Resilient Infrastructure​

Summary of objective implementation status (achievements or progress over last year; significant delays or issues, etc.)

Microsoft Office 365 Deployment

Phase 1 and 2 of the Countywide implementation and migration to Microsoft Office 365 has been completed. A third phase has been added to the project focusing on the migration of data to Teams and Sharepoint Online.

1. Phase 1 – Migration of County E-mail to Microsoft Office 365
2. Phase 2 – Implementation of Microsoft Office 365 Services

• Teams
• OneDrive
• Sharepoint Online
• Microsoft Office 365 Desktop Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, Powerpoint)

1. Phase 3 – Migration of data to Teams and Sharepoint Online

Phase 1 is complete and all County e-mail has been migrated to Microsoft Office 365. Additionally, Multi-Factor Authentication has been implemented to provide additional security for County e-mail. 

Phase 2 is complete with the successful implementation of Microsoft Office 365 Services, including Teams, OneDrive, Sharepoint Online, and the installation of the Microsoft Office 365 Desktop Suite.

Phase 3 is in progress with an anticipated completion of June 2024

Hybrid Workforce

Telework and the needs of a dynamic hybrid workforce have introduced several technical challenges, particularly concerning utilizing a shared workspace model and incorporating a seamless meeting experience between local and remote staff.  To address these challenges, the Information Systems Department (ISD) has completed a hot desk prototype as well as an updated conference room configuration to address the needs of a hybrid workforce. This prototype has been completed and demonstrations have been conducted for several County departments. Following initial feedback on the prototype, ISD will develop a solution that will allow County departments to select the appropriate hot desk and conference room configuration that will best suit their needs. ISD has provided a dedicated staff resource to attend to what is anticipated to be a growing need for County departments.

Key milestone update (include relevant metrics, if applicable)

Microsoft Office 365 Deployment

Phase 1 – Migration of County E-mail to Microsoft Office 365 – Completed June 8, 2022

• Discovery, Analysis, and Design Session – Completed (Oct-Dec, 2021)
  • Kickoff meeting with implementation vendor
  • Analysis of current environment
  • Preparatory technical tasks prior to implementation and migration
  • Establish technical advisory committee
  • Develop project plan
• County E-Mail Migration to Microsoft Office 365 – Completed (Jan-June, 2022)
  • Nearly 4000 employees, 5700 E-mail accounts, and 6 Terabytes of data migrated to Microsoft Office 365
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) implemented for enhanced security to protect County users from e-mail compromise
  • Coordination with all County departments
    • Timeline
    • Communications Plan
    • Training
    • Open House Sessions
    • Remote and On Site Support
    • Mobile device configuration (Apple and Android)
    • Post migration troubleshooting and support

Phase 2 – Implementation of Microsoft Office 365 Services – Completed June 2023

• Microsoft Office 365 Desktop Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, Powerpoint)
• OneDrive Migration (U: Drive)
• Sharepoint Online (Migration of existing Sharepoint sites)
• Teams
  • Teams client software deployed
  • Training

Phase 3 – Migration of data to Teams and Sharepoint Online – In Progress

• Meetings with all County departments to review the process for identifying and migrating data to Teams and Sharepoint Online
• Focus will be on the highest priority data as identified by County departments
• Projected Completion Date – June 2024

Hybrid Workforce

• Prototype for Hot Desk and Conference Room Configuration – Completed
  • Check-In Kiosk
  • Virtual Assistant
  • Cubicle Configuration
  • Calendar Integration
  • Zoom and Microsoft Teams Integration
  • Wireless screen sharing to video conference system
  • Enhanced video and audio capabilities in conference rooms

• Pilot Program Deployment – Completed
  • Deployment to several County departments to evaluate and provide feedback on the technology
  • The following County departments have participated in the pilot and are utilizing the Hybrid Workforce Solution
    • Sonoma Public Infrastructure
    • Board of Supervisors
    • County Administrator’s Office
    • PRMD

Coordination and partnership update

Several ISD executive and management level staff attended the California Counties Information Services Directors Association (CCISDA) conference Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2023 with IT executives from 58 counties within California to share ideas and solutions with peers on common challenges and initiatives. Future goals include collaboration with cities within Sonoma County to share lessons learned with the Microsoft Office 365 deployment and discuss projects related to infrastructure resiliency.

Community, equity and climate update

In addition to the migration to Microsoft Office 365, ISD is currently evaluating the viability of shifting traditional data center computing and storage services to a Cloud-based infrastructure. The goal is in alignment with providing the ability to access critical applications and services from anywhere, anytime, and from any device. A significant benefit of this approach is the reduction of power consumption and e-waste.

The Microsoft Office 365 project has provided the necessary tools for front-line workers assisting underserved communities. Access to key resources such as e-mail, shared documents, collaboration tools, and more are now available for use while working in the community, at home, in the office, and in any other location. The mobility offered by the new toolset incorporated into the Microsoft Office 365 product line allows County employees to service the needs of our underserved constituents effectively.

Funding narrative (If this objective received Strategic Plan funding in year 1 or year 2, please provide a status of expenditures to date.)

Funding associated with the Microsoft Office 365 project currently exists within ISD’s budget and provides the appropriate revenue source for licensing and implementation services. The County allocated $100,000 in FY 22-23 to address hybrid meeting spaces to support a hybrid workforce. These funds were utilized for the initial pilot rollout for the hybrid workforce solution.