How County Governments Thrive With Cloud-Based Solutions

It’s no surprise that county governments are using the cloud as they continue to modernize their information technology systems. Modern cloud infrastructure enables agencies to better meet resident and workforce needs. It also lays the foundation for future innovation, such as advanced data sharing, open government initiatives, artificial intelligence (AI), and resident-facing digital services. In addition, agencies report increased efficiencies as well as reduction of technical and operational debt as they replace aging, fragmented systems — all of which reduces total cost of ownership (TCO).

With more consistent budgeting, reduced IT maintenance demands, and fewer disruptions to public services, it's easy to understand why industry analysts have found that government investments in cloud platforms continue to increase.

County Agencies Finding Success in the Cloud

Every day, county government agencies are using cloud infrastructure to modernize operations, improve client experiences, reduce long-term technical debt, and position themselves for future innovation. Here are just a few examples.

Enhancing Service and Security

The Department of Innovation and Technology in DeKalb County, Georgia, is transitioning the county to a cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. As part of that transition, one initiative focused on a comprehensive integrated justice information system that had become increasingly unstable, placing unmanageable strain on nearly decade-old infrastructure. Agency leaders faced a choice: Invest heavily in existing infrastructure for the foreseeable future, or transition to SaaS. They chose the cloud.

The transition to a cloud-based model has had many benefits for the county. They reduced their cost in physical hardware and associated maintenance while redirecting resources to address other vital challenges. In addition, they enhanced the security of data and infrastructure and significantly improved day-to-day operations.

“Our transition to SaaS signifies a pivotal milestone in our pursuit of technological excellence, and our commitment to provide high-quality, responsive, and secure services,” said Cynthia Montgomery, IT manager for DeKalb County.

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Streamlining Emergency Response

The Sheriff’s Office in Stark County, Ohio, faced critical operational limitations working with multiple unintegrated, server-based solutions. Dispatch and law enforcement agencies operated on their own independent computer aided dispatch (CAD) and records management systems (RMS), limiting their ability to fully leverage cross-agency data sharing and collaboration. In response, they migrated four agencies to cloud-based systems.

Operating in the cloud increased cross-agency collaboration, enabled faster and more informed decision-making during investigations, and enhanced operational efficiency. Officers can fill out reports anywhere, on any device, and collaborate to provide faster, more accurate information to the courts. With county data stored in a unified local records management system, leaders can identify trends and make data-driven decisions.

“Data sharing is huge as a multi-agency tenant. It’s great to just be able to have all those reports and everything that we can look at, have all the addresses, history, and suspect history right there for all the agencies,” said Maj. Mitchell Paulen, CIO of the Stark County Sheriff's Office.

Uncovering Financial Opportunities

An outdated accounting system made it difficult for Hood River County School District, Oregon, to ensure their financial resources were used most effectively. Limited reporting functionality required them to process data manually to provide meaningful insights. The budgeting process was tedious and error prone. To enhance operations and help prevent costly errors in the future, they decided to modernize in the cloud.

The district’s cloud-based software improved security and facilitated integration between their systems. By providing a single source of truth for their financial data, it enabled them to improve their operations. Access to real-time data empowers better decision-making, helping the business office manage funds wisely to support their broader educational goals.

“Having a consistent platform to pull our data from helps us see how the numbers tie together over time. We can report straight from our system and know the data is correct,” said Mark DeMoss, CFO of Hood River County School District.