Government Technology - August 2008 - (Page CA-4)

“We have a lot of information at our ﬁngertips, so that makes our process far more effective.” — Charles Ghini, director of telecommunications and radio services, Communications and Information Technology Services, Florida reliability and performance are critical. Services simply must be available at all times. Ghini added that CA eHealth® and CA SPECTRUM® are invaluable tools when it comes to keeping the network running smoothly. While CA eHealth monitors and maintains network performance, CA SPECTRUM helps CITS detect and correct network errors. “A tool doesn’t make a process,” Ghini said. “But tools empower and make the process work better. That’s what the CA tools do for us.” MPLS networks are more technologically complex than most networks. Managing this type of network presents a big challenge, and Ghini is happy to have CA network management tools on his side. Florida really needed a best-of-breed solution for its network management. “That’s why we selected CA,” said Ghini. Powerful network management capabilities are especially important for Florida’s network because it supports such a large user base with varying needs. “When you have a diverse customer base, as in government — such as health, police and road construction — you need a way to provide connectivity while also providing the privacy and security each agency and department needs for its own information,” said Ghini. “You need a capability that can provide a set of secure, virtual networks across a common physical infrastructure.” CA helps Ghini see what’s going on inside the network. That kind of visibility lets Florida do more with its network. “We are far more confident of stressing and pushing the limit of the network because we can measure and see how it reacts very quickly,” said Ghini. “Information is the key to success in our business. You see it, you feel it right away. That is really a big plus, to have that type of granular visibility of every aspect of the network.” Using the CA tools, CITS can monitor the activities on MyFloridaNet extensively to enable maximum network performance. The tools also help Ghini and his staff observe what’s happening across numerous jurisdictions and organizations. Increasing Opportunities CITS proactively monitors numerous activities, employing availability probes that indicate how things are changing on the network. When it comes to troubleshooting problems, common visibility allows people to collaborate quickly on finding solutions. The tools help Florida ensure optimum uptime and keep the network performing as it should for the state’s customers. “Everybody who uses the network, from customer to provider, is using the same tools,” Ghini said. “That increases the efficiency and effectiveness of our process. We have a lot of information at our fingertips, so that makes our process far more effective.” Even with its huge size, the new network is more secure than what Florida had in place before. With all the monitoring CITS does, it has a clearer picture of everything, which helps with security. Although the network is new and already quite large, there is room for growth. In fact, the network is expanding every day. “The larger we are, the more economies of scale we bring to the state, and the lower our price becomes,” Ghini said. In setting up such a large project, a state certainly needs to choose the right partners. Florida has been very happy with its partnership with CA and looks forward to continuing it in the future. Ghini noted that working with CA has been a very positive experience. He said the team at CA was responsive, knowledgeable and helpful. “We were trying to empower our customer,” he said. “We wanted to make sure we avoided any type of miscommunication between the different help desks, for example, so we wanted one set of tools, from provider to customer. And we wanted a powerful tool. That’s what the set of CA tools brings to the table.”❖ 4 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - August 2008

Government Technology - August 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for... Net Gains A Government Technology® Industry Profile: CA CA Contents IT Network Management: State and Local Governments Face New Challenges MyFloridaNet Arkansas Department of Information Systems Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Government Tightens Its Belt Rocking the Vote High-Speed Portal Project On Track Wi-Fi on a Shoestring From Paintball to Video Virtually Vulnerable How It Works Products signal:noise

Government Technology - August 2008

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