An InterDev Case Study

City of Sandy SpringsWhen the City of Sandy Springs formed in 2006, the decision to adopt a public-private partnership (PPP) for city services made the city a model for fledging municipalities nationwide. During the rebid of the City’s General Government Services contracts in 2011, City leadership realized that accepting bids on individual services, rather than taking an omnibus approach using a single vendor, could represent the best value to the City.

The resulting evaluations enabled City stakeholders to perform an integrated assessment of each firm’s abilities in relation to its bid to perform the requested services. In April 2011, based upon its depth of experience, comprehensive methodologies and value for services given, the City awarded the contract and resulting task order for Information Services (IT and GIS) to Atlanta-based managed IT services provider InterDev.

Supporting a Model City

Under the terms of the contract and task order, InterDev would select, configure and manage all IT hardware, software, enterprise resource planning and GIS systems for 350 city personnel, including proactive system monitoring, troubleshooting and support of all systems and processes, network security, network administration and Help Desk. InterDev would also provide high-level, multi-year IT planning services for the City to align technology strategies and projects with city goals and priorities.

As part of its response to the Request for Proposals (RFP), InterDev began evaluating the City’s IT infrastructure, reviewing equipment and software inventory, and developing recommendations for improvements. By the time InterDev received the contract and staff began working on the project full-time, they were prepared to ramp up key improvements quickly, with minimal impact to city personnel.

InterDev has helped the City redesign and reformulate its IT and communications processes and systems, from network and infrastructure monitoring and management to disaster recovery and public safety.

Initially the City’s line of business (LOB) applications and data were hosted off-site, served from a separate Active Directory sub-domain of the provider. “City management wanted centralized control of all the City’s IT assets,” says InterDev’s Director of Government Services Daniel Schultheiss. “They wanted their own infrastructure; their own software with licenses; their own data storage facilities.”

InterDev immediately tackled the migration of all user accounts, computers and LOB accounts from the hosted domain to a new domain it created for the City. “Having 100% ownership of their data gives the City the ability to manage data retention, perform historical review, do audits and validate proper security is in place,” says InterDev’s City of Sandy Springs IT Manager Johnny Johnson.

InterDev also migrated the City to a unified (storage and server) computing platform that supports the City’s virtualized operating environment. The hyper-efficient infrastructure solution also incorporates state-of-the-art security protocols and devices.

“The City could have taken the more traditional step of individual servers doing their individual jobs, but leadership saw the benefits in our recommendations,” says Johnson. “Normal hardware has a three-to-five-year lifespan, whereas this solution has a potential lifespan of seven to 10 years. This solution has resulted in less downtime and lower continued cost of ownership, plus a lighter footprint, less power usage, better resource management, and robust monitoring and replication capabilities.”

Facilitating Unimpeded Communications

InterDev subsequently completed a number of key information services projects for the City, ensuring accurate and timely communication of information ranging from GIS coordinates to traffic camera data. To facilitate continuity of communications and IT services in the event of a system failure or disaster, InterDev helped the City develop an advanced and highly cost-effective IT backup/recovery/ response solution.

For the solution, InterDev set up a redundant, failover server for data recovery and continuity at an off-site facility where the City was already participating in a collocated 911 command center. In the event of a disruption affecting City Hall systems, the server can start up as a temporary, primary server and data location nearly instantaneously, enabling extremely rapid and secure continuity of IT services and communications. “Everything in the City’s core infrastructure at City Hall replicates to its recovery site,” says Schultheiss.

Another information services project that InterDev completed successfully was the City’s new GIS mapping solution. The comprehensive ESRI GIS platform provides accurate, ondemand information for city departments and the public, and it enables cross-department coordination between the Public Works and Community Development departments. Through a customized GIS portal, community members have access to a web-based viewer that allows them to access parcel, flood map, zoning and other data.

In the area of public safety, InterDev implemented a highly secure communications and video-monitoring framework for use by public safety personnel. The solution included deployment of a real-time, centralized video monitoring system for citywide surveillance, automated license plate recognition, in-car and on-officer video and integrated traffic cameras.

“Being able to collect and manage video within a single system, whereas before the City had video going to separate DVRs, makes an enormous difference for criminal investigations,” says Schultheiss. “The old DVRs had varied recording lengths and independent clocks, and by getting them on the same system, the City can now coordinate a series of video clips from separate cameras that cover a single event.”

Integrating the standalone traffic management system was also a big win for the city, says Johnson. “Merging public safety and public works into a ‘single pane of glass’ view lets both business units take advantage of the assets, which maximizes ROI.”

Benefits for Everyone

Some of the projects are bringing financial benefits to residents, as well. For example, despite rapid growth and changes over the past two decades, the City was able to maintain its ISO (fire safety) rating, in part due to more accurate mapping developed by InterDev’s GIS staff. Continuation of the existing rating resulted in reduced insurance rates for both commercial and residential property owners.

“As a private partner, we bring the best practices we’ve developed for corporate clients and share them with the City. We also bring talent that an average city can’t afford on an occasional basis,” Johnson concludes. These approaches help the City deliver more–and more advanced –services to the citizens in a cost effective manner.”

About the City of Sandy Springs

Incorporated in 2005, Sandy Springs (pop. 93.583) is metro Atlanta area’s second largest city and the sixth largest city in the state of Georgia. For more information about the City of Sandy Springs, visit www.sandyspringsga.gov.

About InterDev

For more than 30 years, InterDev has provided professional Information Technology (IT) services and support for emerging organizations across the U.S. In addition to managing and hosting IT operations for its valued clients, InterDev also provides leading edge IT security solutions — based on technologies from Barracuda Networks, Enterasys and Palo Alto Networks — as well as telecommunications consulting including VoIP phone systems, and voice and data circuits. InterDev is a proud Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Barracuda Networks Certified Diamond Partner. InterDev serves customers from offices in Atlanta, Chicago and Jacksonville, Florida. For more information, visit www.InterDev.com.

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As CEO of InterDev, Gary Nichols leads a firm of over 75 professionals, working from Atlanta and Chicago offices, who serve a variety of clients throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Nichols is responsible for managing the company’s direction and overall operations. He also spearheads InterDev’s initiatives in outsourced Managed IT and communications, overseeing its professional services and support to government, education, business and non-profit organizations across the US.

As the founder of InterDev in 1980, Gary was an early adopter of innovative technologies ranging from the first personal computer to artificial intelligence. His personal mantra of “find a way” inspired the innovative Government IT Consortium, a shared-service outsourcing model in use in the Chicago area. Gary’s leadership led to the formation of successful public-private partnerships (PPP) with the City of Sandy Springs, the City of Brookhaven, the City of Dunwoody, and other municipalities in Georgia.

Since 1980, the InterDev team has accumulated multiple industry awards, including Atlanta Business Chronicle Pacesetter, Appen Media Best of North Atlanta, and Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America (three-time honoree) – all under Gary’s leadership.

Gary earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). He is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Gary has served on the Advisory Board of the National Technology Security Coalition and volunteers with TAG-Ed, FutureCity.org, and Habitat for Humanity.

With his extensive expertise in information technology and systems security, and strong professional training in IT solutions ranging from data centers and cloud computing to networking, Daniel Schultheiss is the cornerstone of InterDev’s IT practice. He provides high-level analysis of the IT infrastructure of organizations – from corporations to municipalities – and offers recommendations on how they can achieve their goals.

During his tenure at InterDev, Daniel has played a key role in InterDev’s growth, as the firm expanded its expertise to embrace emerging technology and security disciplines that have now become mission critical to firms of all sizes. One of his most significant achievements was helping to develop and implement InterDev’s Managed Services platform in 2006 – his first year with the firm. He also served as IT Manager for the City of Sandy Springs from 2011-2013, and helped InterDev launch its Government Services division in 2014.

Daniel holds a CISSP certification and is a Certified Ethical Hacker. He is also a member of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). Daniel graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering.

Neil Matchan leads InterDev’s technology programs, using his expertise and vision to help InterDev identify and seize technology opportunities for its clients while they are still in the innovation phase. Matchan was instrumental in developing, managing and growing InterDev’s Managed Services program, one of its core offerings.

Neil joined InterDev in 1998 as a Senior Systems Engineer, putting his strong technology acumen to work on the firm’s behalf. In 2006, he was promoted to the position of Director of IT Services, overseeing InterDev’s Technology Department and all related projects and client interactions. In 2014 he was promoted to CTO, a role that more clearly represents the contributions he makes to InterDev to this day.

Prior to joining InterDev, Neil worked in corporate sales for CompUSA, where he was named a Top 30 performer in the nation and was the #1 Account Executive at his location from 1995-1998.

Neil holds certifications from Dell, Barracuda Networks (Spam, Message Archiver, Load Balancer, and Web Filter), VMware, and Ruckus Wireless as well as for most major corporate software and hardware manufacturers. In 2009, he became the first person to be certified as a Next Generation Engineer through Barracuda’s firewall specialist program. Neil studied Industrial Psychology at Georgia State University and is a graduate of the Network Administrator Specialist program at Oglethorpe University.

As Chief Government Information Officer, Ashley Smith provides vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives for InterDev’s Government Services division. He also acts as the Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) for more than 20 of InterDev’s client municipalities, providing short- and long-term strategic IT planning for their environments.

With an extensive background working in the information technology and services industry, Ashley’s insight and planning have helped position InterDev’s municipal clients as leaders in the government sector, and he and his team continue to help these clients set the bar for exceptional municipal services.

Even before joining InterDev, Ashley was a seasoned government IT professional at both the state and local levels. He previously served as the IT and Communications Manager for the City of Hapeville, Georgia and as the IT Manager for the Hapeville Wi-Fi Network, part of the Wireless Community Georgia Grant program sponsored by the Georgia Technology Authority.

A frequent presenter at the Georgia Municipal Association’s Annual Conference and the Annual Mayors’ Day conference, Ashley has taught classes on best practices in government IT and on using technology to improve government operations. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Georgia Southern University and is a certified Government CIO (CGCIO) and a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). He is also certified in Network + and GCIC Data Integrity, and has completed courses in Recovery Training and Project Management from the Department of Homeland Security.

As InterDev’s Director of Operations, Mike Edelson oversees a consortium of local government GIS Managers throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area and manages InterDev’s MosaicGIS cloud-based solution and Location Intelligence Labs. With more than a decade of experience in Geospatial and GIS technologies, Mike has strong expertise in GIS enterprise database design and management, GPS collection and processing, and SDSFIE & FGDC metadata standards.

Mike joined InterDev in 2013 as a GIS Analyst for the City of Brookhaven, Georgia as part of InterDev’s public-private partnership with the city. After building the Brookhaven GIS department, he became instrumental in shaping InterDev’s GIS program and services for dozens of cities. His recent promotion to Director of Operations solidifies his commitment to leading the company to the next level of sales and service.

Prior to joining InterDev, Mike worked as a Project Manager at CH2M Hill, a global engineering firm. Working for the military, Edelson provided GIS Military Master Planning services to more than a dozen US military installations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar. He also performed field work after Hurricane Katrina.

During his career, Mike has received numerous awards, including URISA, a nonprofit professional organization that awarded Mike and his team the prestigious Exemplary Systems in Government Award in 2014 and 2016. Since 2012, he has volunteered as a Judge for the National Engineering Week Future City Competition. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Science from Florida State University and is a graduate of the Leadership DeKalb Academy.

Lewis Wilkinson, Sr. heads InterDev’s Project Management Office, where he and his team work closely with government, commercial, and vendor principals to ensure the success of project work and the satisfaction of all parties. With a deep understanding of the complex interactions of software and technology deployments – and how they impact business processes – Lewis provides the structure, guidance, and communications to promote optimal results for InterDev clients. Projects Lewis successfully manages involve enterprise-wide ERP software, security and risk management assessments, technology infrastructure upgrades, and Managed Services deployments.

Since joining InterDev in 2011, Lewis has helped to build InterDev’s Project Management Office. He has also worked extensively with BS&A, Tyler Munis, Tyler Incode, New World Systems, CIS CSC security framework, and the ESRI GIS software suite, helping InterDev and its clients reap these platforms’ benefits.

Lewis is a certified Project Manager (PMP) as recognized by the Project Management Institute and an Agile Certified Scrum Manager (CSM). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Computer Science from Wake Forest University.

With a mission to provide, establish, and deploy the best security practices for InterDev and its clients, Jesse Cail leads InterDev’s Security team with the dedication to excellence he has shown in every facet of his life. As an information security professional with a broad spectrum of expertise ranging from cybersecurity and communications to windows and server administration, Jesse is laser focused on systems security and information assurance for InterDev clients.

Jesse joined the InterDev team in 2012 and almost immediately leveraged his experience and strong domain administration skills to build a security program from the ground up for the City of Sandy Springs. This program would later serve as the model program for all of InterDev’s clients.

A retired U.S. Army veteran with unique experiences in Special Operations, Jesse served and deployed with both 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was also selected for a special six-year assignment to the White House Communications Agency, served as a member of the White House Situation Support Staff, and directly supported the White House Situation Room and National Security Council.

Jesse holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), a GIAC Certified Critical Controls Implementation/Auditor, and a certified GIAC Security Essentials practitioner (GSEC).

Jennifer Braithwaite, InterDev’s Business Development Manager, leads her team by developing key relationships throughout the Southeast region in collaboration with the Government team at InterDev. Her talent and ability for building business relationships enables her to connect naturally with InterDev clients and prospects, making her a highly valued team member. Always focused on company achievement, Jennifer challenges the team to identify potential opportunities and helps them develop and execute the strategies that will bring them – and InterDev – success.

After joining InterDev in 2012 as a Sales and Marketing Assistant, Jennifer has logged an impressive track record. In 2014, Jennifer began selling for InterDev full time, landing several major accounts. In 2015, she was promoted to Business Development Associate after more than doubling her sales by securing over $2 million in revenue. Jennifer was also instrumental in helping InterDev land engagements with the City of Beaufort, South Carolina, and the cities of Canton, Chamblee, Douglasville, Fairburn, South Fulton, and Stonecrest, Georgia. In 2017, she was named to the InterDev $5 Million Dollar Club for another year of record-setting sales.

Prior to joining InterDev, Jennifer held a series of progressively responsible administrative positions, gaining operational insight that informed her work helping municipalities recognize the value in robust IT structures. She is a member of the Georgia City-County Management Association, the South Carolina City-County Management Association, the Texas City Management Association, the Florida City-County Management Association, Government Management Information Sciences, and the Georgia Municipal Association. She has also been named to the InterDev $5 Million Dollar Club for record-setting sales.

As IT Manager of InterDev’s Midwest region, Nino Spuria is a high-performance IT leader focused on building, growing, and managing InterDev’s advanced IT service structure. His strong technology background, combined with strategic leadership and business acumen, gives him the ability to meet or exceed service excellence goals while also increasing revenue and client satisfaction.

Prior to joining InterDev, Nino built a remarkable legacy of technology-focused project management and execution, especially in the public sector. As VP of Service Delivery at SDI, he was instrumental in the City of Chicago Mayor’s public initiative to install 1500+ cameras in more than 70 rail stations within six months to increase public safety and security.

A recipient of more than 15 awards for performance/delivery excellence from IBM, marchFIRST Inc, and SDI Solutions, Nino is ITIL certified and holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from McMaster University.

As IT Services Manager, Rosie Caldon leads a highly skilled and specialized team of engineers and customer care staff dedicated to providing professional technical support for all IT and VoIP products and service offering. Their dedication to maintaining the human element in technical support through personable, live-answer service promotes InterDev’s positive customer experience.

Rosie Caldon joined InterDev’s Voices Services Team in 2016 where she quickly expanded the company’s client base to more than 300 Commercial and Government VoIP clients and has subsequently been a key contributor to the success of onboarding enterprise VoIP clients.

Caldon’s career expands more than 10 years in the Telecom and IT industries in roles ranging from customer support to installations, project management, training, and leadership roles in complex and diverse technical environments.

Rosie studied Sociology at the University of Georgia and maintains her industry expertise through attainment of partner certifications with such innovative leading providers as Avaya, Jive, Digium, Fuze and Fortinet.

Jeff Colonna joined InterDev in 2019 in the role of Corporate Controller. In this position, he is responsible for the leadership of all accounting and finance functions. Since joining the firm, he has successfully transformed many of the financial processes of the company by incorporating new technologies that promote efficiency.

Colonna began his career with the international accounting firm Deloitte, where he specialized in auditing publicly traded technology companies. He later moved to the corporate accounting sector where he held several controller and director-level roles with small and large technology companies.

Colonna earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Connecticut and is currently a licensed CPA in the state of Georgia.

Randi Russell is the Human Resources and Recruiting Manager for InterDev, a role she assumed when she joined the company in 2018. In this position, she is responsible for all human resource functions from onboarding to professional development and exit planning as well new hire recruiting.

Prior to joining InterDev, Russell worked for a large retailer where she gained experience in warehouse, distribution, inventory control, risk management and human resources. Among her other professional accomplishments she counts the successful establishment and operation of a food distribution company that she grew to $8MM in annual revenue over nine years as well as an extended tenure working in the commercial furniture industry where she attained increasing levels of responsibility in business operations, commercial services and human resources.

Russell studied Liberal Arts and Computer Science at DeKalb Community College in Clarkston, Georgia, and earned her certification as a SHRM-CP in 2018.

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