[May 26 - 4:00 p.m.]
Metro ahead of state in some IT upgrades

Email | Print By Alexei Smirnov

05-26-2004 4:01 PM — Nashville Metro government is ahead of the state in terms of upgrading its computer networks, technology executives said Tuesday at the Tennessee Government Technology Summit held at the Hilton Suites downtown.

While metro government is currently replacing its entire IT backbone, the state’s IT department is looking to tackle its outdated networks in 2005.

Richard McKinney, who runs Metro Nashville’s IT services, said the city is in the process of implementing a $4 million PeopleSoft Enterprise One program, which will unite under a virtual roof most of the city’s vital functions, including payroll, finance, human resources, and metro public schools. Enterprise One will network various departments via secure Intranet, which could not be accomplished with the old system, called Fastnet.

Separately, McKinney said metro government is looking to finalize implementation of the $5 million system it bought last year from Dublin, Calif.-based Accela to replace the old land information management system.

In contrast, the state’s IT department is roughly a year away from upgrading its systems. Tennessee Chief Information Officer Bill Ezell told NashvillePost.com Tuesday that no timeframe has been set for the proposed $30 million overhaul of the state’s aging payroll system. Funding for that upgrade appears in Governor Phil Bredesen’s 2004 state budget. Ezell’s predecessor Richard Rognehaugh, who quit in April, was an avid supporter of using enterprise resource planning systems in government operations.