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County CIO warns of urgent IBM server replacement; commissioners agree to pursue tech‑fund support
Summary
Sam Adams told commissioners the county's IBM Power 9 server reached an end‑of‑service date and recommended upgrading to Power 11; commissioners pressed for oversight, discussed Registers Technology Fund and deeds‑excise options, and agreed to pursue a formal tech‑fund request and coordinated letters to the Secretary of State.
Sam Adams, the county chief information officer, told the Norfolk County Commission that the county's IBM Power 9 server reached an end‑of‑service date (January 31, 2026) and recommended replacing it with an IBM Power 11 platform to avoid operational and security risks. Adams said IBM had buried notices in nonstandard channels, causing late awareness, and warned that "the longer you go, the harder it could be to get the IBM repair." (He also noted a pending IBM price increase scheduled for July.)
Commissioners pressed Adams and the register of deeds for answers about oversight and funding. Several commissioners said the situation represented a serious operational risk for registry services that support county and state revenues. Register O'Donnell said he had communicated with the Secretary of State's staff and that the registry is "working on it," but declined to provide a simple yes/no commitment to file a formal tech‑fund application during the meeting. Assistant register Marguerite noted procedural timelines for the Registers Technology Fund and cautioned that requests require review by that office.
Assistant Director Bill Buckley and other commissioners urged prompt coordination: the register should submit a request to the Registers Technology Fund and the commission would draft a supporting letter to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Commissioners discussed alternative funding (deeds‑excise balances that have been the subject of litigation and other internal funds) and agreed to reconvene the item next week after outreach to the Secretary's office and gathering the details vendors and state staff require.
Clarifying details recorded in the meeting: the server's end‑of‑service date was January 31, 2026; the county is recommending migration to IBM Power 11; earlier upgrades (Power 7→9) occurred in 2019; board members referenced roughly a mid‑six‑figure to low‑seven‑figure need for the upgrade (figures were described in discussion as "not specified" or approximate and the register said the precise request amount would be set in the formal tech‑fund application). The commission requested that the register file a formal tech‑fund request and that the county provide a supporting letter and technical details from vendor(s) and county IT so the Secretary of State's office can act quickly.
