Commissioners talk IT, network issues

Joe Corbin from Compass Integration. an information Technology and Building Maintenance services provider, who works with the Pike County Commissioners on information technology (IT) issues as well as some maintenance issues, met Monday with the Pike County Commissioners to give them updates on the progress on some of the projects he has been working on.

Corbin started by addressing the generator at the Pike County Sheriff’s Office. Corbin said the new radiator should be in now and hopefully it can be scheduled by the end of this week.

“The plan is he (the technician) can do everything in one day,” Corbin said. “He can replace the radiator and then complete the PM (permanent magnet) work. At that point it will be good for another year.”

The next topic Corbin discussed was what company, whether it be Ohio Valley Technologies (OVT) or Axia Technology Partners (Axia TP), to take over the sheriff department’s network.

“To be honest, in the beginning I was really in OVT’s corner, but they have just become tough to deal with,” Corbin said.

According to Corbin, OVT has not provided any detail on their network routes and the county commissioners have been told by OVT Chief Technology Officer Lonnie Mercer it is proprietary information

“I never in all my career in IT, I have never ran into that.” Corbin said.

Commissioner Jerry Miller said while some information may be proprietary, that information is not.

“Their banking information may be proprietary, but where their network routes is not proprietary,” Miller said.

Corbin said that if the county at some point decides to not continue its service with OVT that this was a pretty good indication of what the county will have to deal with.

“The sheriff is not happy with OVT and that’s understandable,” Corbin said. “If the county wants to send a ‘shot across the bow’ to OVT to wake them up this might be a way to do it,” Corbin said.

Corbin admitted that it was a pricey solution tp go with Axia TP, but it was pricey because Axia TP would reverse-engineer and replace the old and used equipment that OVT installed in the sheriff’s office.

Miller asked Corbin if going with Axia TP would be an improvement over what the county has now.

“I haven’t been a big fan of Axia TP. They’re a little overpriced, but they do good work,” Corbin said. “They’re pretty thorough and I have doubts that once they come in and reverse engineer what’s there and replace the equipment, the licensing and the equipment would be good for five years.”

The only charge to the county would be Axia TP’s monthly recurring charge.

Corbin told the panel that a decision would have to made sometime concerning the county a whole, but he has found it’s easier to bite of little piece at time.

“I think the sheriff’s department, based on their current situation, is a good place to start. That would put everything under one umbrella,” Corbin said.

Miller asked Corbin could Axia TP give a numbers for taking over everything at sheriff’s department and if they could “sharpen their pencils” on the quoted for network and IT support.

Corbin said he could get that information.