Enterprise software vendor Microsoft will supply Office 365, a cloud technology platform, to the San Bernardino County, Calif.
The Microsoft cloud services will enable the sheriff’s department to save money, assist ensure compliance with security and privacy regulations from the FBI.
Office 365 will provide law enforcement officers and support staff with a secured, compliant way to collaborate with each other across 60 locations. Office 365 can also enable the department to better respond to citizen needs, investigate crimes and carry out administrative tasks.
Microsoft Office 365 will bring all platforms onto a single one. Earlier, the department had multiple offices running different software due to budget constraints and a three-year distributed upgrade cycle.
The unified platform will meet the privacy and security requirements of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) and the California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (CLETS) for data access and management.
Office 365 will assist the department to leverage the cloud instead of relying on a limited number of on-premises servers. Cloud support enables department employees to connect to systems and data even when power is out in other parts of the county.
Initially, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department will use Office 365 for 200 seats in April 2014. Later it will be expanded to additional 2,800 seats.
As part of Office 365, Microsoft Lync videoconferencing capabilities will enable Sheriff’s Department staff to hold face-to-face meetings virtually, instead of requiring staff to drive as much as four hours to attend in-person meetings.
The department plans to deploy 100 ruggedized Dell devices running Windows 8.1, which meet CJIS and CLETS standards and allow secured, mobile access to data.
Michael Donlan, vice president of state and local government, Microsoft, said, in a blog post: “The upcoming rollout of Microsoft Lync and the Windows 8.1 devices will further enable the department to transform the way it helps citizens and increase its effectiveness.”
