The Public Servant 

When government technology works, most people never notice. When it doesn’t, everyone does. One Midwestern state’s Office of Technology was responsible for supporting the platforms behind everyday services for millions of residents, whether they were renewing a driver’s license, registering to vote, or just reserving a spot at the local campground. The office was also tasked with consolidating IT organizations across state government, establishing infrastructure standards, and reducing the cost and risk of operating these public services. 

The Red Tape 

At public sector scale, storage complexity can quickly become service delivery complexity. 

Administrative Burden. The office needed to reduce the amount of manual work so employees could spend more time serving residents and improving the quality of services.  

Protection and Resilience. The office also wanted a stronger data protection strategy, with defenses against ransomware and a reliable path to recovery. 

Visibility and Compliance. Faster log analytics, better security and compliance, and broader data observability were also part of the ask. The goal was an environment that was easier to understand and safer to operate. 

Scale and Digital Transformation. To accomplish all this, the state needed a consolidated, scalable platform that could enable digital transformation without increasing the complexity it was trying to solve for. 

These are familiar problems, even if the consequences are unique to the public sector. The client was spending too much time and effort on managing its infrastructure, rather than innovating. It needed a partner that could help it connect the storage design to the state’s operational responsibilities and then carry that into implementation, so storage could keep pace with its digital transformation efforts. 

A Statewide Approach 

This engagement aligned with three areas of AHEAD’s expertise: 

• Data Platform Modernization: Consolidating the storage environment into a coherent platform across two data centers. 
• Secure & Resilient Architecture: Building security into the platform, with 30 days of SafeMode retention against ransomware threats and Everpure’s CyberRecovery and Resiliency SLA. 
• Operational Excellence: Connecting storage decisions to simpler administration, lower maintenance effort, faster troubleshooting, and broader data observability.

The work unfolded across three phases: 

Advise 

AHEAD and the Office of Technology began by connecting the office’s operational goals to the design of its new storage environment, so the consolidated platform could reduce the effort of managing capacity and strengthen data protection and visibility across the environment.  

Why the Groundwork Mattered: The initial planning kept resident-facing services top-of-mind, so every storage decision was evaluated by the public services it was meant to support. 

Build 

AHEAD then translated that strategy into an enterprise storage implementation spanning two data centers.  

The solution was built on Everpure technology: 

• 3 PiB of Everpure’s Evergreen//One across two data centers, using FlashArray//X, FlashArray//XL, and FlashBlade//S. 
• 30 days of SafeMode retention against ransomware threats and Everpure’s CyberRecovery and Resiliency SLA. 
• Additional testing for the quality of services that would be supported by the platform. 

How It Came to Life: Storage was no longer a collection of separate systems to manage, but a coherent, protected platform. The implementation reduced the physical flash-storage footprint while making the operating model simpler. 

Run 

With the platform in place, the Office of Technology could enable visibility, protection, and operational consistency across its environment. The office now had a more manageable way to store and protect its data, with less effort devoted to storage administration. 

How It Kept Delivering: The Office of Technology established a manageable foundation for ongoing support of its agencies and public services. 

For the Public Good 

The new storage solution delivered significant operational, financial, and physical gains. 

More Time for Important Work. Administrative tasks fell by 50%, reducing the amount of routine effort required to manage the environment. In addition, time spent on maintenance work fell by 70%, making it easier for the office to keep the platform running. 

Lower Cost. With the transition, the state saved millions in hardware, software, and maintenance costs, resources that can now be redirected toward other technology investments and services. 

A Smaller Footprint. The flash-storage data center footprint shrank by 66%, creating a more efficient physical foundation for future growth. 

Stronger Protection and Visibility. Along with built-in security, the client also has a framework for data protection, log analytics, compliance, and observability. 

What’s Next 

With a consolidated platform in place, the Office of Technology can focus more on supporting state agencies and pursuing new ideas that benefit the public. That’s the kind of win that AHEAD can help the public sector achieve with its infrastructure: giving teams more capacity and more time to give back to the very people whose lives it’s dedicated to improving.