State Upgrades to Cloud Technology

State seal. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Maui Now Staff

The State of Hawai‘i has completed a major upgrade to its information technology system to utilize cloud technology in managing and supporting over 16,000 employees statewide.

The Human Resources Management System Upgrade Project was completed on Jan. 20, 2015, resulting in a modernized system with vital backup capabilities and greater efficiency.

The HRMS is used by over 200 human resource employees in the Department of Human Resource Development and other state agencies. The new system provides a secure and reliable platform in place of its dated predecessor, which posed the risk of a complete system failure, according to DHRD Director James Nishimoto.

“The HRMS Upgrade Project serves as a model as we propel state government to higher levels of efficiency, effectiveness and productivity,” said Gov. David Y. Ige. “I applaud the project team for recognizing the security and cost benefits associated with shared cloud technology, while actively engaging our state employees and supporting them throughout the process to implement change the right way.”

The new system utilizes the latest software (PeopleSoft 9.2) providing a virtual computing environment in the “cloud,” while reducing the state’s operating costs and providing faster service.

“With approximately 300 servers implemented on the Hawai‘i GPC [Government Private Cloud] to-date, cloud technology is helping to reduce spending on infrastructure, increase system reliability and enhance the security of the state’s information resources,” said Keone Kali, state chief information officer. “Launch of the HRMS upgrade in the Hawai‘i GPC is an excellent example of how this environment can securely, efficiently and cost-effectively host our most critical systems.”

The upgrade project was a collaborative effort by staff across multiple state agencies, including DHRD, the Department of Accounting and General Services’ Information and Communications Services Division (Telecommunications Services and the Systems Services Branches), the Office of Information Management and Technology, and the Department of Taxation.

The upgrade was budgeted for $1.57 million, including design, software, licenses, database updates and training costs.