SEPTEMBER 2014
5
business
solutions
About 40 employees work at the new
center, serving the nearly 22,700 resi-
dents of Pottawatomie County. Reece
comments, “The move to the new facility
was challenging in terms of getting used
to new ways of doing things, rewrit-
ing procedures, and making everything
work the way it was designed to. How-
ever, the new efficiencies have been
worth the effort.”
Technology Solutions
from Blue Valley
With the opportunity for a new facility,
the county revisited what it was doing
and how it was doing it. “As a result of
that process,” says Reece, “we gained
efficiencies, improved workflows, and
took better advantage of technologies.”
The new facility includes technology
from Blue Valley, as Reece explains: “We
got broadband services with a dedicated
fiber optic line and an Ethernet network.
This service is a backbone that allows us
to do many things we couldn’t do before,
including transferring files electronically,
using an Internet-based phone system,
and using Geographic Information Sys-
tems (GIS) for our 911 system. It’s a key
component that we need to be as effi-
cient as possible.”
The Hosted PBX phone system allows
those who work in the county courthouse
to be better connected to each other and
those who work in other county offices.
Chad Hiltgen, Business Consultant
at Blue Valley, explains, “With many
departments and locations, effective
communication was previously impos-
sible. Hosted PBX allows employees the
flexibility to reach any worker, in any
location, on any device, throughout the
county. This solution also means lower
capital expenditures for the county.”
Blue Valley has been a helpful partner
throughout the process, according to
Reece: “They have been more than will-
ing to provide suggestions and insights
on solutions, all of which have been well
received,” he says.
In turn, the county has been a good cus-
tomer. Hiltgen says, “They’re always
looking for new ways technology can help
lower budgets, improve communication,
and increase efficiency and productivity.”
Reece acknowledges the benefits of the
new processes: “We experience greater
continuity in our workflow; it’s much
easier to communicate than in the past.
We can share documents instead of hav-
ing to double-enter them in different
offices. Also, with the new buildings
and new technology, we’re confident
that the infrastructure can accommo-
date future growth.”
Blue Valley has been more than willing to provide suggestions
and insights on solutions, all of which have been well received.”
—
ROBERT REECE
, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY
LEFT: The new criminal justice center has screens for the jurors to view evidence. At the judge’s discre-
tion, the evidence can also be seen by the public on the large, wall-mounted screens. RIGHT: This
security guard uses the security system to watch as people move around the building, and can lock
and unlock doors for them.
TAKE NOTE OF THESE
BLUE VALLEY RESOURCES
• BVTC is in the process of upgrading
our fiber communities, allowing up to
100 Mbps Internet speeds. Call our
office today at 877.876.1228 for pric-
ing and availability for your business.
• What would you do if your business
lost all of its data tomorrow? Don’t
let a system failure shut down your
business! BVTC offers co-location—
a comprehensive data backup and
disaster recovery solution. Call Chad
Hiltgen, Business Account Consultant,
at 877.876.1228 for details.
• If you want more information about
Pottawatomie County Criminal Justice
Center, check out the short video on our
YouTube channel at
/
BVTCBusiness.
