Over 40 Years in BusinessISO 27001 compliantPublic sector: GSA contract holder
LA 562-298-5000 · Chicagoland 312-432-5300 · Phoenix 602-733-6807 · Client Support
Over 40 Years in BusinessISO 27001 compliantPublic sector: GSA contract holder
LA 562-298-5000 · Chicagoland 312-432-5300 · Phoenix 602-733-6807 · Client Support
BTI Communications Group designs, installs and manages the technology that keeps students and staff safe and learning: secure AI, managed IT and cybersecurity, Meraki and Catalyst networks, Teams calling, paging and mass notification, and integrated video, access control and intrusion detection for multi-campus districts, colleges and universities.
BTI Communications Group is an integrated technology partner for school districts, colleges and universities. We combine secure AI, managed IT and cybersecurity with a 24/7 SOC, Cisco Meraki and Catalyst networks with Ekahau-validated Wi-Fi, Teams calling, paging and mass notification, and video, access control and intrusion detection, so a lockdown, a ransomware alert or a Wi-Fi outage is handled by one accountable team. In business for 40 years, ISO 27001 compliant, and a GSA, CMAS and TESMA contract awardee.
In 86 seconds, Eric Brackett explains how a lockdown should reach doors, speakers, desk phones and mobile devices together, and how BTI supports districts with networks, E-Rate and managed IT. Press play.
When a school goes into lockdown, every second counts, and your doors, cameras, paging and phones have to work as one system. I'm Eric Brackett, Founder and President of BTI Communications Group.
I founded BTI in 1985 installing business phones. Over 40 years later, your IT, cybersecurity, cameras, door access, phones and AI share one network, with one accountable partner for it all.
For K-12 districts and campuses, we tie access control, video and intrusion detection to paging and mass notification, so a lockdown reaches doors, speakers, desk phones and mobile devices together, and staff know who is on campus.
We build Cisco Meraki and Catalyst networks with Wi-Fi validated by on-site surveys, and we scope eligible equipment for E-Rate Category Two. Managed IT includes a 24/7 security operations center, or SOC, plus content filtering, student data protection and guardrails for AI.
BTI is ISO 27001 compliant and a General Services Administration, or GSA, contract awardee, which simplifies school purchasing, and we stage installs site by site, often during breaks.
Schedule a campus safety assessment with the form on this page, or call 800-435-7284.
Schools hold student records protected by FERPA and remain frequent ransomware targets, often with small IT teams covering many sites.
Lockdown buttons, door hardware, PA systems and cameras from different vendors that do not talk to each other cost seconds when it matters.
One-to-one devices, online assessments and dense classrooms expose coverage gaps that were never surveyed.
Legacy PBX and intercom systems without reliable E911 location data or campus-wide notification.
Staff and students already use AI tools; districts need approved tools, data protection and clear policy.
E-Rate cycles, bond programs, grants and cooperative contracts each bring their own documentation demands.
Every system below can be delivered on its own, but the real value is integration: an access-control lockdown that triggers paging, desktop alerts and camera call-ups at once, on a network built and monitored by the same team.
Approved AI workspaces, data-loss controls, permissions clean-up and usage policies so staff can use AI without exposing regulated data. See AI services and AI security, governance & risk. For schools and colleges, see AI for education.
Managed or co-managed IT and managed cybersecurity with 24/7 SOC monitoring delivered with high-security enterprise partners, endpoint detection and response, vulnerability management and incident response. Content filtering and Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace protection support CIPA and FERPA obligations. See education IT services and education cybersecurity & compliance.
Cisco Meraki and Catalyst switching, routing and SD-WAN, with Ekahau predictive design and post-install validation surveys for dependable coverage. See our Cisco Meraki partner services and Meraki Wi-Fi.
Microsoft Teams Phone calling with E911 location data, contact center, overhead IP paging and mass notification that reaches desk phones, speakers, displays and mobile devices together. See school phone systems.
Enterprise video from leading manufacturers, including Bosch as an authorized video dealer, plus YourSix cloud video and AI video analytics for faster search, alerts and multi-site visibility. See education security systems.
Card, mobile and lockdown-capable access control, visitor management and intrusion and alarm systems, integrated with video so every event comes with context.
After go-live, GlobalView monitors and maintains IT, voice and security systems with proactive health checks, firmware management and defined service levels.
BTI maps technical controls and documentation to the regulations and programs districts and campuses answer to.
| Requirement | What it asks of you | How BTI helps |
|---|---|---|
| FERPA (20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) | Protect the privacy of student education records and control disclosure. | Identity and access controls, MFA, encryption, logging and data-loss prevention around systems that hold student records. |
| CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) | Schools and libraries receiving E-Rate discounts for internet access or internal connections must certify an internet safety policy with technology protection measures (filtering). | Content filtering design, policy enforcement across campus Wi-Fi and devices, and reporting to support certification. |
| FCC E-Rate (Category Two) | E-Rate discounts eligible internal connections such as Wi-Fi access points, switches, routers and firewalls, within program rules and budgets. | Meraki and Catalyst designs, Ekahau surveys and bills of materials scoped to eligible Category Two equipment, plus documentation for your E-Rate consultant or filing team. |
| California comprehensive school safety plans (Ed. Code 32280–32289.5) | California K-12 schools must adopt and annually review a comprehensive school safety plan. | Access control, lockdown, mass notification and video designs that support the procedures in your plan. See our California school safety plan guide. |
| California SB 553 (Labor Code 6401.9) | Since July 1, 2024, most California employers, including school employers, must maintain a written workplace violence prevention plan, a violent incident log and training. | Duress buttons, visitor management, video and alerting that support the hazard controls and incident documentation in your plan. |
| E911 rules (Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act) | Multi-line telephone systems must allow direct 911 dialing, notify on-site staff, and convey dispatchable location. | Teams Phone and paging designs with direct dialing, on-site notification and building, floor and room location data. |
Sources: U.S. Department of Education (studentprivacy.ed.gov), FCC (fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act and the E-Rate program), California Department of Education and Cal/OSHA (dir.ca.gov). Requirements vary by state and institution type. BTI supports your compliance program with technical controls, documentation and evidence; it does not provide legal advice, and your organization remains responsible for its compliance determinations.
Site walks, risk and compliance review, network and security inventory across every location.
A written roadmap covering architecture, standards, phasing, budget and compliance evidence.
Certified engineers and project managers stage installs by site to protect operations.
Video, access, alerts, voice and IT tied together with documented procedures.
GlobalView monitoring, 24/7 SOC, reporting and quarterly reviews.
In business for 40 years and delivering integrated security since the 2010s, BTI designs, installs and supports IT, voice, network and physical security as one program instead of five vendor contracts. Education clients include Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, supported under a BTI managed physical security services agreement since 2017.
BTI is ISO 27001 compliant, and managed detection and response runs through a 24/7 security operations center operated with high-security enterprise partners.
GSA, CMAS and TESMA contract awardee, which simplifies purchasing for public agencies and institutions. See government contracts.
Send the form and a BTI engineer replies within one business day. After go-live, GlobalView support monitors and maintains every system we deploy.
12155 Mora Drive, Suites 1 & 2, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 · 562-298-5000. Serving Southern California and statewide programs.
1441 Branding Ave, Suite 200, Downers Grove, IL 60515 · 312-432-5300. Serving Illinois and the Midwest.
615 N 48th St, Suite 1048, Phoenix, AZ 85008 · 602-733-6807. Serving Arizona and the Southwest.
Multi-site rollouts are delivered nationwide with BTI project managers and certified field partners, then supported centrally through GlobalView managed support.
BTI delivers an integrated program: secure AI, managed IT and cybersecurity with a 24/7 SOC, Cisco Meraki and Catalyst networks with Ekahau-validated Wi-Fi, Teams calling, paging and mass notification, and video, access control and intrusion detection. All of it is supported after go-live through GlobalView managed support.
Yes. BTI designs Wi-Fi, switching and firewall projects that align with E-Rate Category Two eligible services and provides bills of materials, Ekahau survey reports and documentation your E-Rate consultant or filing team needs. Eligibility and funding decisions are made by the program, so we coordinate with your filing team.
A single trigger, such as a lockdown button, a mobile app or an administrator console, can secure doors, play a pre-recorded announcement over IP speakers, push alerts to Teams phones, desktops and displays, and call up the nearest cameras for responders. BTI designs and tests these workflows with your safety team.
BTI implements the technical controls behind your policies: identity and MFA, encryption, logging and data-loss prevention for systems holding student records, and content filtering across campus networks and devices. We provide documentation to support your compliance program; we do not provide legal advice.
BTI is a GSA, CMAS and TESMA contract awardee, which can simplify purchasing for eligible public agencies and institutions. Your procurement team can confirm which vehicle fits each project. See our government contracts page.
Submit the form below and a BTI engineer replies within one business day. BTI has been in business for 40 years and supports education clients from Los Angeles, Chicago and Phoenix.
Tell us about your campuses, systems and timelines. An engineer replies within one business day.
