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IT briefs commissioners on telecom, cybersecurity, Teams/Zoom options and cautious AI pilots
Summary
Clallam County IT managers reported Nov. 4 that the 2026 IT budget is relatively flat but noted one $82,000 SaaS line that must be restored; they outlined telecom and phone system options, strengthened cybersecurity posture, and recommended a cautious, audited approach to AI pilots.
Clallam County IT leaders told the Board that their 2026 operating request is largely flat compared with 2025, but they identified an $82,000 software‑as‑a‑service maintenance line that was incorrectly omitted from the administrator’s working document and will be restored in the next budget iteration.
Telecom and phones: IT described a prior effort to replace some county cell phones with a softphone app (a virtual county number running on personal devices) but said the initial vendor solution raised public‑records and compliance concerns. Instead IT renegotiated Verizon plans to eliminate unused lines and move legacy accounts onto modern plans that saved money. IT is also evaluating a future migration from the on‑premises Avaya phone system to Microsoft Teams phone capabilities; staff advised pilots and thorough testing because court integration, public‑meeting functionality and records retention are requirements.
Domain consolidation, desktop posture and cloud decisions: IT described a completed shift away from virtual desktops to physical desktops and an ongoing domain consolidation project (in‑house staff training reduced an estimated external cost). IT is deferring an Esri cloud migration because Esri recommended third‑party hosting for smaller counties, which staff judged suboptimal.
Cybersecurity and backups: IT described proactive anti‑malware coverage with 24/7 protection, immutable off‑site backups and planning to implement best practice hardening, monitoring and enterprise controls. Staff said they will continue contract reviews and eliminate unused services.
AI and automation: IT cautioned that internal AI projects have high failure rates unless paired with outside expertise and clear process redesign. Staff reported limited Copilot testing with controlled pilots, recommended automation and process change before wide AI rollout, and emphasized the need for secure middleware and least‑privilege access before letting AI tools query county systems.
Provenance: IT’s overview began at 00:34:32 and continued through the Teams/Zoom and AI discussions (last referenced 00:53:54).
