Central Highlands Regional Council’s Transformation
Why should Governments embrace the winds of change regarding the ever-changing IT landscapes?
Because IT is an integral part of Government, so its role will continue to expand
Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) are a local government organisation in Queensland’s Central Highlands region. They are responsible for providing services and infrastructure to the communities within their jurisdiction. With over 30,000 residents relying on CHRC’s support, they play a crucial role in shaping the future of the regions they support.
The Challenge
Let’s delve into the journey of the Central Highlands Regional Council. Navigating the complexities of a rapidly advancing
technological landscape, especially being situated in a regional area, presented its own set of challenges. Ensuring up-to-date infrastructure and retaining skilled technical officers for its management and maintenance became pivotal for our continued progress.
As Clinton Nicol-Dickson, Manager of Information and Communications Technology at CHRC, puts it:
"I often felt we were trying to play catch-up with the ever-evolving technology. Amid our bustling government operations, with countless services requiring support and numerous projects demanding attention, our infrastructure sometimes took a backseat. Our limited capacity made it challenging for me and my team to prioritise it adequately. Over time, with numerous competing priorities and finite resources, our focus inevitably got diverted, resulting in some wear and tear in our systems."
But here’s the turning point:
"At CHRC, we acutely felt the urgency of the situation. It became evident to me that for genuine progress, a robust infrastructure foundation was non negotiable. The quality of services we aimed to deliver to our community would decline without it. Thus, we embarked on a mission to refresh our approach. By welcoming innovation and exploring new strategies, we set out to overcome the challenges that had held us back for too long. As a collective, we realized that a strategic investment in infrastructure would provide long-term dividends, empowering us to serve our constituents more effectively."
The Vision
The council was hit with a pressing need for a seamless shift to a hybrid environment, tapping into the immense potential of cloud services. Their technical officers, under the weight of burgeoning demands, needed relief. The council’s aim? To pinpoint a solution that would not only address their infrastructural needs but would also forge a partnership that would lend steadfast support, amplify efficiency, and impart tangible value to their
operations.
With a shared vision, CHRC and Truis embarked on a transformative journey, pooling their resources and expertise to overhaul the infrastructure and pivot to a
managed services model
Taking center stage in this ambitious project was the recommendation of a Nutanix HCI (hyper-converged infrastructure) with Lenovo, a nod to future-proofing the council’s IT ecosystem.
In collaboration with Clinton and the adept
team at CHRC, a dual-pronged deployment
strategy was rolled out: three Nutanix nodes
on Lenovo at CHRC’s production site and an
identical setup at a DR site for robust replication
using Veeam. This ensured a non-negotiable
data security mandate with hourly snapshots
and daily backups
To facilitate the migration of CHRC’s critical applications, systems like the asset management application, document management system, and a geographic information system (GIS) were seamlessly moved to Nutanix. The migration encompassed Microsoft SQL databases, Windows servers, and even their Skype for Business platform. Rounding off the infrastructure was the inclusion of Nutanix Prism and Nutanix Files – strategic moves to simplify IT management and deploy intelligent file storage solutions.
And the outcome?
The results have been nothing less than stellar for both the council and the communities they serve. Partnering with Truis meant that the once-daunting task of transitioning to a hybrid environment was executed with finesse, unlocking the vast possibilities offered by cloud services.
More than just a technological uplift, this venture relieved the council’s technical officers from operational overwhelm, granting them the freedom to channel their efforts towards tasks of higher strategic value. The council’s partnership with Truis opened the doors to a new era of success. Their vision transformed into reality
as innovative infrastructure and a collaborative managed service approach propelled them towards achieving their goals. This partnership went beyond mere support; it served as a catalyst for enhanced efficiency across the board. And the best part? The council reaped tangible value, benefiting their business and positively impacting the lives of the communities they proudly serve.
The Result
When Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) realised the pressing need for an infrastructure upgrade and managed services, they embarked on a journey to modernise their IT systems. They knew they needed a comprehensive plan to secure the budget and address hardware replacement, support, and maintenance services. Thus, they developed a detailed business case, highlighting technical requirements and the crucial support and maintenance aspects. With their eyes wide open to all available options, CHRC conducted an open tender, inviting vendors to showcase their innovative solutions. Among the contenders, Truis Managed Services emerged as the preferred partner for CHRC, bringing their expertise to implement an infrastructure upgrade alongside managed services. With Truis on board, CHRC experienced a sigh of relief from the pain points they had been facing. Truis bridged the gap by providing skilled resources and expertise as part of its managed services and support, empowering the council to increase its capacity.
"We were looking for a true partner – not just a service provider. We wanted to find a vendor who was in it for the right reasons and cared about supporting our council in achieving its strategic objectives."
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