Computing the Cost of Obsolescence: Faitfax County Needs $90 Million for New System, Study Says
Fairfax needs to spend more than $90 million to replace its obsolete computer system, improve residentsÛª access to information and boost productivity among county workers, according to a new study.</br></br>At the same time, officials should develop a plan to protect the information the county collects or risk facing a major crisis if a fire or other catastrophe damages the countyÛªs computer system, the study said.</br></br>The recommendations are in a report by the Information Technology Advisory Group, a collection of businesspeople who have been reviewing the countyÛªs deteriorating computer networks.</br></br>The group told county supervisors last week that the county can expect to see costly problems with several thousand aging computersÛÓwhich now are critical to keeping records of county personnel, land transactions and other operationsÛÓin part because officials have been unwilling to pay for improvements in recent years.</br></br>Describing an outdated system in which agencies have different types of computers that do similar chores but do not communicate, the group said that the county has to come up with an approach that allows information to flow freely and offers residents easier access to it.