State and Local Government Archives - Page 3 of 5 - | ̽��Ƶ| ̽��Ƶ

The End of Manual Inspections? How AI and Dashcam Imagery Are Redefining Roadway Management

Posted on by Mark Pittman

Years ago, as I waited at a traffic light, I wondered why infrastructure maintenance still leaned so heavily on manual inspections and reporting. That question sparked an idea: What if roads could tell us when something was wrong?

Today, that vision has become a reality. Dashcam imagery—passively captured from vehicles already on the road—is now powering automated AI models that detect issues like fading lane paint, damaged signs, and debris. Looking ahead, the integration of expansive imagery sources, such as , promises to further enhance this capability, offering broader and more detailed coverage. It’s a shift from scheduled inspections to constant awareness, from sending crews out to bringing insight in.

Automation with Real Impact

Traditional inspections are resource intensive. They usually involve deploying extra staff and specialized equipment, and scheduling work during off-hours to avoid disrupting traffic. AI-driven visual intelligence of dashcam footage can reduce the number of manual surveys required , saving considerable time and money.

Take Fort Worth. Dashcam imagery gave the city a fresh look at lane striping and sign visibility, but from the driver’s perspective, not an aerial map. It’s how people experience the road daily, and it’s the same view automated vehicles rely on to safely navigate.

Instead of waiting months for a full inspection cycle, cities can spot and act on issues within days. Enabling faster response and more strategic use of limited resources.

Smarter Operations. Less Fieldwork.

While field checks are still common for most agencies, the model is shifting. With dashcam footage collected by vehicles already in motion and analyzed automatically, teams can now monitor more of the network without constantly dispatching field crews.

In Alaska, for example, dashcam data is used to monitor remote routes that are difficult and sometimes dangerous for crews to inspect in person. This kind of visibility can be a game changer for regions with tough geography or tight budgets.

Instead of following a fixed schedule or responding to complaints, agencies can now rely on AI-driven alerts to flag when conditions change. It’s a shift from routine patrols to focused action, and it means fewer trips to the field, less fuel, and better outcomes with the same (or smaller) team.

Compliance without the Complexity

Staying compliant with FHWA, MUTCD, and other federal standards typically requires a lot of paperwork. However, with AI-based monitoring, those checks can happen automatically in the background. Retroreflectivity, sign placement, and line clarity are continuously reviewed and documented.

Each data point is visual, time-stamped, and ready for audits, grant applications, or internal reviews. Even better, it’s easy to share. Operations, maintenance, and planning teams can stay aligned without sifting through emails or outdated spreadsheets.

A New Model for Infrastructure

The future of road operations isn’t about more inspections. It’s about smarter ones. Or, in many cases, none at all. When roads can essentially report their condition using dashcam footage and AI, agencies don’t have to guess or wait. They already know what’s happening.

And this is only the beginning. As capabilities such as historical imagery access and visual change detection over time emerge with Google Street View and become integrated, transportation teams will gain even deeper insight into how their infrastructure evolves. These images will empower agencies to identify long-term patterns, track degradation over time, and intervene before minor issues escalate into costly repairs.

For public teams expected to cover more ground with fewer resources, this isn’t just about saving time. It’s about working in a more intelligent, sustainable way, built for the demands of today’s infrastructure and ready for tomorrow’s.

Ready to stop checking and start knowing?

Transforming Public Sector Fleet Safety: How AI-Powered Solutions Drive Results and Build Employee Trust

Posted on by Andrew Phelps

Despite advancements in vehicle safety technology, fatal vehicle crashes continue to rise. Notably, 87% of commercial vehicle crashes are caused by avoidable risky driving or driver error. For Public Sector fleet managers—whether overseeing school buses, emergency response vehicles or other municipal fleets—these trends jeopardize public safety, strain budgets and put essential services at risk.

Recent research shows the Public Sector is leading the way in addressing these challenges. While have adopted artificial intelligence (AI), in the U.S. have done so, and 95% plan to increase their AI investments in the coming year.

The Critical Need for AI-Powered Fleet Safety Solutions

The Public Sector’s reflects its commitment to smarter, more reliable service delivery. Solutions like Samsara’s Connected Operations Platform are transforming fleet management by integrating data from vehicles, assets and operations to enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability. Rather than solely relying on reactive measures, AI-powered tools enable drivers to self-correct in real time and give fleet managers predictive insights to prevent incidents before they occur.

AI is increasingly being applied across several key areas that directly impact public safety. Early implementations focus on driver behavior detection, predictive maintenance and fleet health monitoring to reduce downtime and ensure vehicle readiness. In parallel, AI-powered tools support route optimization and dispatch efforts, helping agencies respond faster and operate more efficiently. This shift from basic automation to proactive operations management marks a significant evolution in fleet safety.

Addressing Road Safety Challenges and Rising Costs

Public Sector fleets are facing growing road safety challenges that carry significant financial consequences. With crashes costing an estimated $340 billion annually, and insurance premiums rising 40% over the past decade, the impact on taxpayer-funded operations is substantial. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform reports that litigation costs have grown over 7% annually from 2016 to 2022, adding financial pressure on State and Local Government budgets. Every crash related cost diverts funding away from essential services like education, infrastructure and public health.

Samsara, Fleet Safety, blog, embedded image, 2025

Traditional safety measures alone are no longer sufficient. Distractions from mobile devices have surged—those who text and drive are 23 times more likely to crash. Speeding contributed to 29% of crash fatalities in 2022, and even a one- to two-hour sleep deficit can double crash risk. These preventable behaviors create challenges for Public Sector drivers who often work long shifts to meet community needs.

Technology like Samsara’s Connected Operations Platform offer a proactive solution to today’s fleet challenges. By providing real-time fleet visibility, driver coaching and predictive analytics, agencies can identify risky behaviors before they lead to incidents. Fleets that implement safety solutions often see a return on investment (ROI) within the first year through reduced collision costs, lower insurance premiums, decreased vehicle downtime and improved operational efficiency. For example:

The , California, saved $300,000 in fuel costs.
The , Pennsylvania, saved an estimated $1 million in insurance claims.
in Utah reduced incidents by 50%.

Safety Technology Proves Effective and Resonates with Drivers

Driver buy-in is key for successful safety technology implementation. shows that 70% of drivers feel dash cams make driving safer, and 93% report becoming more aware of distracted driving after reviewing footage. Most notably, 90% of drivers prefer to stay with organizations that actively support safe driving habits.

When paired with real-time coaching, . Samsara’s Connected Operations Platform enables drivers to self-correct through in-cab feedback. For example, reduced incident investigation times by 50% and harsh braking events by 60% in just three months, saving 400 administrative hours weekly and improving safety for 180,000 students with Samsara.

Strategies for Gaining Union Buy-In for Safety Technology

In unionized environments, successful technology implementation requires collaboration and transparency. The first step is establishing shared safety goals with input from fleet managers, drivers, union representatives, risk managers and administrators. Research shows that 100% of Public Sector leaders using or planning to use AI report when communication is clear and involvement is meaningful.

Unions often express concerns that dash cams could be used punitively. To address this, organizations should in shaping policies around data access, privacy safeguards and usage protocols. This collaboration builds trust and ensures policies reflect both operational needs and union priorities.

: organizations must clearly document data access, usage guidelines and privacy protections, providing view-only administrative access to key union representatives and sharing audit logs of system changes maintains accountability and reassures unions that the technology is used fairly and appropriately.

Real-world exoneration stories highlight technology’s protective value. For instance, the , used dashcam footage to exonerate a driver initially cited for rear-ending another vehicle; the evidence revealed the other driver was at fault, resulting in dismissal of the citation, legal claims being dropped and preventing unwarranted disciplinary action. Such cases show that safety technology protects drivers from false accusations and costly legal proceedings.

Public Sector organizations are uniquely positioned to leverage AI-powered fleet safety solutions that transform operations, build employee trust and deliver measurable ROI. With proven safety technology and collaborative implementation, agencies can achieve meaningful improvements in safety, cost control and operational efficiency—all while prioritizing transparency, employee engagement and shared safety goals.

Learn more about workforce technology trends transforming the Public Sector by exploring Samsara’s comprehensive .

̽��Ƶ. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Samsara, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the ̽��Ƶ Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as ̽��Ƶ’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Top 7 State and Local Contract Vehicles to Support Your SLG Fiscal Year Requirements

Posted on by Robert Moore

As the end of the SLG and EDU fiscal year approaches, State and Local Governments and education institutions are ramping up purchasing to ensure every allocated budget dollar is spent and their organization is prepared for further IT advancements in the coming year. Leveraging the right contract vehicles can streamline procurement processes, ensuring timely and efficient acquisition of necessary technologies and services. These contracts can also provide technology vendors and resellers unique opportunities to expand their Public Sector businesses.

Below, we explore the top contract vehicles that State and Local Governments (SLG) and education institutions (EDU) are using as they close out their fiscal year with their preferred reseller partner this month.

1. NASPO ValuePoint

 is the cooperative purchasing arm of the National Association for State Procurement Officials, designed to provide access to the best possible IT solutions. It is considered to be the nation’s most significant public contracting cooperative. The contract offers a wide variety of cloud solutions, including IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.

̽��Ƶ’s Contract: NASPO ValuePoint contract #AR2472 includes thousands of technology vendors.

Who Can Use It: State and Local Governments, municipalities and public education entities (K-12 and Higher-Education).

2. GSA Cooperative Purchasing Program

�ճ��   grants State and Local Government entities access to Federal GSA Schedule contracts for IT solutions and professional services. The GSA Cooperative Purchasing Program provides a streamlined procurement process for State and Local Governments to purchase IT solutions, often with pre-negotiated and cost-effective pricing structures.

̽��Ƶ’s Contract: GSA Schedule #47QSWA18D008F, aggregates solutions from many technology vendors.

Who Can Use It: State and Local Governments.

3. Texas Department of Information Resources (TX DIR)

�ճ��  (TX DIR) has established a Cooperative Contracts Purchasing Program which offers a wide range of product offerings, services and technology solutions to Public Sector customers in Texas and nationwide. The streamline the procurement process by handling all of the preliminary work upfront, making it easier for eligible entities to acquire a wide range of hardware, software, cloud solutions and professional IT services. Public organizations outside of Texas are also eligible to purchase through DIR contracts.

̽��Ƶ Contract: ̽��Ƶ holds seven TX DIR contracts, offering a wide variety of products and services from hundreds of technology vendors.

Who Can Use It: State and Local Governments, public education and other public entities nationwide.

4. California Software Licensing Program (CA SLP)

�ճ��  (CA SLP), established in 1994 and administered by the Department of General Services’ Procurement Division provides State and Local Government entities within the state of California with access to discounted software licensing agreements. This vendor held contract expedites and simplifies the procurement process while supporting State Government modernization goals with a host of technology solutions.

̽��Ƶ Contract: ̽��Ƶ acts as a reseller on 19 CA SLP contracts, offering solutions ranging from data management to cybersecurity and more.

Who Can Use It: State and Local Government agencies in California.

5. E&I Cooperative Services

 is the largest and most experienced member-owned, non-profit purchasing cooperative focused on education. E&I provides education institutions with access to IT products and services, including learning management systems, classroom technologies and administrative software tailored to their unique needs.

̽��Ƶ Contract: E&I Cooperative Services contract #EI00063-2021MA provides E&I members with cloud and managed service solutions and related IT products and services.

Who Can Use It: Educational institutions, including K-12 schools, teaching hospitals, colleges and universities.

6. OMNIA Partners Public Sector

 is one of the largest Public Sector cooperative purchasing organizations, providing comprehensive access to a wide variety of technology contracts across hardware, software and cloud solutions. The cooperative purchasing program is focused on efficiency, compliance and value, aiming to further streamline the procurement process for the Public Sector entities that leverage this contract.

̽��Ƶ Contract: ̽��Ƶ’s contracts with OMNIA Partners, #R240303 and #23-6692-01, provide State and Local Governments and education institutions with access to technology from over 150 vendors.

Who Can Use It: State and Local Governments, public education institutions and nonprofits that are approved OMNIA partners.

7. The Quilt

 is a national coalition of advanced regional networks for research and education, providing members with access to IT services and technologies. The Quilt provides access to technologies that meet the specific needs of educational and research communities, offering high-performance computing, research networking and related IT services to hundreds of universities and thousands of other education institutions.

̽��Ƶ Contract: MSA – 05012019F offers members with access to networking, cloud infrastructure, data management, cybersecurity, virtualization and enterprise technologies.

Who Can Use It: Higher education institutions, research institutions and related organizations.

By turning to these popular contract vehicles, State and Local Governments and education institutions can easily find and purchase technologies that map to their modernization efforts while ensuring compliance and maximizing investments through their preferred resellers. As the fiscal year draws to a close, these contracts serve as a vital resource for timely and cost-effective procurement, driving end-of-year business to new heights and propelling Public Sector advancements.

For more information on ̽��Ƶ’s offerings under each of these contract vehicles, please reach out to contracts@carahsoft.com.

Comprehensive Identity Security: 1Kosmos Achieves FedRAMP High Authorization and Kantara Certification

Posted on by Christine Owen

As cybersecurity demands increase across all levels of Government, 1Kosmos’s credential service provider (CSP) platform represents a shift in how agencies approach identity verification and authentication. Rather than forcing agencies into rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions, the platform offers unprecedented flexibility through its modular architecture. Organizations can deploy everything from simple document capture for in-person verification to comprehensive digital identity wallets that put end-users in complete control of their personal information.

This adaptability proves crucial for Government agencies with diverse operational requirements. Some organizations need only Identity Assurance Level 2 (IL2) workflow integration with existing identity providers like Okta or Microsoft, while others require the full spectrum of identity verification, digital wallet creation and Authenticator Assurance Level 2 (AL2) authentication capabilities. The platform’s ability to scale from basic document verification to complete identity lifecycle management ensures agencies can start with their immediate needs and expand functionality as requirements evolve.

The Power of Dual Certification

As the only CSP to achieve both and , 1Kosmos has established itself as the definitive solution for Government agencies seeking uncompromising identity security. This dual certification creates a security foundation unmatched in the identity verification space and works in concert to address both the “what” and “how” of secure digital identity management. Kantara certification, based on , validates that the platform operates according to the gold standard for identity verification processes and procedures.

FedRAMP High authorization takes security to the next level, implementing over 400 security controls based on . This represents the most stringent civilian agency security requirements available, with only 20 additional controls separating High from IL4 defense-level certification. The comprehensive nature of these controls means agencies receive verified, not just claimed, security hardening that has undergone rigorous third-party assessment.

This dual certification approach provides Government buyers with unprecedented assurance. While other solutions may meet basic compliance requirements, 1Kosmos offers the most verified hardening available in the market. For agencies navigating complex procurement requirements across Federal, State and Local levels, this certification combination simplifies vendor evaluation and reduces compliance risk. The FedRAMP High baseline ensures smooth flow-down compliance for State and Local implementations, eliminating the complexity of multiple security assessments.

Security and Privacy by Design

True security extends far beyond meeting regulatory checkboxes, and 1Kosmos has embedded privacy and security principles into every aspect of the platform’s architecture. The decision to pursue FedRAMP High from the outset reflects a commitment to protecting what 1Kosmos considers the highest-value data in existence: end-user personally identifiable information (PII).

1Kosmos, 1Kosmos Achieves FedRAMP High Authorization and Kantara Certification, blog, embedded image, 2025

Every piece of data within the 1Kosmos environment undergoes Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-3 encryption both in transit and at rest. This is not merely a compliance requirement—it is a recognition that Government agencies entrust identity platforms with irreplaceable citizen information. The platform employs a unique double-encryption approach for digital wallets, where identity evidence receives initial encryption before being secured again within the user’s wallet, with encryption keys remaining under end-user control exclusively.

The platform operates on a privacy-first data retention philosophy. By default, the system processes identity data, stores only what is necessary for wallet creation and immediately deletes excess information. This approach ensures that data remains in the system only as long as operationally required, with automatic deletion on specified retention dates. The platform’s architecture makes it impossible for 1Kosmos or their customers to access end-user wallet data without explicit user consent, creating true user sovereignty over personal information.

What is More Valuable Than Identity?

The question of data value reveals why identity security demands such rigorous protection. In commercial contexts, student records command higher dark web prices than credit card or healthcare information due to the extended window before detection—students typically do not monitor credit for years after graduation. This extended vulnerability period makes educational identity data particularly attractive to cybercriminals and highlights why robust identity verification is essential across all Government sectors.

Government agencies face even higher stakes. Beyond financial fraud, identity compromise can affect national security, citizen services and public trust. The 1Kosmos platform addresses these concerns through continuous security monitoring and automated threat detection capabilities that immediately alert administrators to potential security issues. This proactive approach, combined with comprehensive logging and audit capabilities, ensures agencies maintain complete visibility into their identity security posture.

The platform’s global deployment success stories demonstrate scalability and reliability under real-world conditions. One global business process outsourcing company successfully transitioned half their worldwide user base to 1Kosmos authentication within just two months, showcasing the platform’s ability to handle massive-scale implementations without compromising security or performance.

Building the Future of Government Identity Security

As Government agencies accelerate digital transformation initiatives, the need for trustworthy, scalable identity solutions becomes increasingly critical. The 1Kosmos platform provides the security foundation necessary for agencies to confidently expand digital services while maintaining the highest protection standards for citizen data. With plans to extend certification to IL4 levels for defense customers, 1Kosmos continues pushing the boundaries of what is possible in Government identity security.

Learn more about how can transform your agency’s identity security posture by exploring their comprehensive and .

̽��Ƶ. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including 1Kosmos we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the ̽��Ƶ Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as ̽��Ƶ’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

From Concept to Implementation: Operationalizing Zero Trust Architecture in Government Environments

Posted on by Norman Wong

Zero Trust has evolved over the last 15 years into a cornerstone of Federal cybersecurity strategy, influencing enterprises as well as State and Local Governments. While the principles of continuous authentication and least privilege are widely accepted, many organizations still need the industry’s support with implementation.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) National Cyber Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has bridged this gap by offering practical guidance for applying Zero Trust concepts in real-world solutions.

Understanding Zero Trust Principles

Zero Trust is a cybersecurity strategy built on the assumption that networks are already compromised, making it the most resilient approach for securing today’s hybrid environments. Rather than relying on network perimeters, Zero Trust focuses on continuous authentication and verification of every access request, regardless of where those resources are located.

This approach requires organizations to secure all communications through encryption and authentication, grant access on a per-session basis with least privileges, implement dynamic policies, continuously monitor resource integrity and authenticate before allowing access. The objective is to reduce implicit trust between enterprise systems to minimize lateral movement by potential attackers.

Organizations must also collect and analyze as much contextual information as possible to create more granular access policies and strengthen current controls for an enhanced Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA).

NIST’s Role and Guidance

NIST has been instrumental in defining and operationalizing Zero Trust through guidance documents and practical demonstrations like Special Publication (SP) 800-207, published in 2020, which established the foundation for ZTA. Building on this framework, NIST’s NCCoE worked with industry, Government and academia to launch a project to show how these concepts could be implemented in real-world environments.

Initially focused on three example implementations, the project expanded to 19 different ZTA implementations using technologies from 24 industry collaborators, including Palo Alto Networks.

These implementations were built around three primary deployment approaches:

Enhanced Identity Governance: Emphasizes identity and attribute-based access control, ensuring access decisions are linked to user identity, roles and context.
Microsegmentation: Uses smart devices such as firewalls, smart switches or specialized gateways to isolate and protect specific resources.
Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP): Creates a software overlay to protect infrastructure—like servers and routers—by concealing it from unauthorized users.

Although not included in SP 800-207, the project also recognized Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) as an emerging deployment model that integrates network and security functions into a unified, cloud-delivered service.

Practical Implementation Strategies

Palo Alto Networks - Operationalizing Zero Trust - Blog - Embedded Image - 2025

The NCCoE project tackled the critical question: where should organizations start on their Zero Trust journey? By adopting an agile, incremental approach with “crawl, walk and run” stages, the project phased its implementation based on deployment approaches. This allowed gradual, manageable builds while addressing real-world complexities.

Technologies such as firewalls, SASE with Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) using Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR® were utilized, with remote worker scenarios reflecting modern hybrid environments. NIST SP 1800-35 outlines the phased approach and provides a practice guide, including technologies, reference architectures, use cases, tested scenarios and security controls built into each implementation.

One of the most significant challenges addressed was interoperability between different security solutions. Rather than overhauling infrastructure, organizations can leverage existing technologies while gradually introducing new solutions to enhance security and move toward a mature ZTA.

Integrating Technology Solutions

The NCCoE highlighted how comprehensive security platforms enable Zero Trust principles across hybrid environments. Palo Alto Networks presented a comprehensive ZTA built with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), leveraging capabilities including Cloud Identity Engine for federated identity management, next-generation firewalls for microsegmentation, cloud-delivered security services and SASE for remote access and EDR.

The approach focused on three key objectives:

Continuous trust verification and threat prevention
Single policy enforcement across all environments
Interoperability with other security solutions

AI was embedded throughout the platform—from policy creation to user and device analysis—ensuring that Zero Trust policies are enforced consistently and adapted automatically in response to evolving threats. This intelligent strategy provides a scalable and resilient foundation for securing modern, hybrid environments.

Community Collaboration and A Holistic Approach

The success of the NCCoE project underscored the importance of collaboration between Government and industry to develop practical Zero Trust solutions. This partnership enabled the development of a holistic security monitoring system that can track user behavior across on-premises, cloud and remote environments. The integration of AI and ML streamlined incident response, reducing mean time to detection and resolution.

Experts recommend that organizations begin their Zero Trust journey with fundamental capabilities such as identity and access management (ICAM), endpoint security and compliance and data security. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), integrated with existing Active Directory (AD) systems or identity providers, is an effective first step in strengthening access security. Monitoring network traffic and endpoint behavior using threat intelligence, user behavior analytics and AI allows organizations to proactively detect and respond to threats, providing a solid foundation for a resilient ZTA.

The journey to operationalizing Zero Trust continues to evolve, with NIST planning updates to their guidance documents to address emerging technologies like SASE and special considerations for operational technology (OT) environments. By adopting the principles, frameworks and practical implementation approaches demonstrated through the NCCoE project, Government agencies can develop more resilient security architectures that protect resources across diverse environments.

To learn more about implementing ZTAs in Government environments, watch the full webinar “Operationalizing Zero Trust: NIST and End-to-End Zero Trust Architectures,” presented by Palo Alto Networks, NIST and ̽��Ƶ.

̽��Ƶ. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Palo Alto Networks, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the ̽��Ƶ Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as ̽��Ƶ’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Nutanix AHV and Rubrik’s Layered Security – The Key to System Resilience and Efficiency

Posted on by Tom Bisbee, Gabriel Flores and Brett Atha

Protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats and ensuring business continuity in the face of disasters is a top priority for organizations today. Luckily, Nutanix AHV, a modern, secure virtualization platform that powers and enhances virtual machines (VMs), can help. Rubrik’s integrated solutions fortify AHV environments against ransomware attacks and enable efficient disaster recovery. By leveraging features like immutable backups, anomaly detection and on-demand cloud-based disaster recovery, organizations can enhance their cyber resilience and minimize the impact of disruptive incidents.

A Simple and Secure Path to VM Management

Nutanix AHV is simple to use and secure by design. The platform works through a centralized control plane, where AHV is integrated into a single application programming interface (API). This eradicates a complicated setup on the customer side. By maintaining constant management and a virtualization layer, Nutanix AHV allows organizations to fulfill mission objectives.

Nutanix AHV features several built-in security features, such as micro-segmentation, data insights, audit trails, ransomware protection and data age analytics.

Nutanix features:

Built-in, self-healing abilities protect against disk failure, node failure and more
A vulnerability patch summary automatically alerts users about susceptibility risks and anomalies that need to be addressed
A life cycle manager provides readmittance testing and deployment testing
More than one copy of backup data, ensuring that users do not lose valuable information
Multi-site replication including to and from the public cloud.

Securing data in Nutanix AHV requires more than just the basic perimeter defenses, but a multi-layered strategy. With Rubrik’s data protection abilities, which include immutable backups, automatic encryption and logical air-gapping, agencies and organizations can recover information within minutes and resume mission objectives in the event of a breach.

Securing Data with Rubrik’s Rapid Recovery Abilities

Rubrik, a security cloud solution provider that keeps your data resilient, enables the near-instant recovery of virtual machines and data within the Nutanix AHV environment. Rubrik provides multiple recovery options within AHV, such as file-level recovery, live mount, export, mount virtual disks and downloadable virtual disk files. Through Rubrik, businesses can recover files from older hypervisors into newer AHV environments without having older hypervisors online. Once granted access to the AHV environment, Rubrik automatically discovers and integrates protocols and base level policies for VMs. Rubrik’s recovery process restores data in minutes, regardless of VM size. As VMs get larger and larger, frequently hitting 50 terabytes, this speedy and precise response empowers organization’s incident response plans to be swift and efficient. After scanning the meta data, users are granted file level recovery after anomaly detection, allowing users oversight on affected data.

As the data that organizations manage grows exponentially, data security becomes critical to business functions. Rubrik offers comprehensive data security, continuously monitoring and remediating data risks within the network.

Through Rubrik, businesses can recover files from older hypervisors into newer AHV environments without having older hypervisors online. Once granted access to the AHV environment, Rubrik automatically discovers and integrates protocols and base level policies for VMs.Rubrik’s recovery process restores data in minutes, regardless of VM size. As VMs get larger and larger, frequently hitting 50 terabytes, this speedy and precise response empowers organization’s incident response plans to be swift and efficient.After scanning the meta data, users are granted file level recovery after anomaly detection, allowing users oversight on affected data.

Rubrik also provides constant monitoring for backups. Typically, businesses do not regulate data backlogs, which increases the likelihood that they miss attackers that sit in the system environment for a few days before collecting data. With Rubrik’s threat monitoring and hunting, organizations can search through backups and detect when an anomaly entered the environment. Through Nutanix and Rubrik’s integration, IT teams can reduce complexity, gain oversight, cut down on operational costs and improve resiliency and efficiency.

Automation: The Key to a Proactive Incident Response

Modern cyber threats require a proactive approach to incident response. With automation and orchestration, facilitated by the combined capabilities of Nutanix and Rubrik, organizations can detect, respond to and recover from cyber incidents more efficiently.

Rubrik has a built-in anomaly detection, which searches protected data for strange behavior, such as mass deletion or encryption. As the volume of data on a network increases, organizations often have sensitive data they are not actively monitoring or even know sensitive data maybe exposed. Rubrik clusters are always scanning protected data for anomalies, sensitive data, and known IOC’s allowing customers to select resolution options, such as isolating compromised VMs, or the ability to restore product systems from last known good copies.

Readiness impacts recovery time, and recovery time impacts organization operations. Nutanix AHV’s recovery organization authorizes IT teams to organize VMs into a set of templates, which can be used to create blueprints and launch application recovery. Nutanix also provides organizations with the flexibility to apply policy to each workload, taking control of network security and BC/DR policy with VM level granularity. By allowing organizations to map out their application owners, Nutanix AHV enables businesses to move from a reactive to a proactive security posture, minimizing the impact of attacks and ensuring swift recovery.

Nutanix and Rubrik’s integration creates a powerful security and operational synergy, empowering organizations with the tools they need for network safety and, if necessary, a swift and comprehensive restoration of critical systems, empowering organizations to resume business missions. Nutanix AHV enables organizations to reduce complexity, improve security and achieve a higher level of resilience and operational efficiency.

To learn more about how Nutanix AHV and Rubrik’s integration delivers streamlined data protection, rapid recovery and robust incident response capabilities, watch our webinar, .

Smarter Spending: How State and Local Governments Are Using AI-Powered Procurement Tools to Maximize Cost Savings

Posted on by Briana Crabtree

State and Local Governments are under growing pressure to make every dollar count. From rising costs to increased demand for services, public procurement teams are being called on to do more — and to do it faster, more transparently and with measurable results. The good news? Technology is making that easier than ever.

Today, modern procurement platforms equipped with are helping agencies move beyond manual processes and limited visibility. These tools are transforming procurement into a strategic driver of fiscal stewardship, surfacing new opportunities for cost savings and improving how governments source, evaluate and manage supplier relationships.

This is the future of smarter public sector spending — and it’s already here.

Procurement as a Strategic Function

Procurement has long played a vital role in public sector operations, but it’s increasingly viewed as a strategic lever for achieving broader goals — from cost savings and compliance to supplier diversity and sustainability. However, traditional methods — including siloed data, spreadsheet tracking and paper-based bid evaluations — can limit visibility and slow down decision-making.

AI-powered change that dynamic. They offer real-time insights into spending trends, identify duplicate vendors or off-contract purchases and help procurement professionals proactively guide smarter buying decisions — all within a secure, cloud-based environment.

Euna, Smarter Spending, Blog, Embedded Image, 2025

How AI-Powered Procurement Tools Drive Smarter Spending

AI isn’t replacing public procurement professionals — it’s augmenting their expertise with data they can act on. Here’s how:

Discover the Best Value, Fast

Procurement platforms allow staff to shop across all approved contracts in one place — making it easy to compare items, vendors, prices and delivery timelines in seconds. This transparency empowers end users to identify the best value quickly, while staying within approved purchasing channels.

Use AI to Maximize Every Cart

AI-powered savings advisors enhance purchasing by automatically surfacing lower-cost alternatives and identifying cost-saving substitutions based on availability and shipping. Real-time recommendations help ensure that every cart is optimized — not just for savings, but for delivery speed, quality and compliance.

Compliance Built In, Not Bolted On

From requisition to checkout, compliance is embedded into every step. Platforms can tailor guardrails based on your agency’s policies, automatically flag off-contract items, enforce justification fields and trigger approval workflows when needed. By reducing friction while maintaining full control, agencies minimize risk without slowing down operations.

Turn Data into Strategy

Interactive dashboards provide procurement teams with visibility into spending patterns, supplier usage and contract performance. Drillable reports help identify high-volume categories, underused contracts or vendor performance issues — enabling strategic decisions grounded in real-time data. The result: more informed planning, more efficient purchasing and greater accountability.

A Positive Path Forward for Procurement Teams

In today’s fiscal environment, smart spending isn’t just about spending less — it’s about spending better. AI-powered procurement platforms support that goal by delivering the right data at the right time, helping procurement teams stay focused on value, compliance and mission outcomes.

By adopting these tools — many of which are available to State and Local Governments through trusted partners like ̽��Ƶ — agencies can reduce cycle times, increase visibility and unlock real savings that benefit their communities.

Conclusion: Empowering Public Procurement Through Insight

Procurement professionals are some of the most resourceful problem-solvers in the Public Sector. With the right technology in place, they’re better equipped than ever to lead their agencies toward smarter, more strategic spending.

AI-powered platforms aren’t just a trend — they’re a practical, proven way to improve decision-making, increase efficiency and ensure every public dollar is working as hard as possible.

To explore how procurement solutions from Euna Solutions, available through ̽��Ƶ, can help your agency maximize value and streamline operations,

̽��Ƶ. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Euna Solutions we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the ̽��Ƶ Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as ̽��Ƶ’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Clear the Path to Rebuilding: Laserfiche Can Speed Up Permitting and Recovery

Posted on by Andy MacIsaac

The LA wildfires left behind more than just burned homes and scorched landscapes. They left thousands of residents waiting—waiting to rebuild, waiting for approvals, waiting for their lives to return to normal.

For local governments, the challenge is not about issuing permits; it’s about restoring hope and stability. And they need to do it as quickly as possible. But the traditional permitting process wasn’t designed for disasters. It’s slow, paper-heavy and frustrating for both officials and residents.

What if there was a way to cut through the backlog and get permits approved faster? Laserfiche is an industry-leading ECM platform that makes that possible.

When Every Day Counts

Imagine a homeowner who lost everything in the fire. They have insurance money ready, a contractor lined up and blueprints in hand. But before they can break ground, they need permits.

They submit their application, but local permitting offices are overwhelmed. Stacks of paperwork cover desks, phone lines are busy and approvals move at a snail’s pace. Weeks turn into months. Frustration builds.

Laserfiche Permitting and Recovery Blog Embedded Image 2025

Now, imagine a different scenario. The homeowner submits their permit online through a simple portal. The system . Any missing information is flagged upfront. Officials review and approve it digitally, cutting out unnecessary back-and-forth. The homeowner gets their permit in days instead of weeks.

That’s the power of Laserfiche.

Make Permitting Faster and Easier

Laserfiche transforms outdated, manual permitting into . This automation helps local governments do more with less and keep up with demand.

Digital Applications Instead of Paper Piles

Rather than requiring residents to stand in line at government offices, Laserfiche allows them to:

Submit applications and supporting documents online
Track their permit status in real time
Receive digital approvals without having to visit multiple offices

For government teams, this means fewer phone calls, fewer lost documents, and a smoother process from start to finish.

Streamline Workflows and Boost Efficiency with Automation After a wildfire, the volume of permit requests can overwhelm city staff. Laserfiche eliminates bottlenecks by:

Automatically routing applications to the right people for review
Sending notifications when approvals are needed
Setting up reminders so permits don’t get stuck in the system

This keeps things moving, reducing unnecessary delays and helping homeowners start rebuilding sooner.

Make Smarter Decisions with GIS

Rebuilding isn’t just about speed—it’s also about safety. Some areas may be too fire-prone to redevelop with standard building practices. Some properties may need extra environmental and safety reviews before construction can begin.

Laserfiche connects directly with Esri ArcGIS, allowing officials to:

Link permits and inspection reports to real-time maps
Identify high-risk zones and flag permits that need extra review
Track rebuilding progress across the entire community

By combining permitting data with GIS mapping, governments can make informed, responsible decisions. These decisions can help protect communities and property owners from future disasters.

Keeping Up with FEMA and State Requirements

For local governments, disaster recovery isn’t just about issuing permit. It is about making sure everything is documented to receive state and federal funding.

Laserfiche simplifies compliance by:

Storing all permit records in a centralized, searchable system
Automatically tracking approvals, inspections, and changes
Generating reports for FEMA and state agencies without digging through stacks of paper

This ensures local governments don’t miss out on critical funding due to missing paperwork or lost records.

Keep Communities Informed in the Recovery Process

For residents affected by wildfires or disaster, waiting for a permit can feel like waiting in the dark. When will their application be reviewed? Where does it stand in the process? What else do they need to provide?

Laserfiche helps keep communities informed by:

Enabling residents to check their permit status via a a public-facing portal
Making information easily accessible by streamlining public records requests
Improving collaboration between departments so everyone stays on the same page

When people know what’s happening, trust in the process grows—and so does confidence in their local government.

Rebuilding Faster, Together

The wildfires may have destroyed homes, but they didn’t destroy the spirit of the communities they touched. Local governments have the power to clear the way for faster rebuilding—and Laserfiche can help.

With content management, automated approvals, GIS integration, and better compliance tools, cities and counties can:

Reduce permit approval times from weeks to days
Prevent paperwork delays and lost documents
Ensure compliance with FEMA and state regulations
Speed up inspections and safe rebuilding efforts
Improve communication and transparency for residents

For families and business owners eager to rebuild, every day matters. The faster the permits are issued, the sooner construction begins, and the sooner life can return to normal.

Let’s Get Started

If your city or county is struggling with permitting delays after the wildfires, Laserfiche can help. Contact us today to see how our automation and workflow solutions can support your recovery efforts. See why .

̽��Ƶ. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Laserfiche, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the ̽��Ƶ Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as ̽��Ƶ’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Modernizing Government Workflows: Breaking Down Silos for Faster, Smarter Collaboration

Posted on by Dave Rheaume

State and local government teams are under pressure to do more with less. They’re facing rising demands for digital services, growing cybersecurity threats, and shrinking budgets—but outdated systems slow them down. Siloed tools, manual processes, and limited visibility make it harder to serve communities efficiently.

So how can government teams move faster, work smarter, and improve service delivery?

From silos to seamless collaboration

Many government agencies rely on a patchwork of disconnected tools, legacy systems, and manual workflows to manage critical operations. While these systems may have worked in the past, a lack of modernization and cohesive results leads to wasted time, security risks, and high costs.

Agencies need more than just tools—they need a modern, connected way to work. By modernizing workflows and adopting agile, automated processes, they can:

Deliver services faster with fewer bottlenecks
Boost collaboration across IT, operations, and mission teams
Improve transparency with real-time project tracking
Make smarter decisions with AI-powered insights

How agencies are driving change

Government agencies are moving away from outdated, disconnected systems and adopting modern, integrated workflows to improve efficiency and service delivery. By leveraging automation, cloud-based collaboration, and agile project management, they’re breaking down silos, delivering better citizen services, and increasing productivity.

The California Department of Health Care Services saved $2.2M on one project alone using Atlassian and improved delivery time by 66% with Cloud Enterprise. Read more about how they saved millions.
The State of Utah upgraded to Jira Software and Confluence Cloud, seeing more than 90% faster change reviews after cloud migration and completed migration 2.5 years ahead of schedule. Read more about their cost and time savings.

State and local agencies can apply these same principles to streamline processes, cut costs, and improve citizen services.

Start small, scale fast

Transforming government workflows doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Agencies can start with small, strategic changes that drive immediate impact and scale over time.

Identify bottlenecks. Where are delays slowing things down?
Automate repetitive tasks. Free teams for high-impact work.
Connect teams. Break down silos with transparent workflows.

Government agencies don’t need more tools—they need a smarter, integrated approach to getting work done.

Connecting cloud solutions across an agency with Atlassian’s System of Work

Atlassian Modernizing Government Workflows Blog Embedded Image 2025

Government teams—from California’s Department of Health Care Services to the State of Utah—are accelerating modernization by adopting multiple Atlassian cloud products across their agencies. These solutions aren’t just integrated—they’re connected in a way that creates a shared foundation for how work gets done. That foundation is Atlassian’s System of Work.

Built on the Atlassian Cloud, this System of Work connects tools, teams, and data to provide a unified context across programs and mission goals. It enables agencies to plan, track, and scale work more effectively, creating the clarity and collaboration needed to deliver better outcomes, faster.

Here’s how the Atlassian Cloud System of Work helps agencies work smarter—together:

Align work to goals. Ensuring every task and project is directly connected to strategic objectives enhances visibility and accountability across teams.
Plan and track work collaboratively. Utilizing tools like Jira enables teams to plan, track, and manage work collectively, fostering transparency and coordination.
Harness collective knowledge. Platforms like Confluence facilitate the sharing and organization of information, breaking down silos and promoting informed decision-making.

By adopting Atlassian’s System of Work, agencies can transition from fragmented processes to integrated workflows. With more clarity and collaboration, teams can move faster, collaborate better, and deliver exceptional services.

Ready to cut through the complexity? Learn more about Atlassian’s cloud solutions and join our April 15^th webinar:

̽��Ƶ. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Atlassian, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the ̽��Ƶ Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as ̽��Ƶ’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Modernizing Government IT: A Case Study in JSM Implementation

Posted on by Harjinder Singh

A local government entity responsible for managing IT service operations across multiple departments (including Utilities, Fire, Clerk’s Office, City Manager’s Office, Finance, HR, and more) needed to modernize its IT service management system. Their existing ITSM platform was costly, difficult to maintain, and fragmented across departments, making it inefficient to manage service operations. To streamline operations, they selected Atlassian’s Jira Service Management (JSM) as a scalable, cost-effective solution that could be rapidly deployed to support IT and departmental service needs.

ANB Technologies partnered with the government entity to implement JSM, leveraging ANB’s high-velocity accelerators to optimize processes, reduce costs, enhance delivery speed, and automate workflows.

Key Challenges:

The local government entity faced several challenges with its legacy ITSM system, including:

Fragmented Service Operations: Each department had its own service workflow, causing inefficiencies and inconsistencies in handling service requests.
High Costs: The existing system was expensive, requiring significant investment in maintenance and lengthy upgrades.
Difficult to Maintain and Scale: Expanding the system to support additional departments and use cases was slow and complex.
Manual and Inefficient Workflows: The lack of process standardization led to delays, increased workloads, and poor visibility into service requests.

Our Solution:

To address these challenges, ANB Technologies implemented JSM as a modern, centralized IT service management platform, leveraging ANB’s High-Velocity Accelerators—built on industry best practices and preconfigured JSM components—to enable rapid deployment and streamlined operations.

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Incident Management: Incident management processes was optimized with a structured JSM workflow for consistent issue resolution across departments. SLAs and an impact-urgency-priority matrix improved categorization, routing, and response efficiency, while automated notifications kept stakeholders informed.
Service Request Management: JSM implementation also included development of automated workflows of service request types across multiple departments. The implementation included workflows for IT-related requests such as software and hardware provisioning, email access, and account setup. HR processes like employee onboarding and offboarding were streamlined.
Self-Service Portal: A JSM based self-service portal was implemented, allowing employees to submit and track requests in real time. The portal was backed by a comprehensive knowledge base, equipping users with self-help resources to resolve common issues independently.
Comprehensive Knowledge Management: A centralized knowledge base in Confluence was introduced, providing end-users and service agents with structured access to troubleshooting guides, department procedures, and internal support documentation for seamless collaboration and issue resolution.
Asset Management: For asset tracking, JSM Asset management application was configured to manage IT and city-owned resources, including laptops, desktops, software licenses, and department-specific equipment such as vehicles and facility assets. Data relationships between users, groups, locations, and divisions were established to provide comprehensive asset visibility and lifecycle tracking.

Outcomes:

By leveraging Jira Service Management (JSM), ANB Technologies rapidly delivered a modern IT service management solution, enabling the local government entity to:

Empower Users with Self-Service & Knowledge Management: Employees could self-resolve issues and track their requests, reducing IT and administrative workload.
Reduce Costs: Transitioning to JSM eliminated costly maintenance and licensing fees, lowering overall expenses.
Streamline Service Operations & Reduce Resolution Times: Unified JSM incident and request workflows improved service delivery and significantly reduced resolution times.
Improve Transparency & Visibility: Departments gained real-time insights into service requests, incidents, and asset tracking.
Speed to deliver: By eliminating lengthy platform upgrades and enabling rapid development, the time to market for launching new JSM features was significantly reduced.

Conclusion

By implementing Jira Service Management (JSM), ANB Technologies enabled the local government entity to replace its costly, fragmented, and difficult-to-maintain system with a centralized, scalable solution. The rapidly deployed JSM platform streamlined workflows across departments, reduced operational costs, improved service efficiency, and enhanced visibility—ensuring long-term success.

Join Atlassian, ANB Technologies, and ̽��Ƶ during our to learn more about this use case and implementing Jira Service Management into your agency.

̽��Ƶ. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Atlassian, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the ̽��Ƶ Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as ̽��Ƶ’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.