On April 9, 2008, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine signed various General Assembly bills focused on improving security on public campuses. Technology providers should expect continued interest and legislature around mass notification and identification systems.

In response to the last year's shootings, Governor Kaine signed Senate Bill 538 (Obenshain) which mandates that by January 1, 2009, each public institution of higher education establish a comprehensive, prompt, and reliable first warning and emergency notification system for students, staff, and faculty. Campuses across the country are grappling with similar security needs. Therefore, vendors can anticipate an increase in legislation across the country similar to Senate Bill 538. Due to the urgency of increased safety solutions on campuses, required improvements may not result in competitive bids.

If colleges and universities decide not to competitively solicit vendors for these projects, establishing relationships with college systems will be critical for any vendor interested in being considered for these opportunities. Joining associations is an effective and easy way to build relationships in the college systems. For example, the National Education Association, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, International Society for Technology in Education, International Technology Education Association (ITEA), and EDUCAUSE are some associations that connect institutions of higher education to corporations serving the higher education IT market. In preparation for the future campus security legislation, vendors should take advantage of all opportunities to infiltrate college systems.