Where to Puchase ACTi Cameras

[armoreltech 0]

I'm the technology director for a small school district and am working on putting together a proposal to replace our current tired analog security camera systems with a new IP based system. I've gotten proposals from the companies we do business with for data network cabling and phones and alarms, but am also putting together a proposal for doing it in-house. Most of the cabling was taken care of in a network overhaul last summer, ditto the PoE switches, so it's mainly just the cameras and server that are needed now.

 

I've been researching, and am leaning towards going with ACTi cameras as a compromise between price and features. The models I've pretty much settled on are the E62A for indoors (corridors, lobby area, cafeteria, etc), the E86 for outdoors covering entryways and sidewalks, and (not totally settled on this one) the E37 for covering parking lots, athletic fields, playground, and possibly the interiors of the gymnasiums. Now, the problem is where to buy them. I first really started looking at ACTi because they were available from B&H Photo/Video who I already do business with. But then I see that they're on ACTi's "blacklist" as an unauthorized reseller. I might never need the manufacturer's warranty, but am looking at deploying around 65 cameras, so I figure I will sooner or later. So, I need to find a vendor who is willing to sell direct to a school district (hopefully with some volume discount pricing) and who ACTi is ok with. Actually, to meet our procurement regs, I need to find three vendors who will give me quotes, unless I can find one that happens to be on one of our pre-bid purchasing agreements (that's partly why I use B&H, they are) in which case I only need one quote.

 

So, any suggestions? I can't really just pick randomwebsite.com and take my chances.

[armoreltech 0]

Forgot to add, feel free to PM me. I know there are rules about posting vendor info on the open forum.

 

Thanks in advance.

[tomcctv 187]

Hi. Have you looked at avigilon for your school project.

 

Using there vms and cameras will save a lot on licence fees

65 cam system

 

 

Ideal for hallways in a school install 1 and 2mp for hallways

 

http://avigilon.com/products/video-surveillance/cameras/hd-micro-dome/

 

http://avigilon.com/products/

[quadraTomic 0]

Have you tried working with local dealers? I'm sure you can find somebody to work with you since it looks like you just want to buy product. And working with ACTi as a dealer has been a breeze and they have been very good on everything - something you may not find buying online through a black market site.

[armoreltech 0]

I'd be happy to work with a local if I knew of any who were ACTi dealers. Problem is I'm located in fairly rural northeast Arkansas, so the local options are...limited. And it's a big enough purchase that I'll actually need three competitive price quotes to meet procurement regs, so that further complicates things.

[bearclaw 0]

You could always contact the distributors local to you and see if they can recommend a reseller or integrator that you could work with. Here are some of the distributors for ACTi:

 

http://www.acti.com/corporate_old/disti2.asp?CATEGORY=United%20States&STATE=Arkansas

[armoreltech 0]

I hadn't thought of that. Worth a try though. I tried contacting ACTi's sales department directly, but haven't gotten a response back yet. It really would be nice if, in addition to their dealer "blacklist", they would put out some kind of whitelist.

[x475aws 0]

I bought my ACTi E34 from B&H a few weeks ago, and it was drop-shipped from United Digital Technologies which is on ACTi's list of authorized distributors. The camera stopped working during a storm a couple of days ago, and ACTi says they will service it under warranty if it's repairable i.e. not totally fried or water-damaged.

[ssmith10pn 0]

Doesn't Arkansas require CCTV licensing to work or install camera systems in a commercial (Public) building?