The Bartholomew County commissioners on Monday approved an expenditure to refresh the county data storage and processing infrastructure. This refresh includes the transition to new hardware and the addition of external storage in the case of a natural disaster.
The last data storage and processing refresh occurred in 2017, with each life cycle expected to last for seven to 10 years. The current infrastructure is in the eighth year of this cycle.
Commissioner Tony London agreed with the need to replace the current hardware system, noting the recent attempted data incursions the county had faced.
“Our system, as it currently stands, is on its last legs,” London said. “It’s not able to protect from the current crop of attacks. They’re getting smarter, craftier, and we have to stay ahead of the game.”
Bartholomew County IT Director Scott Mayes researched and planned the purchase for years, he said. Mayes presented the plan to commissioners last week to approve the expense before new tariffs would have increased the price by almost $200,000, he said.
The total price of the hardware replacement was $467,182.01 to reseller CDWG Funds have been set aside in previous years to prepare for the expense, and the replacement would take place incrementally, Mayes said.
