How Local Governments Thrive With Cloud-Based Solutions

Town and city governments are accelerating their widespread adoption of cloud technology. Industry analysts have noted that government investments in cloud platforms continue to increase as agencies embrace strategies like hybrid cloud and the use of multiple public clouds. It’s easy to understand why. Consistent budgeting, reduced IT maintenance demands, and fewer disruptions to public services are just a few of the benefits.

Modern cloud infrastructure also enables agencies to better meet resident needs and lays the foundation for future innovation, such as advanced data sharing, open government initiatives, artificial intelligence (AI), and resident-facing digital services.

Many agencies that have migrated to the cloud report lower total cost of ownership (TCO) resulting from increased efficiencies as well as reduction of technical and operational debt as they replace aging, fragmented systems.

Local Agencies Finding Success in the Cloud

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

Scaling Technology to Meet Unique Community Needs

The City of Raleigh, North Carolina, has several nearby “merger communities,” or smaller municipalities that rely on Raleigh’s infrastructure for water distribution while maintaining their own separate local governments. To empower the merger communities while centralizing all plan reviews to Raleigh, city staff turned to the cloud.

The city leveraged a web portal solution linked to geographic information system (GIS) features. It allows merger communities to conduct plan reviews on Raleigh’s platform. They enabled the communities to track and issue water-use permits while managing and collecting fee payments. Residents could also enter and track requests through a portal, doing business with the city 24/7.

“Our solution saved time for municipal staff, allowed them to focus on critical tasks, and made transactions faster and more convenient for citizens,” said Courtney Bland-Fowler, technology supervisor for the city of Raleigh. “This approach has set a precedent for better workflows and service delivery across municipalities, promoting a connected and equitable community.”

Gain Insights on Cloud Infrastructure for Government

Explore our Cloud Infrastructure resources page to access our white paper, infographic, podcasts, and blogs on adopting cloud services to modernize operations, streamline processes, and deliver secure, innovative services to residents.

Cloud-Powered Policing

Jersey Village Police Department in Texas experienced operational hurdles with outdated software. Slow performance hampered the agency’s ability to react to emergencies. Software integration issues led to inefficiencies and frustration among first responders. In addition, managing software updates and ensuring data security and compliance were constant concerns.

To modernize their processes and enhance police operations, they moved to the cloud. First responders and support staff can access mission-critical information from virtually anywhere, enabling better decision-making and faster response times. In the cloud, the agency’s systems and data are secure from infrastructure failures, natural disasters, and other disruptions. IT personnel can focus on strategic initiatives such as automation and optimization.

In addition, their cloud-based solutions are seamlessly updated, minimizing disruptions and improving overall system performance. “It’s so important for security. Updates exist for a reason, and you must be able to stay at the forefront of those things so you don’t end up playing catch-up,” former Jersey Village PD Lieutenant Heath Hawley said.

Streamlining Payroll and Workforce Management

Manual, paper-based processes in payroll and HR were creating significant inefficiencies at Dunlap Community Unit School District (CUSD), Illinois. Payroll processing regularly took up to two weeks to complete, requiring staff to work overtime, including late nights and weekends. Reports were printed and stored manually, and payroll balancing was done using spreadsheets.

The district transitioned an existing but underutilized system to the cloud, bringing everything current and unlocking the value they had invested in years earlier. The cloud migration allowed staff to access the system remotely and ensured automatic updates, reducing reliance on limited internal IT support.

“Now, with the cloud, we can log in from anywhere, and we no longer have to worry about falling behind on our updates,” said Payroll Specialist Jennifer Carroll. “We had 590 hours for comp time at one point. Now we don’t have any. We come in, get our work done, and leave on time — that was never the case before.”