The first annual Gateway to Innovation event took place Wednesday April 30, 2008 at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis. REJIS was one of the St. Louis area companies receiving special recognition at the gala.
You can see more about the event here:
http://www.stlinnovate.com/
The write up for REJIS' recognition follows:
Paul Newhouse, General Manager
Eric Gorham, Director of Information Technology
Public safety entities rely on the electronic exchange of information to operate. This premise is especially important following a disaster. As the leading provider of information technology services to law enforcement and government agencies in the St. Louis region, REJIS is a mainstay in the criminal justice arena with its services ingrained in the processing of law enforcement and government activities throughout the region. Understanding the importance of having uninterrupted access, REJIS reexamined its approach to business continuity to ensure constant access to the nearly 250 government agencies it serves.
REJIS' 30-year-old data center was located on the lower level of a general purpose office building. As such, it was not built to withstand major manmade or natural disasters, nor was the design conducive to an efficient operation of today’s technical environment. To address these issues, the Board of Directors hired Arcturis to help plan a solution. The conclusion was the construction of a new data center adjacent to the existing office building. The Board approved the plan and REJIS embarked on the largest endeavor in its history.
After securing funding, construction began in July 2006 and completed in May 2007. Built next door to the current headquarters, the new facility was designed to be highly secure and resistant to manmade and natural disasters. The facility expanded the original data center's size to 8,000 square foot and boasts many redundant features. Besides having sufficient space for growth, REJIS now offers hosting services to the government sector and a business continuity center for use by agencies in the event their regular work space becomes unavailable.
Technology played a crucial role in the design and construction of the new facility. It incorporated C|Smart (www.c-smart.com) which aids in directing cable installation and distribution, accurately generates panel schedules, and assists in managing inventory. A 24" raised floor was installed that increased the cooling plenum and made cable management easier. The floor pedestals and tiles are bolted to the concrete base below to create a common grounded network, and several viewing floor tiles were incorporated for ease of inspection. Fire detection systems are present throughout the center.
Finally, bandwidth, redundant communication, and overall security of the facility were greatly improved. Communication redundancy was accomplished by having dual entrances for primary communications and dual power provided by multiple CPCs (Computer Power Centers). Other features include:
• Isolating the data center from headquarters with restricted access to data center
• Securing storage rooms
• Installing IP-based cameras throughout facility and campus
• Using high security door hardware and locks
• Incorporating badge readers with two or three factor identification
• Including entry traps and interlocked doors
• Eliminating exterior windows
• Protecting exterior equipment by heavy grating, such as the generator and all HVAC systems
• Securing the perimeter by 8' and 10' foot fencing and bollards
Funding was the largest impediment. The REJIS Board approved the project with three stipulations. The building must be self-sustaining (client fees could not be increased), clients must reap benefits from the new data center, and additional business must be obtained to repay the construction loan.
Two important outside funding sources were acquired to assist with capital expenditures. First, the State of Missouri signed a service agreement as the first customer of the new data center. Second, a $50,000 grant was obtained to enhance security.
When the bids were opened, the total cost was well over budget. With the help of the general contractor, BSI Constructors, we were able to find economies to meet the design goals and the budget. REJIS staff also did many non-construction tasks internally to reduce costs. One example was planning and executing the move to the new center with internal resources. By the end of the project, costs were nearly $355,000 under budget.
Located in a historic area with two associations who review building requests, the General Manager and the architect began meeting with the groups early in the process to solicit their ideas. After several iterations, the design met the associations’ guidelines and secured unanimous endorsement. The letter praised the process noting, “We wish all developers were as willing to involve us and listen to our ideas as REJIS”.
Limiting disruption of critical services was another obstacle. It was inevitable that moving the data center would require the disruption of critical services to our clients. Through detailed planning, identification of critical components, trial runs and company-wide ownership, the move of all critical services was accomplished in only 118 minutes.
The success of the Data Center construction required intense planning and effort from all departments and employees. The project team encouraged organizational support by holding group meetings, asking for input, and distributing weekly status reports and pictures. Once the building was accessible, tours were provided to staff so progress could be seen firsthand. Ultimately ownership in the project became company-wide and all members were empowered and believed in the success. Staff volunteered to be involved firsthand in REJIS’ largest endeavor ever. In the end, we met all the project objectives: • On time and under budget • Minimal interruption of critical public safety services• Satisfied neighborhood associations• Improved services
The whole list of companies receiving recognition is at:
http://www.stlinnovate.com/recognition/examples