City of

Lewisville

Use of the Cloud

The 'Cloud'

• SAAS - Software as a Service

• PAAS - Platform as a Service

• Our simple definition: Any app we use that runs in someone else's data center accessed through the internet.

History

Challenges to address:

• Server administration workloads

• Cost (budget restrictions)

• Lack of portability and mobility

• Lack of collaboration

• Licensing challenges

Benefits

Benefits we've experienced

• Budget savings

• Information accessibility

• Reduction in support calls

• Frequent feature updates/additions

BenefitsBudget Savings Examples

• Google Apps (Email/Calendar) - $14,000o Annual savings from discontinuing legacy systemo Also, $1,275 annual savings by eliminating our

Blackberry server maintenance contract

• Google Maps (GIS) - $4,800o Annual savings by making our own online GIS app

• City Council Videos - $20,000 o Annual savings by moving our City Council video

recordings to Youtube

BenefitsInformation Accessibility

• Cloud-apps are, by default, accessible and securable outside the network.

• Apps installed in our data center are more difficult to make accessible and secure outside the City network.

• Google's apps, in particular, are easily accessible on mobile devices

• Employees can access cloud-apps from any computer with a browser.

BenefitsReduction in Support Calls

• Less to break with cloud apps.

• Major cloud apps are run by companies who have more resources available to ensure availability.

• No client software to keep updated

BenefitsFrequent feature updates/additions

• Cloud apps are easier for the vendor to update frequently (they're just websites)

• Google Apps receives frequent updates, bug fixes and new features

• Limited IT support for desktop users.

Our Cloud Apps

Our Cloud Apps

Email / Calendar: Google Apps

Email Archive: Google Apps (Postini)

Council Meeting Video: Youtube (free)

Council Meeting Packets: Dropbox (free)

Mapping App (for end-users): Google Maps API +

Fusion Tables (free)

Our Cloud Apps

Intranet: Google Sites

Office Productivity Suite: Google Docs

City Website: Vision Internet

CRM: GovQA

Employment Application: NeoGov

EmailGoogle Apps - Gmail

Previously used in-house Lotus Notes system

Gmail:

• No clients to manage

• Accessible (and 'live') outside the network

• Everyone on the same version

• Employees can set it up themselves on their personal mobile devices (very broad compatibility)

• Virus detection on attachments

Email RetentionGoogle Apps - Postini

• Emails archived for 1 year

• Built-in spam detection

• No onsite storage and storage-backup needed

CalendarGoogle Apps - Calendar

• Much more user friendly than our legacy application

• Easy to share calendars and to create special-event calendars

• Easily accessible on most mobile devices

• Email / text message notification of events

City Council Meeting VideosYoutube

• Council meeting videos hosted on Youtube

• Free

• Saved $20,000

• Youtube serves the videos in the appropriate format depending on the device (Flash, HTML5, etc)

City Council Agenda PacketsDropbox

• Cloud-based file storage/syncing

• Free (up to 2GB)

• Council agenda files put into Dropbox

• Council accesses files on iPad via Dropbox app

• Changes made by City Sec are instantly available to Council

City WebsiteDesigned/Hosted by Vision Internet

• Hosted website means no servers to maintain

• Website now administered by PIO's office.

• IT involvement now minimal

• WYSIWYG editor means non-technical employees can create decent-looking content

CRMDesigned/Hosted by GovQA

• Hosted app means no servers or databases to maintain

• Application now run by PIO's office.

• IT involvement now minimal

IntranetGoogle Apps - Google Sites

• Intranet now designed with / hosted by Google Sites.

• WYSIWYG editor means quick and easy page/content creation

• Changes instantly available

• Employees can access from outside the network (home, mobile, etc)

Office Productivity SuiteGoogle Apps - Google Docs

• Web-based - No client-side apps to manage

• Spreadsheets

• Word Processor

• Presentations

Advanced:

• Scripting (Google Apps Script)

• APIs (use them plain or with libraries like .NET, Python, Java, Javascript, etc)

GISGoogle Maps API + Fusion Tables

• Users are familiar with G-Maps

• Very easy to code

• Can add GIS layers via Fusion Tables

• No direct access to GIS servers/data

• Use Google Spreadsheet / API to control layer visibility and settings (labels, zoom levels, etc)

Apps created using google tools.

• Public Safety Unit Tracking interfaced with message switch leveraging google map tools.

• Public Safety informational maps with vital resource information.

• Public Safety EOC applications leveraging google sites for emergency management center operations.

• Txdot links for highway camera access.

• All City GIS layers are available on google map application.

Apps Continued

• Self service applications for employees outside of network using google api's and oauth (open authorization) for authentication.

• Internet applications leveraging google sites and docs to launch .net apps and reporting services.

• Apps using web forms and spreadsheet features of google docs. (Replace most small database applications).

• Information sharing through shared services in google docs.

Contacts

Larry Buchanan ITS Director

lbuchanan@cityoflewisville.com

Chris Lee ITS Operations Manager

clee@cityoflewisville.com

Jason Kirkland Projects Manager

jkirkland@cityoflewisville.com