Background
Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, Trinity College Cambridge — a constituent college of the University of Cambridge — spans 36 acres of historic courts, libraries, residences, and gardens. Home to more than 1,200 students and 190 Fellows, it also stewards an extensive collection of heritage assets, including over 240 oil paintings.
Beyond its central estate, the College manages residences and satellite properties across Cambridge, requiring coordinated oversight across multiple sites. At the heart of daily operations is the 24/7 Porters’ Lodge, led by Head Porter Ryan Carter and his team of more than 30. Responsible for front-of-house service, post and parcels, student welfare, and campus-wide safety, the Lodge serves as both a welcoming point of contact and a first-response team.
A former Cambridgeshire Constabulary officer with 15 years in law enforcement, Ryan brings a proactive, welfare-focused approach to safeguarding the Trinity community.
The Challenge
Trinity’s previous on-premises CCTV system, while functional, had become increasingly time-consuming to operate as the estate expanded. Retrieving and reviewing footage required significant manual effort to review and share footage.
“The old system was difficult to navigate,” says Ryan. “Even simple tasks like downloading footage involved jumping through multiple hoops.”
As the College continued to grow and host high-profile visitors, it became clear that Trinity needed a more accessible and scalable solution — one that could be managed from anywhere and streamline how footage was reviewed and shared.
Why Verkada
Trinity selected Verkada for its reliability, intuitive design, and hybrid cloud architecture — a platform capable of modernising campus safety while scaling effortlessly across a historic and expansive estate.
- Hybrid cloud with no NVR/DVR: Cameras record locally with on-device storage (30–365 days) and provide secure, on-demand cloud access for live viewing and retrieval, eliminating single points of failure and complex maintenance.
- Built for scale: Cloud management and bandwidth-efficient streaming make it easy to expand coverage to new locations, including Trinity’s off-site farm planned for Phase 2.
- Remote-first workflows: Authorised staff can search, review, and share footage from any browser or the Verkada Command mobile app — no on-site access required.
- Unified platform: Cameras, Access Control, and Intercom operate together in Verkada Command, providing shared context and one-tap actions such as remote unlock.
- AI-Powered Search: Instead of manually scrubbing through footage, staff can use free-form text or attributes to locate incidents in seconds.
- Privacy and governance: Privacy Regions mask sensitive zones at the sensor level, while Live Face Blur, SSO/SCIM, and Verkada’s Privacy & Security Checklist support GDPR-aligned operations.
The Solutions
Phase 1 replaced legacy cameras across key areas and added Verkada Intercom and Access Control at a key building, providing secure entry management for occupants and visitors.
Products in use
- Cameras: High-quality video, rapid playback, AI-Powered Search, and instant live-link sharing for swift incident review and documentation.
- Intercom: Two-way video and audio with cloud-based call routing to Desk Station, Command, or mobile; built-in door control for one-tap entry.
- Access Control: Role-based permissions, door schedules, unified video and access events, and remote-unlock capabilities.
- Privacy Regions: Masked views protect sensitive areas while maintaining situational awareness.
- Command Mobile: Reliable, real-time visibility from home or on call — a major advantage for a 24/7 operation.
Trinity partnered with Net-Ctrl for deployment.
“The team was patient and collaborative, adapting to the governance and processes of a Cambridge college,” says Ryan. “Their clear communication and flexibility helped us complete the first phase smoothly.”
The Use Cases
Guard Efficiency
Trinity’s Porters’ Lodge operates continuously, managing everything from visitor access to student welfare. Previously, routine patrols and after-hours monitoring often required additional staffing or manual spot checks.
Now, motion-based alerts act as an extra layer of security across the estate. When movement is detected in high-priority areas — such as galleries, courtyards, or heritage zones — guards receive real-time notifications on their computers or phones. This allows them to patrol by exception, focusing on meaningful activity rather than fixed routes.
“Where I used to post someone for hours, now I can rely on motion detection,” says Ryan. “It saves time and we don’t lose visibility.”
Shortly after installing new cameras in one such area, Ryan’s team detected and intercepted four intruders.
“Even if those were the only four intruders we caught in five years, it’s done exactly what we expected,” he says.
Executive Protection
At one of Trinity’s key residential properties, Verkada supports discreet and dependable protection. The system enhances day-to-day safety and privacy for occupants, allowing staff to manage access and respond efficiently when needed.
“It’s very much about maintaining a secure but welcoming environment,” says Ryan. “We’ve been able to strengthen safety in a way that fits seamlessly into how the College operates.”
Operations staff can see and speak with visitors via Verkada Intercom, verify credentials through Access Control, and remotely unlock doors using the Desk Station or mobile app. This integration allows seamless entry management while minimising intrusion.
Privacy Regions also help maintain discretion by masking non-essential views, helping ensure that monitoring aligns with GDPR and Trinity’s internal policies.
Entryway Security
Across Trinity’s many entrances and gates, Verkada provides a centralised, real-time view of access activity. Cameras and intercoms at key points enable porters to monitor traffic, respond to calls, and review footage swiftly.
When motion is detected, staff can open the relevant camera from web or mobile. With natively integrated cameras and access control, they can locate incidents — such as tailgating or attempted intrusion — within seconds.
Each video clip from multiple cameras can be reconstructed into a single, unified searchable timeline. Because Trinity runs cameras, intercoms, and access-control devices within a single platform, staff can quickly review the full context of any incident.
“If something happens at a gate or door, we can find it straight away,” says Ryan. “That’s the difference — minutes instead of hours.”
The Impact
Faster Investigations
Investigations that once took hours now take minutes. With AI-powered search, on-device storage, and secure remote access, staff can locate and share footage quickly — without returning to campus after hours.
Greater Operational Efficiency
Motion detection enables remote guarding, reducing the need for stationed porters during events or in heritage areas. The centralised Command platform links video, access, and intercom events, allowing Ryan to view every stage of an incident in sequence — expediting investigations and providing a clear audit trail.
Cost and Compliance Benefits
Retiring NVR/DVR hardware has reduced maintenance and freed valuable data-centre space. Continuous coverage and reliable retention also support insurance requirements for Trinity’s 240-plus paintings and artefacts.
A Future-Ready Solution
“Verkada’s fit for purpose and easy to use,” says Ryan. “Now that it’s in place, we can finally focus on what matters — keeping our community and our heritage secure for the long term.”
Looking ahead, Ryan envisions the Porters’ Lodge continuing to build on this foundation — empowering more staff with the tools to keep Trinity’s historic campus safe, connected, and ready for the future.
Next Steps
If you would like to discuss your security operations and how Net-Ctrl and Verkada can solve some of your challenges, please email [email protected] or complete a Contact Form, and one of the team will get in touch.
