https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:00:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.7.5 https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-earth-and-maps-help-save-lives-and-protect-property-when-disasters-strike/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-earth-and-maps-help-save-lives-and-protect-property-when-disasters-strike https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-earth-and-maps-help-save-lives-and-protect-property-when-disasters-strike/#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=dcd2fc2b246c82614a2f665f0451cfc5 Posted by Rick Hinrichs, Director of Disaster Emergency Services, Red Cross - San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter.

Editors note:Today’s guest blogger is Rick Hinrichs from the Red Cross - San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter. We recently sat down with him to discuss how his organization stays coordinated during disasters using Google Earth and Maps. To learn more, watch this video.

In the event of a natural disaster or unexpected emergency, a quick and effective response can mean the difference between life and death. We at the Red Cross can always be counted on to assist on the front lines of these disasters and emergencies.

When the 2007 wildfires struck Southern California, 500,000 people were told to evacuate their homes in 30 minutes, but our San Diego command center wasn't fully staffed until four hours later. We scrambled to collect information and plan a strategy over the phone and through email. It was clear we needed a more efficient solution for better situational awareness and a common operating picture for the Red Cross command center, our volunteers and the citizens we serve.

In response, our San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the Red Cross implemented a new response system built on Google Earth and Maps. Our map has dozens of data layers that can be used in a disaster situation to display, in real-time, everything from the location of our volunteers to shelters, food trucks, and medical supplies. This map can also be easily shared with other emergency management agencies outside of Southern California.

Now, volunteers and the public can pull up the Red Cross’ web-based emergency response map on their smartphones or tablets while out in the field. They can see safe routes to travel, hospital locations and other places to access resources during a disaster. Google Earth and Maps require no additional training; our volunteers already know how to use them.

Our chapter responds to a disaster once every 28 hours or so, from house fires and SWAT incidents to search and rescue operations. By mapping these locations on Google Earth and Maps, we can see where our assets are, determine where the most incidents occur, and better target our outreach and effectiveness.

The bottom line: the Red Cross is committed to protecting property and lives, and Google Earth and Maps help us do a much better job.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-earth-and-maps-help-save-lives-and-protect-property-when-disasters-strike/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/google-apps/idaho-national-lab-has-gone-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=idaho-national-lab-has-gone-google https://googledata.org/google-apps/idaho-national-lab-has-gone-google/#comments Wed, 26 Sep 2012 18:07:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=aaa17af1f7802d7a69f484379b3484b6 Posted by Denise Stephens, CIO, Idaho National Laboratory

Editors note: Today’s guest blogger is Denise Stephens, CIO and Information Management director of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). INL joins a growing number of government agencies that have made the switch to Google Apps for Government.

Located in southeastern Idaho on nearly 900 square miles of desert, the Idaho National Laboratory is the lead lab for nuclear research for the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). Employees at INL work on diverse projects that include making batteries used on United States space missions, developing new technologies for nuclear reactors, protecting critical infrastructure and operating the world’s 64th fastest supercomputer.

System integrator Unisys recently completed the migration of nearly 5,000 INL employees to Google Apps for Government from Lotus Notes. INL has not taken this transition lightly. We have spent the better part of a year developing requirements, engaging in internal pilots to mitigate risk and overcoming emerging challenges as a cross-organizational team to smooth our move to the cloud. Google Apps is the right investment to move the laboratory forward while meeting the lab’s important requirements.

Due to our remote location, having a reliable, redundant email system is paramount. Google Apps’ track record of 99.9% uptime gives INL employees’ confidence that their email will be there when they need it. Some INL employees work in facilities in the city of Idaho Falls, while many others work at our complex in the desert, some 30 miles away. In the past, this geographic separation made it harder for employees to share information. Google Apps is improving communications by allowing employees to work together in real-time with voice and video chat, calendar sharing and simultaneous document editing.

In this case, INL simply couldn’t afford not to go to the cloud. This move is less expensive, and allows the lab to take a flexible, nimble and cost effective approach to lab communications. Instead of managing infrastructure, INL has chosen to invest in capabilities that support the lab’s critical mission areas.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-apps/idaho-national-lab-has-gone-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/google-apps/when-the-economy-gets-tough-the-tough-get-innovative/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-the-economy-gets-tough-the-tough-get-innovative https://googledata.org/google-apps/when-the-economy-gets-tough-the-tough-get-innovative/#comments Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:52:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1634688beaedb437c2cf4969cb5f7bb8 Posted by Carmella Sabaugh, Register of Deeds, Macomb County Clerk

Editors note: In March 2011, we announced the Macomb County Circuit Court and Clerk/Register of Deeds have gone Google. Almost a year later, we’re honored to recognize Macomb County Clerk / Register of Deeds Carmella Sabaugh as one of our Government Transformers.

Like others hit hard by the recession, the Macomb County Clerk’s office in Michigan was forced to make tough decisions. But when faced with setbacks, we respond boldly. To borrow Theodore Roosevelt’s words, “We refuse to be among those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.” Macomb County is now one of only 67 counties nationwide to earn a AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s. 'AAA' is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by Standard & Poor's, recognizing that a county has extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments.

One way we innovate is to use Google Apps for Government to improve service and save money. In the past it could be disruptive for court clerks to receive phone calls while court was in session since they’d be helping judges work through their dockets. But some matters require immediate attention. Google Chat makes it easy for court clerks to instantly get information without disrupting the docket flow, and it reduces incoming phone calls and walk-up requests. Clerks can work from any courtroom or back office without requiring a complicated workstation setup or changes.

The circuit court clerk also uses a Google spreadsheet to maintain a dashboard for the office. Everyday the attendance data of all job duties gets automatically populated and color coded with a progress chart. This allows the chief court clerk to allocate staff efficiently to keep the office running smoothly and efficiently. The clerk’s office uses Google Docs to create county commission meetings minutes which allows real-time collaboration among the commissioners. The public can watch it as it’s being created and learn about voting results right away.

Our staff is able to improve citizen services with the latest technology tools. We are a government of the people by the people and for the people. We are the Macomb County Clerk’s office. And we’ve gone Google.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-apps/when-the-economy-gets-tough-the-tough-get-innovative/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/google-apps/the-city-of-columbia-is-going-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-city-of-columbia-is-going-google https://googledata.org/google-apps/the-city-of-columbia-is-going-google/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1bfd302482a17100ebea99ee9fcf60d4 Posted by Mike Matthes, City Manager of Columbia, Missouri

Editors note:Earlier this week we announced the City of St.Louis is going Google. Today we welcome another guest blogger from Missouri, Mike Matthes, to tell us how he recently moved Columbia to Google Apps for Government. 

I grew up in Chillicothe, Missouri. Until last year, I worked for the City of Des Moines in Iowa for 15 years. When I got the opportunity to move back to my home state and became the City Manager of Columbia, Missouri, I jumped at the chance. Columbia is a boomtown with outstanding quality of life that emphasizes the value of public services for the citizens. I find great joy in serving the public, partnering with our city employees, and supporting them as they work with the community.

After I moved to Columbia, I realized the city was challenged by an antiquated email system that couldn’t keep up with the latest technology trends and our employees’ needs. When my iPad acted as nothing more than a paperweight, I knew we needed a change. 

Columbia is fortunate to have an open-minded City Council and IT Department, so we started looking for a new email solution last fall. When I worked for Des Moines, I became familiar with Google Apps for Government. We chose the Google email and communication platform for 2,000 Des Moines employees because it could help the city save budget while enabling our employees to be more productive. When I looked at Google Apps again, I was struck by the tremendous product enhancements made in just a year since I last reviewed its offering.

We quickly decided to move all 1,188 Columbia employees to Google Apps for Government after evaluating available email and communication solutions. With the help of Google Apps reseller Onix Networking, all city employees were flawlessly transitioned to Google Apps in April 2012.

The only comments I received were gratitude from our employees for finally being able to communicate and collaborate smoothly. Email and calendar just work, and other advanced collaboration features in Google Apps bring much more efficiency to our workplace. Eighty percent of our employees are mobile, such as police, fire and public works staff. They have been starving for mobile productivity for years. Now they can easily check email, documents, and sites from the field. 

Although most reasonable people dread an annual budget process, I’m actually looking forward to it this year because all 18 of our departments will be using a Google Site to collaborate and share information easily while preparing for the budget. This site also integrates a Google calendar that marks budget due dates with a countdown clock for all departments.

For Columbia, going Google is a force multiplier. With resources saved and productivity enhanced, our city employees are able to better focus on their core mission of serving citizens. Being a part of modernization efforts of both Columbia and Des Moines makes my job as a public servant meaningful.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-apps/the-city-of-columbia-is-going-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-gateway-to-the-west-is-moving-into-the-cloud/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-gateway-to-the-west-is-moving-into-the-cloud https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-gateway-to-the-west-is-moving-into-the-cloud/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:25:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=576577a2c5b82dae77185be840cc4ee8 Posted by Francis G. Slay, Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri

Editors note: Today, we welcome Mayor Francis G. Slay of the City of St. Louis, the latest U.S. city to move to Google Apps for Government.

Email keeps City employees and departments connected, and it's how our residents and businesses get in touch with their City government. Our current email system – old and unreliable - hasn’t worked very well for a while. Employees have had trouble accessing email and attachments, and they experienced email outages and delays. When City employees aren’t at their desks, it’s been difficult for them to access the email server from mobile devices or from computers outside of the network. All of these challenges hampered our ability to collaborate among each other and respond to citizens efficiently – or to hear from them at all.

With an email system that held us back, we wanted to find a new system. After evaluating several competitive bids, the City of St. Louis selected cloud-based Google Apps for Government because it best suits our needs for a reliable, secure, and cost-effective email system. Our employees are not only able to access email reliably at their desks, but will be able to stay connected, anytime, anywhere. This will likely make them more productive; it will certainly make them happier. Because Google is a familiar and trusted brand (and many employees currently use Gmail for their personal email), I’m confident that this will be a smooth transition.

We look forward to working closely with Google and Daston Corporation, a Google Apps Premier Reseller, to complete the migration in the next few months. We are proud that the Gateway to the West is now moving to the cloud.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-gateway-to-the-west-is-moving-into-the-cloud/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/google-apps/colorado-is-the-newest-state-to-go-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=colorado-is-the-newest-state-to-go-google https://googledata.org/google-apps/colorado-is-the-newest-state-to-go-google/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=061b53aea459d468f9e43ad59f715c7a Posted by Scott McIntyre, Director of State and Local Government, Google

What does the State of Colorado have in common with neighboring states Wyoming and Utah? For one, they are the only three states in the United States with no natural borders. Their boundaries are defined solely by lines of latitude and longitude. Now, these three states also share a common cloud. Colorado announced today it will migrate more than 26,000 Executive Branch state employees to Google Apps for Government, joining its neighbors as one of the first states to make the move.

Under the leadership of Secretary of Technology and State Chief Information Officer Kristin D. Russell, Colorado’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) has six priorities: customer success, innovation, information security, people, service excellence, and trusted partnership. The decision to migrate to Google Apps is closely aligned with these priorities. By bringing 15 siloed and disparate email systems together into one unified communications platform, the state will save approximately $2 million a year, cutting the cost of maintaining current email systems by nearly half. It will also allow employees across departments to find co-workers and communicate more effectively with one another. In addition, giving employees modern collaboration tools and better mobile access will help them deliver better citizen services. OIT completed thorough testing and analysis of multiple product solutions, including an independent third-party comparison,­­­ before selecting Google Apps. As part of this evaluation, the state reviewed the security controls used by Google Apps and found them to comply with or exceed state standards. OIT will work closely with Google Apps Premier Reseller Tempus Nova to bring Google Apps to Colorado employees.

The State Government of Colorado is not alone. Local agencies like Larimer County and Eagle County have already used Google Apps to help modernize their technology while realizing significant savings. Also in summer 2010, Colorado announced a statewide agreement to allow schools and districts to use Google Apps for Education. Some of Colorado’s largest education institutions have already switched to Google Apps, including Colorado State University, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Jeffco Public Schools, and Douglas County School District.

We welcome the State of Colorado to the Google Cloud.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-apps/colorado-is-the-newest-state-to-go-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/faster-more-accurate-data-collection/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=faster-more-accurate-data-collection https://googledata.org/uncategorized/faster-more-accurate-data-collection/#comments Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:46:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ade3562a806497f0391707ce12c1f11b Posted by Sandra Giger, IT Specialist, Office of the Chief Information Officer, NOAA

Editors note: Today’s guest blogger is Sandra Giger from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Sandra and her colleagues are using Google Apps for Government to streamline the data collection process, resulting in better data accuracy and transparency across the agency. We are honored to recognize them as our Government Transformers.

Compiling data from a large number of people can be a daunting task. This is especially true at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with 25,000 people in roughly 400 locations around the country.

At NOAA, these “data calls” typically fall to me and my colleagues in the IT Governance and Portfolio Division at NOAA. For example, in 2011 the Department of Commerce, our parent agency, began an initiative to lower printing costs throughout the department. To get started, NOAA first had to inventory the thousands of printers the agency was using.

In the past, a data call was usually conducted via email. We would email all the NOAA offices, and the replies would trickle in, often in different formats. It filled up our inboxes and required that we spend hours cleaning up the data. This manual process meant a higher chance of errors, and the entire process ended up taking several weeks.

Rather than continue with these old methods, we decided to use a Google Form to capture the printer inventory. The form could be emailed directly to people across NOAA, and forwarded on to others as needed. As soon as someone completes the form, each response is captured as a separate row of a spreadsheet, along with the name of the person submitting it and the date and time it was submitted. This streamlined collection process cuts in half the time spent collecting data. With all responses are consolidated in a single spreadsheet, it makes analyzing the data a snap.

What’s more, all the responses can be shared with everyone who completes the form, making it a more transparent data collection process. My colleagues and I are transforming data collection at NOAA by improving data quality and sharing the data more openly, while saving ourselves valuable time that can be spent on other projects.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/faster-more-accurate-data-collection/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/meeting-citizen-demand-in-one-of-the-nations-busiest-library-networks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=meeting-citizen-demand-in-one-of-the-nations-busiest-library-networks https://googledata.org/uncategorized/meeting-citizen-demand-in-one-of-the-nations-busiest-library-networks/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=8b2f594c2da7e4f0266e395249586030 Posted by Gib Van Cleve, Information Technology Services Manager, St. Louis County Library

Editors note: Today’s guest blogger is Gib Van Cleve, information technology services manager at St. Louis County Library (SLCL). He and the staff at SLCL adopted Google Apps for Government, and have found many innovative uses for Google tools to help the library’s 20 branches run more efficiently and better serve citizens.

St. Louis County Library (SLCL), with 20 branches, represents Missouri’s largest and busiest library network. We serve a large community eager to consume digital and hard-copy content, from learning games to classic novels, and that requires behind-the-scenes technologies to manage circulations and ensure efficient citizen services. But, as we grew and our collections expanded, we needed tools that could enable our staff to collaborate more efficiently to bring more transparency to the library’s operations.

In the past, managing libraries required a lot of phone calls and spreadsheets emailed back and forth. Today, that’s no longer the case. We have a small yet nimble technology group of 12 people, and we’ve been able to increase efficiency and improve citizen services by adopting Google Apps for Government. We are honored that some of our employees have been recognized as Government Transformers for their creative usage of Google Apps.

For example, our system administration manager Stephanie Nordmann created a system that tracks circulation items in a Google spreadsheet. In an instant, we see key statistics and trends such as the number of library visits, circulation counts, and the demand for certain items. Last year, it showed us e-book circulation grew by 174%, while traditional books were only up 1%. So we knew we need to stock up on e-media, enabling us to meet the growing demand.

To allow citizens to check out an item at one location and return it at another, we started supporting floating collections. It’s not easy balancing collections across multiple facilities to ensure that items are available when and where the public needs them. Our community services administrator Eric Button created a Google spreadsheet to manage floating collections systematically, tagging facilities green if they have space, yellow if their items are balanced, and red if their shelves are full. This new tool eliminates emailing back and forth and allows us to see instantaneously where to send items to meet demand.

We have found many uses of Google Apps for a broad library network. Amy Gibbons and other members of our service desk staff manage an inventory of 900 PCs throughout our library network using Google Docs. Our libraries run better and more cost-effectively so we can meet citizen requirements for educational and entertainment content—and—trust us, we’re discovering more and more uses for Google Apps to become more efficient and effective!

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/meeting-citizen-demand-in-one-of-the-nations-busiest-library-networks/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/google-apps/spotlighting-government-transformers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spotlighting-government-transformers https://googledata.org/google-apps/spotlighting-government-transformers/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2b565322a08d42fc41526fabd2a96e26 Posted by Wendy Wu, Google Apps for Government Team

Two months ago, we launched the Government Transformers initiative to find government employees who are improving the way government operates. They build more transparent systems, save costs and improve services to the citizens. We have received many nominations in just two months. In the next few days, we’d like to recognize a few of these government employees and share how Google Apps has helped transform the way their agencies work.

Group purchasing in government, made simple

Virginia cities and counties have a cooperative purchasing agreement. Once a vendor signs a contract referencing 'cooperative purchasing' with a Virginia government entity, other cities and counties can buy under the same terms. In the past, the information sat with each individual agency and was not visible to others. In order to benefit from this procurement policy, T.W. created a Google Group for area managers to share contract information and purchase support items and services cooperatively. “We now have about 30 members from 12 cities and counties,” said T.W., “and we simply send out an email to the group, and everyone gets the notice. Or people can go to our website to check out the discussion thread or history to find the contracting information they need, with complete transparency.”
(T.W.Sawyer, Purchasing Agent, York County, Virginia)

Responding to constituents faster

People in Wyoming have a constant goal of innovating and searching for ways to make their state a pioneer in technology and efficiency. Under Governor Matt Mead’s leadership, the IT department built an automated system to manage constituent inquiries with faster and more efficient responses. With Google Apps for Government, they used Google APIs along with traditional web development to build a robust solution in approximately four months. “Now, we see the status of every communication—whenever and wherever we are connected to the Internet,” said Bob, “and our staff assigns tasks, routes communication through Gmail, and places follow-up items on calendars so constituent requests are handled timely and efficiently.”
(Bob Mathews, Manager of Enterprise Application Development, Office of the CIO, State of Wyoming)

T.W. and Bob are two of many Government Transformers who are using Google Apps creatively to help their agencies run better. We look forward to sharing their success with you so make sure to check back this week for more transformer stories.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-apps/spotlighting-government-transformers/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/from-the-mountains-to-the-clouds-the-state-of-utah-goes-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-the-mountains-to-the-clouds-the-state-of-utah-goes-google https://googledata.org/uncategorized/from-the-mountains-to-the-clouds-the-state-of-utah-goes-google/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=29367a803baf28f94483822b687e4b38 Posted by Scott McIntyre, Director of State and Local Government, Google Enterprise

Nestled in the mountains and valleys, the State of Utah got its name from the Native American “Ute” tribe, which means people of the mountains. Utah’s peaks, on average, are the tallest in the country. Utah also has a vibrant business climate. The state was recently ranked No.1 for business and career by Forbes. It’s committed to building a strong economy for the future. To achieve that goal, the state government relies on cutting edge technologies and services to bring value and innovation to its constituents.

The State of Utah recently selected Google Apps for Government as its new email and collaboration platform for all 22,000 state employees. This makes Utah the second state to move all state employees to the Google cloud. The contract is available to all branches of state government and local government entities.

Information technology consolidation has long been a top priority for Utah to improve accountability, reduce costs, and increase services to taxpayers. Its legacy email system was unable to keep up with the increasing demand from staff to access information anytime and anywhere. The Department of Technology Services (DTS) started looking for a cloud solution that could address those challenges in 2010. Through a comprehensive and competitive bidding process, DTS received six proposals. Google Apps premier reseller and implementation partner Tempus Nova was selected to bring Google Apps to state employees.

Once the migration is complete later this year, all Utah state employees will use Google Apps, which includes new features and capabilities such as video chats, real-time team editing in Google Docs and mobile support. Moving to the cloud will also reduce employees’ requests for IT support. In addition, Google Apps will provide Utah with increased security to comply with all FISMA requirements and a more efficient way to comply with government eDiscovery requirements.

We welcome the State’s decision to move to the cloud and look forward to working with Utah and Tempus Nova to ensure a smooth transition.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/from-the-mountains-to-the-clouds-the-state-of-utah-goes-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-city-of-lewisville-has-gone-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-city-of-lewisville-has-gone-google https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-city-of-lewisville-has-gone-google/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7e19490e410a2dd322940102e8684fa4 Posted by Jason Kirkland, Technology Projects Manager, City of Lewisville

Editors note: Today our guest blogger is Jason Kirkland, Technology Projects Manager for the City of Lewisville, Texas. Jason is recognized by Google as a Government Transformer for his innovative usage of technology to improve information sharing among city staff.

As part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, the City of Lewisville in Texas offers a small community atmosphere with all of the urban amenities. We are always looking for ways to improve our community and the lives of the people who call Lewisville home.

The City is constantly evaluating its IT infrastructure and services to increase efficiency and effectiveness and reduce costs. One area of focus was email and calendar which were provided to our users via Lotus Notes along with a separate Blackberry server to sync mobile devices. After a thorough analysis of cloud-based solutions from various providers, we decided to migrate to Google Apps for Government. The migration not only reduced costs in software license and server maintenance, it also brought robust functionalities for our staff to collaborate better and be more productive. Employees automatically access the most current version of Google Apps, eliminating the need for software patching and upgrades. There is no more confusion caused by the various versions of software people are using. They are also able to gain mobile access to emails, calendars, and documents from virtually anywhere with Internet access.

Google Apps is also more reliable and customizable than the other cloud solutions we evaluated. It provides API access for our developers to harness and integrate with other internal systems. I created an online GIS Map using Google Spreadsheets, Google Maps, and Google Fusion Tables that allowed us to turn a static paper map into an electronic one that is interactive and easy to use. The City is even using Google Video to store and share footage of our water and sewer systems so that we can easily access and analyze this data. For less money than what we previously paid for system maintenance alone, we get much more than just an email and calendar replacement!

Google Apps implementation partner Cloud Sherpas made our migration a smooth process. During a two-week period, we migrated all of our 644 users from Lotus Notes to Google Apps.

The examples above are few of many, and surely more will come as our city continues to use Google’s products to simplify processes from project management to police dispatch. I am honored that Google recognized me as a Government Transformer. With the right tools, my colleagues and I can collaborate and communicate more effectively and efficiently than ever before.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-city-of-lewisville-has-gone-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-lake-havasu-city-police-department-has-gone-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-lake-havasu-city-police-department-has-gone-google https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-lake-havasu-city-police-department-has-gone-google/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:49:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=3bae922b375b0a87d5fdfcfa671738e7 Posted by Dan Doyle, Chief of Police, Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Editors note: Today our guest blogger is the Chief of Police, Dan Doyle, from Lake Havasu City in Arizona. Lake Havasu P.D. has 120 employees and they switched to Google Apps in May, 2011.

Lake Havasu City in Arizona is known to be the home of the historic London Bridge. Our Police Department is dedicated to making our community a safe and secure place to live and work. We are constantly looking for technologies that can help us provide the highest quality of services to the citizens.

Our police department had been using Microsoft Office for decades. Since most of our officers are primarily on the road in their patrol vehicles, accessing documents and information while they were away from their desks had long been a struggle. Many staff members would only be able to check email before they started a shift or after they returned to the office. Even though they were able to remotely connect to the data server via a mobile browser, they were only able to access straight text, not links or the rest of the Intranet.

These challenges prompted us to look for a solution that could meet the needs of our mobile task-force. After comparing available solutions on the market, the decision was made to adopt Google Apps for Government with the help of Google partner SADA Systems. Our officers are pleased. They respond to emails from the computers in their patrol vehicles or on their smart phones. In-person meetings are largely reduced as we are now able to exchange information much more efficiently.

Our operations Captain Joe Fiumara, having worked graveyard shifts himself, realized one of the unique challenges of police work is that officers are out on patrol 24/7 but detectives and the command staff work regular hours. Using Google Sites, Joe built an internal community site called “Water Cooler” that allows all officers to easily post questions and make comments via mobile devices even when they are out on duty. We’re proud that Joe has been recognized by Google as a Government Transformer for his ingenuity improving communication and collaboration in our department. We also use Google Sites for publishing training and policy documents, significantly reducing our paper consumption.

One of the most popular questions I received after our decision to migrate to Google was about the security of Google Apps. What I tell folks is that just because police departments tend to have good physical security, it doesn’t always mean we also have good network security. By moving our data to the Google cloud, we are able to take advantage of the FISMA certified security infrastructure that Google has built, which we have found to be more robust than the systems most mid to small agencies with limited resources (including our own department) are able to build on their own.

Our organization has a goal of increasing our mobility, enhancing communication, and reducing our use of paper. Google Apps meets our needs and moves us much closer to achieving our goals. Not only is our data more secure, but better access to information helps us keep the citizens of Lake Havasu more secure as well.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-lake-havasu-city-police-department-has-gone-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/people-transform-government-with-google-apps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=people-transform-government-with-google-apps https://googledata.org/uncategorized/people-transform-government-with-google-apps/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=cf7ed155e79b6a41cea197d7d973e134 Posted by Scott McIntyre, Director of State and Local Government, Google Enterprise

Around the world, public servants are advancing the way government operates: building more transparent systems, bringing down costs and improving services. They’re doing this with ideas, technology, and passion for their work. When they see problems, they find solutions. They work together to build, fix, create. They imagine how things could be different. They transform their agency, their community, their country.

With Google Apps for Government, we’re pleased to provide some of the tools that help these “Government Transformers.” We are happy to recognize three of these transformers today:

Joe Fiumara, Lake Havasu Police Department, Arizona
Joe realized that officers are out on patrol 24x7 while supervisors and commanders work more regular business hours, making two-way communication a challenge. Joe used Google Sites to build a virtual “Watercooler” that lets officers ask questions, share information and generate ideas. Patrol officers now communicate directly with command, which fosters transparency and openness, even when they’re out on patrol.

Jason Kirkland, City of Lewisville, Texas
Playing golf or pool with Jason can be annoying since after every shot he tries to figure out a better strategy. When Jason realized city employees didn’t have easy access to the mounds of geospatial data the city of Lewisville had, he started thinking about ways to put it all to better use. The result: a layered map of Lewisville that uses Google Spreadsheets and Google Maps to let anyone find local schools, trash pick up days and other useful city information.

Jillian Ballow, State of Wyoming
Upon joining the Governor’s office, Jillian realized that the Governor’s staff lacked easy access to the most current data on a number of important policy issues. She used Google Apps to create a single site to track legislative issues, committee meeting schedules, policy staff participation, and the status of policies. Having all this data in one place makes it easy to keep the Governor and his staff informed and up to date.

Google Apps for Government is a full suite of email and collaboration applications designed for teams and built for the web. We’re proud that our tools are helping people like Joe, Jason and Jillian make a difference in their offices and their communities. We’re looking for more of these Government Transformers in the hopes that examples of their creativity can help other public servants who face similar challenges, in the U.S. and around the world.

So if you’re one of them (or know one of them), we invite you to share your story. What kind of problem did you fix? How did you come up with the idea? And exactly how did you make it happen? Submit your story in 300 words or a short video to www.govtransformers.com by January 16, 2012. We’ll feature the best stories on www.govtransformers.com and invite the very best to present at “Innovation for the Nation” 2012 in Washington, DC.

We can’t wait to see what you and your colleagues are doing for the world!

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/people-transform-government-with-google-apps/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/google-apps/the-city-of-mesquite-has-gone-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-city-of-mesquite-has-gone-google https://googledata.org/google-apps/the-city-of-mesquite-has-gone-google/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0c6a0dccf7ba2d022c0dad69905a5a6c Posted by Dirk Marshall, IT Manager for the City of Mesquite

Editors note: Today our guest blogger is Dirk Marshall, IT Manager for the City of Mesquite, Nevada. We’ll hear from Dirk on the benefits the city is enjoying by migrating 180 users to Google Apps.

Situated in picturesque Clark County, Nevada, the City of Mesquite features a thriving community, seven premier golf courses, lush casino resorts and a growing population of happy retirees.

Faced with growing budget constraints, the City was ready to upgrade its aging infrastructure and reduce IT overhead costs. We were looking specifically for a better way to align our technology with the productivity needs of our employees and simplify our IT systems. We were already maintaining two networks, Microsoft and Novell GroupWise, to meet our needs. As you can imagine, the licensing and maintenance fees for two different sets of servers were quite high.

The City of Mesquite has 180 employees, all of whom rely extensively on email and calendar. For example, there is heavy calendar sharing between management and their assistants, and many departments rely on resource scheduling for conference rooms and technical properties. During our cloud technology evaluation process, we focused on finding a platform that could maintain or enhance these features. Google Apps proved to be a cost-effective suite of applications that supported our work flows.

The switch to Google Apps has been widely accepted by city employees. Compared to Novell GroupWise, email management is easier and we have improved collaboration. Employees can co-edit documents in real time from different locations using Google Docs, which greatly reduces our need to meet face-to-face for certain projects. They also benefit from being able to access applications, emails and files from their mobile devices. The city departments used to send monthly PDF reports to the Mayor and Council, but now they are using Google Sites to share department news updates and statistics in a more graphical and easily accessible way.

The Google Apps platform has been both flexible and incredibly easy to use. With the help of our Google Apps implementation partner SADA Systems, we developed custom tools to easily activate important features and calendars for new users. This allows our employees to get up to speed more quickly and start collaborating productively sooner.

In addition to realizing important cost savings, we were also able to simplify our IT infrastructure and free up IT admin resources by moving to the cloud. The tedious and time consuming email backups and data recovery processes were eliminated. We were able to get rid of our Novell-dedicated servers and reduce our on-premise server count by six. With the time and resources saved, our IT team can focus on other critical missions to better support our government.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-apps/the-city-of-mesquite-has-gone-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/google-apps/a-look-back-at-naco-2011/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-look-back-at-naco-2011 https://googledata.org/google-apps/a-look-back-at-naco-2011/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:54:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a0152d9171486a22f28a5307863206d8 Posted by Wendy Wu, Google Enterprise Team

A week ago the Google State and Local Government team and our partner SADA Systems were out in force at the National Association of Counties Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. The conference provided a platform for over 2,000 county leaders and industry experts from across the nation to discuss innovative programs and technologies impacting county governments.

Our team was honored to moderate a session entitled “Counties Saving Money in the Cloud,” which featured three counties of different sizes using Google Apps for Government: Multnomah County, Oregon; Larimer County, Colorado; and Amador County, California. Leaders from these counties discussed their first-hand experience going Google, offering unique insight into the challenges they faced and the success they’ve seen. We developed a case study to recap the key points from the panel: Google Apps improves employee productivity while dramatically lowering IT costs.

In the evening, we had the chance to meet many more conference attendees at our tent in South Park (seriously, that was the park’s name). We’d like to extend a huge “thank you” to everyone who stopped by to say hello, play interactive games, make funny faces in our photo kiosk and pose for caricature portraits. It’s because of you that NACo 2011 was informative and fun!


To hear more from Multnomah, Larimer, Amador and other counties that have gone Google, visit our website.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-apps/a-look-back-at-naco-2011/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-steel-city-goes-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-steel-city-goes-google https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-steel-city-goes-google/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1832c78cb4e177594c7cbbf884348108 Posted by Scott McIntyre, Google Enterprise Team

The City of Pittsburgh has historically been known as the “Steel City.” While there aren’t any more steel mills, Pittsburgh has become home to over 1,600 technology companies and world-class research institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. These days, Pittsburgh’s economy is largely based on financial services, healthcare, education, robotics and technology.

Today, Pittsburgh reinforced its status as a high-tech hub by announcing that it will move all 3,000 city employees to Google Apps for Government. Google Apps will give city employees 500 times more email storage than they currently have. It will improve collaboration and productivity for employees while reducing costs and freeing up IT resources for the city.

“Adopting Google Apps aligns with our goals to utilize the best, most innovative technology in order to modernize our government, cut costs, and improve operational efficiencies,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. “Many of our employees are familiar with Gmail and will be ecstatic to know that this system provides the same intuitive and user-friendly functionality.”

Over several months, City Chief Information Officer Dr. Howard Stern led a team of experts in overseeing a competitive bid process and analyzing available cloud computing IT solutions. "Of the seven bids, Google offered the most competitive price when factoring in the costs of integration, implementation, training, and data archival," according to Dr. Stern. The City Council agreed: last month, they voted unanimously to support the switch to Google Apps.

Pittsburgh will migrate its employees to Google Apps later this year with the support of Google implementation partner Daston Corporation. Once complete, the switch to Google Apps will provide city employees with cutting-edge technology; all they need to do is to refresh their browser for the latest updates. Google Apps will also free the City Information Systems (CIS) department from the responsibility of maintaining and patching the legacy system established in 2003. CIS can then focus their resources on supporting other core government initiatives and better serving all City departments. CIS will also strengthen their data security since Google Apps for Government was the first cloud suite to receive Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) authorization from the US government. "We feel strongly that Google will ensure the safety and security of our data," Dr. Stern said.

Pittsburgh joins a growing number of other governments that have recently gone Google, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the State of Wyoming, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control, and the City of Des Moines.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/the-steel-city-goes-google/feed/ 0 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/see-you-at-the-national-association-of-counties-annual-conference/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=see-you-at-the-national-association-of-counties-annual-conference https://googledata.org/uncategorized/see-you-at-the-national-association-of-counties-annual-conference/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9b792c57626d64f44ef42c3f8a54265b Posted by Wendy Wu, Google Enterprise Team

From big cities to small towns to suburbs, from forests to tundra to islands, Americans live in diverse habitats. No matter where we live, we all have county governments. Today, members of Google's government team are flying from Santa Clara County (home of our Mountain View headquarters) to Multnomah County in Oregon to talk to county leaders from across the country at the National Association of Counties Annual Conference, NACo 2011, from Saturday to Monday, July 16-18.

This year’s NACo conference is hosted by Multnomah County, one of our Google Apps for Government customers. Due to tight budgets, counties across the nation, like Multnomah, have been forced to look for innovative ways to save money while maintaining critical services.


Our team will moderate a panel session featuring three distinguished county government leaders who will discuss their experiences moving their email and workplace collaboration to the cloud. Please join us if you’ll be at the conference.

Counties Saving Money in the Cloud
Time: July 17, 1:30 - 2:45 PT
Location: Room 113 (level 1), Oregon Convention Center

Speakers:

• Sherry Swackhamer, Chief Information Officer, Multnomah County, Oregon
• Lew Gaiter, Commissioner, Larimer County, Colorado
• Jeff White, IT Director, Amador County, California
• Scott McIntyre, Director of State and Local Government, Google

Be sure to stop by our booth 601 to learn more about our technology offerings for governments. Even if you can’t attend the conference, you can visit our website for more information about Google Apps for Government.

We hope to see you there!

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