HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.17.20 Email from Art Robinson - COVID-19 Weekly Summary - Information Systems
From:Robison, Art
To:Dept Heads;Asst Dept Heads;Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;
Lambert, Steve;Lucero, Debra;McCracken, Shari;Pickett, Andy;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami;Rodas, Amalia;
Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug
Cc:Information Systems (County I.S. Dept.);ISR - Information Security Representatives;Miner, Patrick;Thao,
Charlie;Richter, Gary;Tong, Albert;Allen, Jonathan;Huff, Mike;Thompson, Mike;Hothan, Joe;Brandt, Wayne
(DBH);Brown, Mart;Haymond, Andy;Luke, Sandie;Musler, Hope;Chen, Bingjie (Alex)
Subject:COVID-19 Weekly Summary - Information Systems
Date:Friday, April 17, 2020 4:15:13 PM
Attachments:2020.4.17 - COVID-19 Weekly Summary - Information Systems.docx
All,
A brief summary of this week’s activities in Information Systems related to COVID-19.
If you have questions or comments please contact me at the number below, or the IS Help Desk staff
at 530.552.3222.
Art Robison
Director of Information Systems
County of Butte
308 Nelson Avenue
Oroville, CA 95965
Phone (530) 552-3200
Fax (530) 538-6419
Email arobison@buttecounty.net
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COVID-19 Weekly Summary-IS
Date
4.17.2020
Executive Summary
The first phase of the County Internet connection upgrade occursthis evening between 7:00 PM and
11:00 PM. Phase 1 will upgrade the Oroville connection. During the period of the upgrade, services will
be intermittent. Activation and testing of the connections necessitates periodic outages.
Once the installation has completed, County staff will enjoy a better user experience in nearly every
service supplied to their remote workspaces. Information Systems and the PIO developed messaging to
inform the public in advance via the County website, Facebook and Twitter platforms.
The strength of our remote staff increases each day. This week we saw more than 500 staff online at
the same time. This is nearly 30% more than last week and 700% more than one month ago.
We are experiencing delivery delays of Mi-Fi units. These popular devices are in high demand nationally.
Expect to see a 5-week delay for these devices.
We are experiencing delivery delays of certain models of smartphones. Information Systems staff are
guiding selection of devices to ensure prompt delivery, where possible.
Staff continue to participate in the Skillsets online training. Over 100 staff are using this platform. It is
available to all employees and requires only a user account and an Internet connection to participate.
Detailed Information
VPN
Virtual private network technology, or VPN, is the workhorse for remote staff connectivity to internal
resources.
900+ users activated
500+ users connected at a given time
Support information http://www.buttecounty.net/is/telecommute
Land Mobile Radio (LMR)
The BRICS radio network is operatingwell. 9-1-1 Dispatch and Sheriff’s Patrol staff are acclimating to
the new environment as we complete week two of system use. The Information Systems team is
monitoring system operations and addressing issues as they arise.
Wireless Devices
Wireless devices include cellphones, smartphones, tablets,laptop computersand Mi-Fi units.The
County uses more than 1300 such devices.
Mi-Fi Deliveries. Expect delivery delays of up to 5-weeks. This is in contrast to typical 2-day delivery.
Nationwide, businesses have ordered large quantities of Mi-Fi units to support their remote staff. The
high demand has resulted in extreme shortages in the supply chain.
Phone Deliveries. Supply chain shortages are occurring. The shortages pertain to specific models, colors
or other specializations. Information Systems is guiding the selection process to ensure expedited
delivery and continuation of service to staff. Available models deliver within 2-3 business days.
Aging Fleet. December 2020 marks the end of Verizon 3G network service. The County has more than
160 devices on this network. These devices must be replaced before that date or loss of service will
result. There are many no cost/low cost models available. Communications Counselors should contact
Information Systems to make arrangements prior to the 3G decommissioning date.
Website Utilization
The Public Health COVID-19 dashboard completes its first week of operation. The dashboard was a
group effort between Public Health and Information Systems. See the COVID-19 Dashboard
Internet Upgrade
A scheduled upgrade of one of the two Internet connections to the County occurs this evening.
Information Systems received notification this afternoon that the second connection, located in Chico,
will not be upgraded at this time due to resource shortages at AT&T. The Chico installation will be
rescheduled in in the near future.
There will be intermittent connectivity issues between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm, due to nature and extent
of the upgrade. Downtime is unavoidable.
All users should expect to have services periodically interrupted during this period. Remote users will
experience intermittent disconnection of their VPN sessions.
If you have questions, please contact the IS Help Desk at 530.552.3222 or ISHelpDesk@buttecounty.net