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Marietta BLW IT highlights security upgrades, cloud and AI pilots
Summary
IT staff summarized 2024 projects and 2025 priorities including firewall replacement, cloud purchasing portal, drone management, meter communications migration to cellular, camera upgrades and AI pilots for customer and HR self-service.
Ronnie Barrett, identified in the meeting as an IT lead for the Board of Lights and Water, reviewed IT department activities for the previous year and described planned work for 2025, emphasizing security, resiliency, automation and cost control.
Barrett said the department completed an enterprise wireless upgrade, replaced perimeter firewalls (a multi-month project intended to last 7–10 years), launched a cloud-based purchasing platform to streamline vendor outreach, deployed a drone management platform, refreshed a GIS data portal, and added virtual-queuing and phone-system improvements to improve customer experience. He said the automated-meter-infrastructure communications were migrated from a leased radio network to a cellular network to reduce cost and improve reliability.
Barrett said the IT group has partnerships with Kennesaw State University and Georgia Tech and is part of a Department of Energy grant project. He said the department’s spending as a percentage of operating expense and share of full-time staff are well below industry averages according to Gartner metrics shared with the board (IT spending ~1.81% vs. utility average ~4.2%; IT staff ~2.5% vs. utility average ~8.3%).
Planned 2025 projects include a budget forecasting tool for finance, replacement of the document management system, replacement of video management software for cameras, identity and access management, server and battery replacements in the data center, mobile device refreshes, Itron metering software upgrades, and improved fiber and substation camera connectivity. Barrett said the department is piloting AI tools for internal HR support, technical self-service, and security automation and expects to expand those pilots cautiously.
Board members asked about physical security at substations and routine cyber threats; Barrett said substations and pumps have fencing and in some locations access-control and that cybersecurity monitoring and automated responses are in place and operate after hours with internal staff oversight.
