Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) update, Vol. 5, Issue 10 (Oct. 8, 2013)

Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) Update
Volume 5, Issue No. 10 October 8, 2013

Turning good sense into good habits for cyber security
What might seem like common sense can save us from common problems when it comes to cyber security. Don't open e-mail attachments or click links from untrusted sources. Be cautious about releasing sensitive information online. Use different passwords for different online accounts. Don't connect unapproved USB devices to your agency's network.
This is a fitting time to re-commit to those directives and make them common practice. October is National Cyber Security Awareness month, and as the accompanying slogan points out, cyber security is our shared responsibility.
The Center for Internet Security and its Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MSISAC) emphasize that work to ensure cyber security extends all the way to individual computer users. We need to stay alert and attentive to good sense behaviors. And, to making sure good sense translates into good habits.
At the enterprise level, the state safeguards our computing environment on multiple fronts: firewalls, anti-virus software, malware prevention for servers, routine security patching for computers, ID administration and more. Security ranks among the key motivators behind the GETS program, after all. Several of the efforts (e.g., server consolidation, Windows 7 migration) you'll read about in this newsletter are motivated in part by security considerations.
The server consolidation (SCON) project deserves special mention. Progress has been labored in recent months, to the point we've not been able to consistently meet target timetables. We're keenly aware this inconveniences our customers, and the complications ripple out. We're mobilizing to put SCON on sure footing as described in the article below. We appreciate your patience and will deliver reliable schedule information soon. We remain committed to completing SCON and the state's IT transformation in 2014.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Calvin Rhodes State Chief Information Officer GTA Executive Director

In This Issue
Another big push for server consolidation Learning from a leader at IT Strategy Summit Regular review keys right dose of phone, network services "GOVTalks" starts conversation on mobilefriendly web design Briefly... (Windows 7) (1.800.georgia)
Quick Links
Previous newsletters GTA website GTA blogs GETS End User Resources GETS Billing GETS FAQs

Another big push for server consolidation
Server consolidation (SCON) brings greater security and reliability. It can also mean efficiency gains through virtualization and updated equipment. None of the benefits come easy though, as any of the GETS agencies that have experienced the SCON project can testify.
For the remainder of 2013 and into the coming year, a newly invigorated push is on to tackle the challenging server consolidation element of the state's IT transformation. In coordination with GTA, IBM is assembling an expanded, dedicated team whose focus will be building the needed servers for the new consolidated environment at the state's North Atlanta Data Center (NADC). The team intends to accelerate its production over the next several months.
The work doesn't end once servers are built and made available to GETS agencies. Next comes the loading of applications on the new servers by the agencies and painstaking testing. All this precedes new servers "going live," and it can be time-consuming. To allow agencies adequate time, IBM aims to finish building all servers needed for the SCON project by the end of January 2014.
Sluggishness in the rate of building new servers this year led to creation of the expanded build team and process refinements. These steps will also prompt revised SCON timelines for some agencies. GTA and IBM plan to speak with affected agencies in October about updated schedules and the path toward completion of the state's IT transformation in 2014.
Back to Top

Learning from a leader at IT Strategy Summit
For organizations looking to better capitalize on proven technology to achieve their strategic goals, one way to map a successful path is to look at what a leader is doing. That's the thinking behind plans to have Georgia Pacific CIO Randal Robison present a keynote address at the GTA-hosted IT Strategy Summit scheduled November 4.
Mr. Robison has seen technology help achieve business objectives and in some cases even open doors to new business directions at Georgia Pacific. He will share illustrations to stimulate the thinking of state of Georgia agencies. His and other presentations at the summit will help participants focus on how to best harness technology in pursuit of their agencies' business objectives.
The full-day summit, titled Georgia 2020: Strategy With Technology, will bring together business leaders, strategists and technology leaders from state agencies. They will be encouraged to share stories of how they're integrating technology into business achievement. And, they'll be asked to consider how their agency might partner with other agencies to leverage technology across the enterprise.
The event will be held at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center (Midtown Atlanta) again this year. See event details on GTA's website.
Back to Top

Regular review keys right dose of phone, network services
When it comes to telephone and LAN/WAN (network) services, technology choices clearly affect the way you do business. And, your business choices affect your technology needs. It's a two-way, dynamic relationship. Managing consumption of telephone and network services, the topic of the GETS Education program session in September, calls for regular review of how your buying suits your needs.
For phones, the choice between premium and basic service can be reviewed periodically, as can an agency's mix of mobile and desk phone service. Local area network or LAN port counts (and the related counts of personal computers in service) can be monitored, and circuits not in use can be disconnected.
Watching WAN circuit speed and capacity can ensure business and application needs are well served. A circuit consistently showing low traffic might be a candidate for disconnecting. On the other hand, a circuit repeatedly showing the strain of heavy traffic could warrant an upgrade or analysis.
These are considerations to be made not once but regularly. After all, an agency's operating environment changes regularly, as do its business needs.
The education program -- 10 sessions now presented -equips GETS agencies with information they need to more effectively manage their IT service consumption and IT budgets. The upcoming October session will summarize service areas presented to date. A newly added November session (details soon to come) will address differences in storage services before and after the state's IT transformation. Back to Top
GOVTalks starts conversation on mobile-friendly web design
The GeorgiaGov Interactive team within GTA offers a new conference series designed to help agencies create great websites and user experiences. The broader goal: Make it easy for Georgians to find the information and services they need from their state government.
The series, called GOVTalks, debuted in September with a half-day workshop on increased use of mobile and tablet technology and related emerging trends in website design.
To an audience of 50 or so agency staff, GTA presenters emphasized mobile is not the future. It's now. More than 25 percent of Georgia.gov visitors use mobile devices to get there, up from three percent just two years ago. Georgia.gov is the nation's first state website to use responsive design, a feature enabling the site to adapt its layout to suit a PC, tablet or smartphone - whichever a visitor uses. Incorporating responsive design into agency websites to make them more mobile-friendly, too, is the next target.
Each quarter GeorgiaGov Interactive will host an event featuring a new topic in web trends and technology, providing solutions agencies can use to better serve their customers. Back to Top
Briefly...
The GETS team is upgrading equipment to Windows 7 to ensure a reliable, secure and supported operating system on computers for GETS agency staff. With agencies at differing stages of completion of the upgrade, status meetings are being scheduled with individual agencies. Plans for continued upgrades will be discussed, as will strategies for managing risk associated with PCs continuing to run older operating systems (e.g., Windows XP).
The 1.800.georgia assistance center has become part of the GTA organization, shifting from the Governor's Office of Customer Service. For citizens seeking information about services provided by the state, 1.800.georgia provides answers via a variety of paths: phone, chat, e-mail, and a searchable online knowledge base at connect.georgia.gov.
Back to Top

October 30-31 Westin Buckhead Atlanta hotel $25 for public-sector employees Planned for and about state and local government See conference topics and registration information on the summit website
We welcome your comments about service delivery, the state's IT transformation and related topics. You can submit comments online or call our toll-free number to leave a recorded message.