State of Florida uses the power of technology to accomplish objectives. Sprint provides state-of-the-art voice and data solutions

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1 Case Study State of Florida uses the power of technology to accomplish objectives Sprint provides state-of-the-art voice and data solutions A look inside the State of Florida government Through recent legislation, Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature created and empowered the State Technology Office (STO) with the primary responsibility for the planning, acquisition, development, implementation, use and management of IT within the state of Florida. Until now, state agencies have been responsible for building and managing independent applications, data and assets, as well as maintaining both staffing and budgeting resources. This process has created silos of IT assets and expertise across state government, costing the state both time and money for technology development, support and maintenance. The STO s mission is to create an integrated, digital government that: Simplifies citizens electronic access Improves customer service Leverages technology to gain efficiencies across the enterprise For more information on the State Technology Office, please visit Simplifying citizens electronic access, improving customer service and leveraging technology to gain efficiencies across the enterprise are the three primary objectives of the Florida State Government s Technology Business Plan. The State Technology Office (STO) is responsible for the integration and management of technology resources within the state agencies and has embraced technology advancements to help them achieve these objectives. Through the vision and leadership of Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida legislature, the STO has a business-oriented approach and is tasked with managing the state s technology resources on an enterprise basis. The STO has set out to use the power of technology to improve their operations and internal communications in order to provide Floridians with programs and services they need. For almost 30 years, Sprint has been working with the state to provide innovative technology solutions. These solutions help make up the state s SUNCOM network, which provides voice, video and data services to government entities across the state. With a team of representatives dedicated exclusively to the state of Florida, Sprint has become a major player in helping the state meet its technology objectives. Sprint and the state of Florida s shared vision of providing exceptional customer service through advanced technology offerings is a major reason for the partnership s continued success. In order to continue providing our agencies with quick, reliable electronic access, we needed to enhance our existing network setup. Kimberly Bahrami, Chief Information Officer for the State of Florida One Sprint. Many Solutions. SM Voice/Data PCS Wireless Internet Services E-Business Solutions Managed Services

2 Challenge #1 Implementing and growing the Metropolitan Area Network Since the early 90s, the state has relied on a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) for data communications in Tallahassee. When the state began looking at providers for its data needs, it was particularly impressed with the network solution being offered by Sprint. The MAN proposed by Sprint was unique because it provided a full turnkey solution including the backbone technology, equipment, monitoring and maintenance making it the first of its kind in the nation. Acting as a ring that encompasses the entire Tallahassee metropolitan area, the MAN gives government employees access to the Internet, and statewide databases such as COPES, the personnel database, and SAMAS, the accounting system. The Tallahassee MAN has since become a model for state governments across the country. Although the MAN served the state s needs for many years, STO officials knew they needed to consider upgrading their network to keep up with the growing demands. In order to continue providing our agencies with quick, reliable electronic access, we needed to enhance our existing network setup, said Kimberly Bahrami, chief information officer for the state. The STO turned to Sprint to help design and implement a solution that could give it more bandwidth and functionality to accommodate its needs well into the future. Solution #1 In 2000, Sprint engineers and product specialists again began working closely with the STO to plan a new network design. After several months of collaboration, the team decided on a new backbone that consisted of switched Gigabit Ethernet links meshed between switches that were based at the central office. The new solution, second generation MAN, gave the state a reliable network with higher bandwidth and the flexibility to add additional features as needed. Once the design was confirmed, the STO relied on Sprint to manage the implementation. Sprint had the knowledge and expertise we were looking for to ensure we were operating as an enterprise rather than separate organizations, Bahrami explained. Prior to the upgrade, the MAN provided a 10 Megabit per second connection at the desktop. The new upgrade now gives users 100 Megabit per second connections, but is built to accommodate a full Gigabit of access in the future. Plus, the new technology now allows the state to run video over its MAN. The state s juvenile justice system, for example, uses videoconferencing to avoid the expense and risk involved in physically moving youth among its various locations. The agency is now able to conduct business over video rather than holding face-to-face meetings, thereby saving taxpayers money. Sprint had the knowledge and expertise we were looking for to ensure we were operating as an enterprise rather than separate organizations. Kimberly Bahrami, Chief Information Officer for the State of Florida

3 Challenges (Continued) Challenge #2 Expanding network capabilities and support While the MAN provides data access to the offices located in and around the state capitol, offices outside the Tallahassee area were relying on dedicated point-to-point and multi-drop circuits for their data needs. This type of setup limited the amount of information accessible to our field offices and required each office to be accountable for its own network needs, said Bahrami. Not only was this keeping our employees from accessing important files and information, it was also requiring them to handle technical issues and keeping them from their primary responsibilities. The state needed a network that could transport its existing IP traffic and be flexible enough to add new features as they became available. In 1995, the STO began working with Sprint and two major local exchange carriers to implement a wide area network (WAN) solution that could support its needs. The WAN now provides one network for all offices outside the Tallahassee area, which saves the state valuable resources and improves efficiencies. Government employees in all agencies and locations can now collaborate more effectively by sharing databases and systems. Solution #2 The agreement provided the state with a complete service that includes the local loop, backbone transport, DSU/CSU, router, maintenance and overall network management all at one price allowing for easier budget management. The Network Operations Center, staffed by experienced Sprint network representatives, provides a single point of contact to users for all network related issues, regardless of where the connection may lie in Florida. This enterprise-wide initiative saves the state extra time and expense associated with managing the network internally and ensures that all agencies are receiving the same level of network support. Like any true collaboration, representatives from the STO and Sprint meet regularly to discuss overall service-related issues and possible upgrades or additional features. When planning for the WAN, the STO was looking for more than a state-of-the-art data network. It was also eager to implement a full turnkey service that would provide it with a single point of contact for new service, changes, management and trouble resolution. After months of collaborating on its longterm objectives and reviewing the capabilities of technology providers, the STO determined that Sprint was in the best position to serve its needs.

4 A long history of collaboration Using Sprint Centrex SM to support voice needs The state of Florida and Sprint actually began their long-standing relationship in 1973 when the two organizations worked together to consolidate the various phone systems within the Tallahassee government offices. With more than 40,000 employees housed in approximately 100 offices, the state was looking for a complete phone system that could offer the same level of service and features to all of its Tallahassee locations. After reviewing the various options, the state of Florida team decided on Sprint Centrex to meet these needs. With all calls going through switches located at Sprint, the state doesn t have to worry about maintaining and storing complex equipment or software upgrades. Plus, because Sprint Centrex is leased, the state did not have to pay large, up-front capital expenses. Milestones In addition to its day-to-day use, which currently stands at about 21 million minutes of usage each month, the state relies heavily on its voice communications network during times of hurricanes, floods or other disasters. Sprint Centrex provides a flexible, reliable solution that handles all of the state s calls, and provides features such as voic , caller ID and three-way conferencing. With the voice needs of the state continuing to grow, the STO was eager to accept Sprint s recent offer of becoming a trial user for IP Centrex. This trial period is serving as a win for both organizations by allowing the state to test the usability of the technology and giving Sprint the feedback it needs to make improvements. Once fully developed, IP Centrex will allow organizations of all types and sizes to experience the benefits of IP telephony, including premier value-added voice services and multimedia features all through a Web portal. Consolidating PBX and Key System purchases State offices in every county work with Sprint to purchase and service their telecommunications equipment. While the Tallahassee offices rely primarily on Sprint Centrex for their voice needs, offices in other parts of the state use PBX (private branch exchange) and Key Systems. Both systems provide an inexpensive, flexible telephone service that supports the offices voice needs. Working with their local Sprint representative, technology representatives from the individual government offices were placing orders for the hardware, software, accessories and other equipment needed to support these systems. In order to support our goal of consolidating efforts and costs, we began looking for opportunities to improve our telephony purchasing process, said Bahrami. In 1999, the state and Sprint signed a contract that continues to leverage the purchasing power of multiple agencies by providing a simple ordering process at a significant costs savings The state of Florida implements Sprint Centrex SM, a total phone solution, for its voice needs The state works with Sprint to install its first Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), allowing data access to all government offices in the Tallahassee area Sprint and the state of Florida implement a calling card program that offers government officials cost-effective long distance calling while traveling A wide area network (WAN) is added to help support the data needs of state government field offices outside the Tallahassee area Sprint and the state of Florida sign an agreement allowing for a more expedient and cost-effective method to purchase PBX and Key Systems equipment.

5 Wireless data applications from Sprint Since its entrance into the Florida area, Sprint s PCS division has provided phones to meet the state s wireless voice needs. State employees have a quick and cost-effective method for obtaining quality, state-of-the-art wireless services. In early 2000, the STO began looking at Sprint s all-digital PCS network as an opportunity to provide officials with wireless data connections while traveling. Using data cards, laptop computers and the power of Sprint s nationwide wireless network, individuals can gain secure, highspeed access to the Internet and internal organization applications such as or the intranet. By 2001, several state agencies, including the governor s office, began using the technology. The wireless data capabilities allow officials to receive data access when and where they need it, enabling them to be productive when they are away from the office. At speeds comparable to or higher than a standard dial-up connection, this solution allows officials to take their desktop with them eliminating the need to search for a connection. The state is now considering the upgraded version of this wireless connectivity PCS Vision SM from Sprint. The launch of PCS Vision gives users data access at even faster speeds than before,with data speeds averaging 50 to 70 kbps and maximum speeds of up to 144 kbps. Sprint calling card program For over 10 years, Sprint has been supplying the state of Florida with calling cards to support intrastate, interstate and international calling capabilities. The calling cards provide long distance communication for officials while traveling around the state and beyond. With more than 28,000 calling cards in use by all the major agencies and some 50 smaller entities such as universities, colleges and county governments, Sprint has dedicated a customer service team to support the program. The customer service representatives manage the day-to-day activity associated with such a large group of users and provide the state with an experienced staff who understands its needs. In addition to a dedicated support team, Sprint gives the state of Florida a customized billing system to meet the different needs of various agencies and departments. These groups can receive their invoice on paper, CD-ROM or through a Web-based billing interface. The CD-ROM-based FONVIEW offers a suite of standard reports to track usage patterns and calling trends. FONVIEW also provides a user-friendly interface for the development of custom reports for accounting and charge-back purposes. Many agencies rely on this invoicing method to track individual usage and manage overall expenses more effectively The expansion of the MAN gives state employees a faster data connection and the ability to run video over their network The STO begins using Sprint s PCS solution for wireless data access The state signs on as a trial user for Sprint IP Centrex.

6 Why Sprint? For more than 100 years, education institutions, businesses and government agencies have looked to Sprint for a full-range of telecommunication products and services. We broke new ground in communications by building the first nationwide, 100 percent digital, fiber-optic network. Now, we are taking the next step to convert our local digital, circuit-switched network to a next-generation, packet-switched network. Not only will the new network provide more capacity, but it will allow us to offer our customers new, advanced technology solutions, as well as more robust data services. Today, Sprint has evolved into a global communications company that serves 26 million customers in more than 70 countries.with more than 75,000 employees worldwide, we deliver a full portfolio of local, long distance and wireless services, as well as a total commitment to exceptional customer service. From this unmatched portfolio of voice, video and data communication products and services, we can work with you to develop a strategic solution that s designed to meet your requirements now, and one that can evolve with you as future needs arise. For more information, contact your Sprint government solutions representative, or call One Sprint. Many Solutions. SM Voice/Data PCS Wireless Internet Services E-Business Solutions Managed Services Printed on recycled paper. Copyright Sprint All Rights Reserved. L /2002 The Sprint Brand, the Sprint name and the diamond logo are registered trademarks of Sprint Communications Company L.P. The names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.