Many university officials recognize the need to upgrade their older analog video surveillance systems. In a 2010 survey by "Campus Safety" magazine, half of university respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the quality and coverage of their current video surveillance systems. Among the limitations of analog closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems are the cost of installing cable to support and power them, especially on a large campus; the difficulty of scaling up; the lack of interoperability with other security systems; and the inability to provide access to authorized users in the field. Given all that, it is no surprise that colleges and universities want to modernize their systems. In this article, the author explores whether transitioning to internet protocol (IP)-based security systems can be done affordably.