The State of Mississippi is enhancing the safety and efficiency of its services by deploying Salient's CompleteView Video Management System (VMS) across over 150 state boards, commissions, and agencies.
This initiative aligns with Mississippi's objective to empower its citizens to remain connected and engaged with their government, ensuring a secure environment for thousands accessing state services daily.
Planning and Implementation
The transition from the legacy video system to the CompleteView VMS required meticulous planning. The process involved transforming the existing infrastructure, which relied on outdated analog cameras, into a more integrated, modern video platform.
State officials conducted extensive research and interviews with multiple manufacturers of IP cameras and video management systems, focusing on finding an open architecture solution that preserved existing taxpayer investments.
Selecting the Right Solution
After evaluating various options, the decision came down to three VMS solutions, with Salient’s CompleteView selected based on total cost of ownership, scalability, software performance, and support capability.
Mike Cooper from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety emphasized, “In the selection process, three VMS manufacturers were deemed a reasonable fit. The choice of CompleteView over these competitors came down to one critical component, partnership. The culture at Salient embodies an unmatched support you don’t typically see in an industry leader. Their greatest value-add is that open line of communication between the RSM, technical support, and engineering. If I need something, I know I can pick up the phone and get immediate assistance.”
Internal Deployment Strategy
This approach allowed them to customize installations to meet the specific needs of each property
The State decided to internalize the design and installation of CompleteView, opting not to use external consultants. This approach allowed them to customize installations to meet the specific needs of each property while maintaining consistency and control across deployments.
By managing procurement through state channels and handling programming and administration in-house, the State achieved greater flexibility.
Progress and Future Plans
The CompleteView conversion is currently in progress and expected to be completed within 3 to 5 years. The State benefits from increased administrative control and compliance with National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) standards. Cooper commented, “We now have a platform that is easily managed and visibly organized in an efficient manner. We also appreciate having a system that’s permission based with tighter controls.”
Looking ahead, the State plans to integrate its access control system, Open Options, with CompleteView to link video directly to door operations, enhancing security visibility and enabling efficient badge event audits. Furthermore, they aim to incorporate AI video analytics for weapons detection, appearance search, and cross-camera tracking to expedite investigations.
Salient’s open platform supports these integrations, ensuring the system's advancement and the protection of community members. Regular updates with new releases and features sustain an advanced security level against potential threats.
In alignment with the State of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected and
engaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView Video Management System (VMS) is being installed
throughout more than 150 state boards, commissions, and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands of
constituents who access state services daily.
Challenge
Determining the right path to success wasn’t a quick process. The elaborate undertaking of converting all State of Mississippi buildings from its legacy video system, which included analog cameras across a disparate video platform, to match their standard of excellence took a lot of planning.
This involved researching and interviewing multiple manufacturers of IP cameras and video management systems. The plan was strategic, as it was important to State officials to find an open architecture solution that could utilize as much existing technology as possible, thereby preserving current taxpayer investment.
Solution
After a thorough evaluation, the decision came down to three competitive VMSs, all based on total cost-of ownership, scalability requirements, software performance capabilities, along with support assessments. Salient’s CompleteView was ultimately determined the top choice.
“In the selection process, three VMS manufacturers were deemed a reasonable fit. The choice of CompleteView over these competitors came down to one critical component, partnership. The culture at Salient embodies an unmatched support you don’t typically see in an industry leader. Their greatest value-add is that open line of communication between the RSM, technical support, and engineering. If I need something, I know I can pick up the phone and get immediate assistance” said Mike Cooper with MS Department of Public Safety.
Once CompleteView was selected, another strategic decision was made to have personnel from The State
handle the design and installation of CompleteView internally rather than engage outside consulting. This has
proved to be an effective option, allowing them to tailor each installation to suit individual property needs. The State works through the channel for procurement, then handles all programming and administration internally. This offers them the most flexibility while still achieving uniformity across each deployment as well as complete control of the process.
Result
The conversion to CompleteView is underway and will take approximately 3-5 years to complete. The State now benefits from a centralized platform that allows for greater administrative control, as well as a product that meets the State of Mississippi standard for NDAA compliance. According to Cooper, “we now have a platform that is easily managed and visibly organized in an efficient manner. We also appreciate having a system that’s permission based with tighter controls.”
Finally, The State’s technical team is committed to keeping the system updated as Salient releases newer versions of its software each quarter. These upgrades ensure they are taking advantage of all security enhancements and feature improvements that CompleteView has to offer.
The State has also planned integration of its access control system, Open Options, with CompleteView, tying video directly to specific door openings. This gives State personnel an enhanced view into their security operations, with quick and easy auditing of badge events through a single interface. Further initiatives will explore the addition of AI video analytics to add weapons detection, appearance search, and cross-camera tracking — all to help speed up investigations.
Salient’s open platform makes these integrations possible. Staying present on these new releases and innovative integrations ensures an advanced level of protection from potential threats and works to achieve the ultimate end game – keeping community members safe.
