University of Southern Mississippi

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The state of Mississippi needed to substantially enhance public safety and increase productivity among law enforcement, fire and emergency agencies. First responders require instant access to critical public-safety information such as arrest warrants, mug shots, criminal data, hazardous materials data and call histories. “It is critical that all of our first responders have instant access to the vital information that can save lives, speed arrests and ensure public safety,” says Major Julian Allen, Ph.D., director of the Mississippi Automated System Project (MASP). Government officials realized that their public safety information and communication infrastructure needed significant upgrades to provide the timely information sharing abilities the agencies required.

The University of Southern Mississippi, using federal grants, initiated MASP to provide secure access to critical data. MASP created two identical data centers in Gulfport and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, each consisting of x86 servers running VMware ESX Server, Windows and Linux operating systems, and Sun Secure Global Desktop Software, which enables users to securely access data and applications remotely. Data is replicated between the sites so there is no single point of failure. Currently, there are 31 agencies in the state utilizing the suite of public safety software applications, such as Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management Systems (RMS), Fire Management Systems (FMS) and Jail Management Systems (JMS) providing a single, centralized information gold mine of criminal and homeland security intelligence.

The MASP chose Sun Secure Global Desktop Software because it is the only integrated application management and access solution that can span an unprecedented range of server-based applications including Windows, Linux, Solaris, UNIX, mainframe and midrange systems. Sun Secure Global Desktop Software is the platform of choice for delivering highly secure remote access to server-based applications across any network to virtually any device. Its three-tiered design is engineered to support open standards, stringent security and encryption requirements, and optimize network performance, using any combination of Internet, intranet or extranet pathways. The MASP recognized that Sun Secure Global Desktop Software is the ideal platform to enable cost-effective enterprise application migrations and ensure business continuance in disaster scenarios.

The new system enables all public safety agencies in Mississippi to access one centralized sharing system at a reasonable cost. First, responders can now easily and securely access needed applications such as JMS, FMS, RMS and CAD. With Sun Secure Global Desktop software, user sessions are protected with Secure Socket Layer encryption. After logging in, all users from the various public safety agencies are then provided with a customized screen, based on rights, which gives them access to the specific applications and data necessary for their jobs.

For example, police officers no longer have to place dozens of calls to check on suspects or inmate records in the surrounding counties. MASP’s centralized information-sharing design drives the cost of recurring maintenance and support services down as more agencies come onboard. Likewise, the centralized approach makes training and system upgrades less expensive and easier to implement. According to Allen, officials expect the system to prove itself in all types of disasters and could eventually become a national model for linking more states together using the centralized software applications model.