Company Offers Free Facial Recognition Technology to All K-12 Schools

Company Offers Free Facial Recognition Technology to All K-12 Schools

RealNetworks is inviting K-12 schools in the United States and Canada to download their facial recognition technology for free.

Safety and security is an increasingly serious concern at K-12 schools across the country and students, parents and faculty are demanding more thoughtful, creative solutions to keeping campus safer. That's why digital media software company, RealNetworks, Inc, is offering its facial recognition technology to all K-12 schools in the United States and Canada for free.

"School safety has become one of the top national issues in the United States in 2018," said Rob Glaser, chairman and CEO of RealNetworks in a press release. "We are proud to give our leading edge SAFR for K-12 technology solution to every elementary, middle, and high school in America and Canada. We hope this will help make schools safer."

At no cost, and for the first time, K-12 schools can confidently apply state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to better protect the school environment. SAFR utilizes existing IP-based cameras and readily available hardware to recognize staff, students and visitors in real time to help improve school safety, while concurrently providing additional benefits that strengthen security, such as streamlining entry, record keeping, campus monitoring, and guest check-in.

SAFR encrypts all facial data and images to ensure privacy, and all facial data and images remain exclusively within the school's domain as part of, or complementary to an existing school ID program. 

SAFR for K-12 can be downloaded by schools at www.realnetworks.com/safr/k12.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Door Hardware and Campus Security: Enhancing Safety in Schools

    The importance of investing in school safety cannot be overstated, but knowing where to start implementation of school safety features can be a challenge. A recent survey by the National Center on Education Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. public schools have classrooms with doors that can't be locked from the inside. Even among schools with doors that do lock, recent legislation reflects a common misconception that simply keeping the doors locked all day will eliminate the potential for an attack, in direct violation of PASS (Partner Alliance for Safer Schools) Guidelines. Read Now

  • Brigham Young University Strengthens Campus Security With Genetec Operations Center

    Genetec Inc, a provider of enterprise physical security software, announced that Brigham Young University's (BYU) has optimized its security operations with the Genetec™ Operations Center work management system. Read Now

  • AI-based Risk Mitigation: The Next Advancement in Video Surveillance and Public Safety

    Safety is at the forefront of every organization and covers a gamut of scenarios, not just weapon-fueled lethal threats. It also includes smaller-scale and everyday situations like slipping hazards, fallen persons, unauthorized vehicles, and more. These issues cause disruptions in daily operations and cost companies and facilities money and downtime, so a fully realized security plan must involve actions that facility personnel should take once a hazard of any size occurs. Informing everyone that a hazard exists, where it’s located, and what actions to take is imperative for maintaining personal safety. Read Now

  • Fort Worth ISD Strengthens Event Safety

    The issue of concealed weapons being introduced into school extracurricular activities, including sporting events and graduations, became a growing concern in communities across the nation. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols. Read Now