
  • Custom message receivers - for schools without web enabled devices to receive the messages, we will offer low-cost message receivers to ensure total campus coverage.
  • Intrusive emergency alerts - when an administrator sounds an emergency alarm, all devices on campus will be alerted and all computers will turn on the monitor, turn up system volume, force quit obstructive processes, and display an intrusive pop-up with an alarm noise, requiring teachers to receive the emergency message.
  • Non-intrusive messages - as shown in the images above, administrators can send simple messages that can be viewed at the time it is received it or whenever best suits the teacher's needs.
  • Real-time view confirmation and roll call - during an emergency, the administrators will be able to see who views the alert messages in real time and our system will allow teachers to take attendance so that administrators will be able to know which students are accounted for and which are not.
  • Light-weight application - the computers receive the message by running our software on their computers, this will run in the background unnoticed by the users of the computer. It will run without slowing down the computer, even run on very old machines.
  • Message targeting - administrators will be able to easily target who receives the message, with targeting by student, teacher, classrooms, region, or any other custom list.
  • Student and parent notifications - students and parents will be able to download apps onto their mobile devices and sign up for email and text message alerts. Administrators will be able to use this to contact them as they please. This also utilizes the unintentional mobile communications infrastructure created by students bringing mobile devices on campus.
  • Power outage and physical obstruction protocol - unlike conventional systems, we have developed a way, using cellular connectivity, to communicate even in the cases in which the power or internet goes out.
  • Other advanced features - rich content messages, voice message, police notification, email blasts, and more!

How will the contributions be allocated?

We cannot provide this product unless we have adequate legal protection. A large portion of the money will go to legal fees. We need a professionally drafted contract to limit our liability. We also need licensing agreements to ensure our financial soundness so that we can continue to provide support for our clients.

Another portion of the money will be designated towards licensing fees to distribute apps in the various app stores. This is a critical because a large portion of this product interacts with mobile devices and it's capabilities would be severely limited without this feature. We also request money to license certain software that will aid our app development process.

Last but not least, we need money to start manufacturing and developing the message receivers for schools without enough computers or compatible devices to effectively run this system. We want every school to be able to use this product regardless of their financial situation.

What is the project's status?

We have made working prototypes of the control panel as well as Windows, Mac, and Linux versions. We have begun developing the Android app and are currently working to fully complete the the control panel and computer versions. Going forward, we plan on finishing the Android app and starting to develop the iOS and other apps. We have already found a school who is interested in beta testing our almost completed product. We will hopefully start the beta testing process by late February.

RISKS AND CHALLENGES

 

The main challenge is security, we are going to do extensive testing to ensure the security of this system. We have several academics and professionals who have agreed to aid us in this task.

Another issue is the sheer amount of apps we will have to make, this may take longer than projected.

The receivers may also take longer than projected to finish and manufacture.

Ultimately, all that these challenges are merely setbacks. We will just have to keep working until they are complete. We do not want to release a product that does not work to its full capacity. We are putting all of our other projects aside and will be working hard to complete this in a timely manner, but as a contributor you must understand that it might take longer than expected.

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Choose your Perk

Thank You!

$5 USD
A big thank you for assisting us in our endeavor.
Estimated Shipping
February 2013
1 claimed

Letter Of Recognition

$15 USD
An official letter of recognition and thanks.
Estimated Shipping
February 2013
1 claimed

Contributor

$30 USD
Your name, listed as a contributor, on our website.
Estimated Shipping
February 2013
2 claimed

Exclusive Donor

$50 USD
You will be listed as an "Exclusive Donor" on our website.
Estimated Shipping
February 2013
0 out of 25 of claimed

Dedicated Page On Our Site

$100 USD
You will receive a dedicated page of thanks for your contribution to this project. It will be featured on the homepage of our website.
Estimated Shipping
February 2013
2 claimed

Your Name On Software

$250 USD
Your name featured on the start-up screen of the software, viewed by all classrooms.
Estimated Shipping
February 2013
1 claimed

Free Copy Of Our Software

$500 USD
We will donate our software to one school or institution of your choice for one year. Alternatively, we can pick and donate to a school on your behalf.
Estimated Shipping
March 2013
0 claimed

Highest-Contributing Donor

$1,000 USD
Any or all of the above rewards as well as acknowledgement as one of the highest-contributing donors through the lifetime of this product.
Estimated Shipping
March 2013
0 claimed

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