State of Missouri Picks Cisco for IP Technology

The State of Missouri has discovered yet another innovative way of using Cisco Internet Protocol (IP) technologies.

Keeping systems running at all times is crucial to the State of Missouri, where the Internet and other technologies are transforming state court operations to help improve service effectiveness, increase access to public information, and continue providing fair and equitable justice.

Maintaining the systems falls to the technical staff of the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) who travel the state, resolving any technical issues that might arise.

Previously, when technicians were troubleshooting technology and needed to contact equipment vendors to ask questions, obtain assistance, or report information back, their options for voice communications were limited.

"The longer it took for us to get in touch for assistance, the longer it took us to solve the problem, and the more disruptions we caused to court business," says Joe Cremer, lead communications specialist for OSCA.

Then Cremer showed other staff members Cisco IP Softphones, software that would allow their laptops to serve as their telephones.

"The Cisco IP Softphones work on the state's existing IP network, so we literally didn't have to change our infrastructure," says Jim Roggero, chief information officer of OSCA.

Now, when OSCA technicians travel the state to troubleshoot technology issues at courthouses, they can resolve technical issues with greater ease and mobility, while causing fewer disruptions.

"Our Cisco IP network and Cisco IP Softphones help us to accomplish our day-to-day jobs as technicians without interrupting court business," says Cremer.

The state is also recognizing cost reductions. With the Cisco IP Softphones, the state is reducing its monthly cell phone charges and helping to increase productivity of clerks and other court staff.

"The cost savings from consolidation are substantial," says Roggero. "In some instances, we can consolidate from five servers costing $15,000 each down to one server costing $25,000. In addition to hard costs, we reduce software licensing and maintenance costs, travel costs, and more - it's a measurable savings."

For Missouri, streamlining IT operations is crucial, because courts, attorneys, and the public have come to rely heavily on many of the services provided as part of the Missouri Court Automation Program.

"From attorneys following their court cases online, to prisoners checking on their appeals, and even judges validating on the spot whether or not someone in their courtroom has ever had a traffic ticket, Case.net has become incredibly useful," explains Jana Bott, public information officer for the Office of State Courts Adminsitrator.

Looking to the future, the State of Missouri will continue to set court automation standards for other government organizations to follow. The state is investigating new solutions such as electronic filing and document management.