GETS Update - April 16, 2010

Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) Update

Volume 2, Issue No. 8

April 16, 2010

Transformation Kickoff to provide deep dive on IT activities and benefits

We are hosting an important event next week for business and technology leaders from our full-service customer agencies. The Transformation Kickoff on April 21 will focus on the changes we are making to the state's technology and what they mean to your agency from both operational and financial perspectives.

We will take a deep dive into transformation activities so you can see the scope of change taking place and gain a greater understanding of the benefits. Your agency has played a critical role in getting us where we are today, and we will also look at the importance of your continued involvement to ensure transformation's success.

We will begin the morning with a general session on the state's current technology environment, improvements we are making to technology service delivery and an overview of transformation. In the afternoon, breakout sessions with GTA, AT&T and IBM will focus on such topics as:

E-mail consolidation
Equipment refresh
Budgeting and retained costs
Impacts on invoices

The ultimate goal of transformation is to reduce the risks to your agency's ability to serve its constituents while making technology services more cost-effective. If you received an invitation to the Transformation Kickoff, I hope you will join us. We have been working hard to make sure it will be time well spent.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to seeing you April 21.

Patrick Moore
State Chief Information Officer
GTA Executive Director

Service delivery lead times: What to expect

How long is it likely to take to move a phone line? How much time should you allow for installing software?

Knowing what to expect can assist you in planning projects or meeting your office needs. Here are general guidelines from IBM and AT&T for some of the most frequently requested services. Estimated times are listed in business days.

Infrastructure services

Create Time Sharing Option (TSO) user IDs (mainframe access), 2-3 days
Create Virtual Private Network (VPN) user IDs (remote access), 2-3 days
Workstation break/fix, 2-4 days
Create mappings to workstation printers or file systems, 3-5 days
Install new workstation software after procurement, 3-5 days
Single workstation office move, 3-5 days
Project (more than 9) workstation office move, 8-12 days
Implement firewall change, 8-12 days

Managed Network Services

Simple voice line moves/changes for up to 19 lines, 7-10 days
Simple telecom software changes (such as features, configuration), 5-10 days
Simple LAN port activation, 5 days
Complex technologies (such as ISDN) up to 5 lines, 17 days
Complex data software changes (such as static route, IP addressing), up to 30 days
Hardware orders (routers, switchers), 30-45 days
Circuit or transport orders, 25-45 days

The lead times are given as a planning tool and are estimated from the time an order is accepted. It is important to remember that typically the more complex the requested service, the longer the necessary lead time. Times are affected by a variety of factors, including the number of lines or locations, the area being served, bandwidth required and quantity needed.

Need more info?

Agencies' authorized users can access more information on service delivery lead times online using Service Catalog. Information is also available through your GTA Service Delivery Consultant.

Security tools being deployed

IBM is deploying two security tools at full-service agencies.

The Network Intrusion Prevention Service (NIPS) monitors traffic going into and out of an agency's network. It also monitors for malicious or suspicious activity on the network.

The Host Intrusion Detection Service (HIDS) searches for malicious activity on individual servers. HIDS will be installed on 200 servers.

Focus groups offering input about Service Catalog

AT&T is holding focus groups across the state this month to gain input from Service Catalog users. At meetings in Augusta, Atlanta, Macon, Alpharetta, and Savannah, participants are being asked to discuss their use of Service Catalog and recommend improvements.

The focus groups are part of AT&T's and GTA's commitment to improving the customer experience.

Field technicians to leave information cards after visits

You can expect to find a "leave behind" card on your desk anytime a GETS field technician has made a visit. The card, folded table-tent style, will be given to the end user or placed on the desk and will list the technician's name, the date and time of the desk-side visit, and the corresponding incident number. Having the information handy will make it easier for the end user if a follow-up call to the Service Desk is necessary.