Background

The Raytown Police Department retained MDL Technology, LLC., a Kansas City IT and managed services company, to virtualize the Raytown Police Department’s network infrastructure, implement offsite back-up storage, cut costs and power consumption and allow sensitive data to be securely housed with cloud services.

About The Raytown Police Department

The Raytown Police Department serves and protects over 30,000 Raytown residents within a 10.5-mile area under the supervision of Chief Jim Lynch. The department employs 78 full-time employees that range from uniform officers and detectives, all the way down to communications, detention and records staff. The department is located in the heart of Raytown, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City.

ROI

• Upgraded servers and workstations with Trend Micro

• Implemented remote problem-solving

• Improved backup retention

• Streamlined communication to address IT problems immediately

• Employee downtime reduced

• Reduced costs for equipment and utilities

• Cut power consumption

• Implemented 24/7 virtual monitoring and support

Challenges

According to the 2014 Report on the State of Data Backup for SMBs, 62 percent of IT professionals told Carbonite they experienced major disruptions at their organization from data loss and on average a loss of $468, 610 in revenue. In that same study, cloud backup provider Carbonite found that at least 40 percent of companies would either be out of business or in a financial crisis from data loss.

The Raytown Police Department didn’t want to wait for a data crisis to occur and wanted a secure, modern and cost-effective means for storing its records and data that could be implemented within a police department’s budget and schedule.

Mark Dryer, CEO of MDL, said, “Working within the budget and security guidelines for a police environment is not a unique challenge. We are very comfortable assisting customers with finding ways to maintain their network environment while working within their budget. We work with many vendors to ensure our customers are getting the best prices available. The police department is a 24/7 operation, so finding the best time to implement new technology solutions while minimizing downtime is always a challenge. We scheduled the upgrades during weekends and after hours.”

How Raytown Police Department Found MDL

Captain Doug Goode chose MDL for its cloud storage capabilities, knowledgeable technicians, reasonable service packages and the ability to identify the issues and IT needs the Raytown Police Department struggled to fix.

According to Goode, “We have found MDL to be extremely customer oriented. The company’s technicians are very knowledgeable and both willing and able to do additional research when needed or requested. They are reliable, easily approachable, willing to discuss projects and advise on the feasibility and viability of new products and services. MDL has developed a strong trust with our department. It has an unblemished track record of satisfaction and customer service.”

Proving Strategy and Success

The police department hired MDL to update and organize its antiquated data storage systems. By implementing an RSA SecureID two-factor authentication solution and upgrading storage from a fiber channel SAN to an ISCSI SAN, MDL was able to maintain its compliance within security guidelines and share storage between virtual hosts to reduce costs.

Dryer explained that Raytown’s IT situation was not unlike many other government agencies. “The need for a solid backup solution and an offsite copy of backups is something every customer should be aware of,” he said. “Virtualizing network infrastructure doesn’t fit every network environment, but we have seen many customers benefit from this solution. Security solutions are largely dependent on the type of businesses, the sensitive nature of data and budgetary constraints. VPN access is controlled through dual layer authentication. Any problem or perceived problem is addressed immediately.”

About MDL

MDL Technology is a Kansas City IT company that specializes in worry-free computer support by providing solutions for around-the-clock network monitoring, hosting, data recovery and off-site backup security. For 11 years, MDL has partnered with companies to design, build and install network systems to fit the needs of its organization. Associates are trained by MDL’s teams to maintain a smoothly running network for their companies.