Mr. Rhodes is Chief Information Officer for the State of Georgia and Executive Director of the Georgia Technology Authority.
As we begin a new fiscal year, it's a good time to take a look at the progress being made by the state's technology transformation initiative, Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS).
We marked an important achievement recently with our end-user computing (EUC) refresh program. We have refreshed all of the 4,900 laptops and tablets in GETS full-service customer agencies, bringing greater reliability and security to the state's IT enterprise. Regular equipment updates weren't possible before the GETS program.
In another recent success, the GETS team upgraded hardware to support PeopleSoft, the state's accounting and human resources system. Prior to the upgrade, the system was nearing capacity and having a difficult time keeping up with demand.
We are seeing continuing improvement in project metrics across the GETS program. Several projects have moved from yellow or red status in December to green, meaning they are on schedule with no major issues. That's what we're seeing with server consolidation, Active Directory, e-mail migration, file services and malware. Many other projects have remained green: server currency, IP readdressing, voice refresh and hosted contact center. Service level trends are steadily rising, with most – about 85-95% – equal to or above agreed-upon expected levels.
While we can point to many positive indicators, we are equally aware of issues that require our attention. The Agency Management Committee (formerly the Agency Advisory Council) is playing an integral part in the governance of GETS and its direction for the future. Members, who represent GETS full-service agencies, are helping to ensure that we keep the focus on problem areas and work toward resolution.
The depth of commitment from our service providers remains critical to the success of the GETS program. As a recent example, Mike Daniels, a senior vice president with IBM, met with Governor Deal last month to discuss the state's IT transformation. Mr. Daniels affirmed that IBM's long-term vision aligns with our goals for GETS.
Because of the dedication of many people throughout the agencies, our service providers and GTA, GETS is making important strides that benefit all of us.