OMES partners with local company to reach digital goals

Every day, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services monitors an expansive computer network to ensure all state employees can safely and reliably deliver services to millions of Oklahomans. The network is made up of thousands of pieces of technology and devices. If something isn’t working, OMES wants to catch it early or even prevent it, to improve client experience.

On average, OMES responds to over 27,400 service degradations or outages every year. OMES leadership knew they needed a new nonstop monitoring system that could detect a problem and automatically contact a technician for help. A breakthrough solution was found in the Oklahoma City-based company, Alias Infosec, which boasts 30 years of experience in the tech sector.

“We partnered with Alias Infosec in June and have continually been impressed by the focus and customer service they have provided,” said state Chief Information Officer Jerry Moore. “We were comfortable and confident that this team would maintain their focus on us, frankly because as fellow Oklahomans it was important to the company’s CEO and founder that this project be successful.”

WHY OKLAHOMA MADE THE SWITCH

Before Alias Infosec, OMES used a company called SolarWinds. However, hackers broke into SolarWinds’ system in early 2020 and added malicious code to the company’s software. This impacted IT operations throughout the world, and at the direction of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, OMES took its SolarWinds connections offline.

“While no evidence has been found of a breach that impacted Oklahoma from this event,” Moore said, “it was clear that our teams needed an alternative solution. We evaluated replacement options and landed on a full suite of tools to replace SolarWinds and started to evaluate and implement services.”

Companies all over the globe needed to replace their SolarWinds services quickly. The market became competitive. While there were many choices, only Alias Infosec assured OMES that the state would be their top priority and ensure interoperability with OMES' existing infrastructure.

What Alias Infosec brings to the table

The local company will replace the SolarWinds network and server monitoring tools to build a dashboard and incident response plan. This will eventually lead to an automated system, notifying state employees and technicians of outages.

In addition to monitoring the Lincoln Data Center in Oklahoma, Alias Infosec will also help monitor TX1, the state’s backup data center in Garland, Texas. TX1 was created as part of OMES’ disaster recovery project.

At first, the company was hesitant to bid on a state project, due to budgetary and logistical hurdles. Now, Alias Infosec Founder and CEO Donovan Farrow said the commitment was the right decision.

“We never really worked with the state because we were focused on private companies,” said Farrow. “It’s exciting to be part of something even bigger than myself.”

Alias Infosec also offers digital forensics and testing. The business serves clients throughout the region, including Texas, Kansas and Colorado.

Oklahoma’s state Chief Operating Officer Steven Harpe said OMES needed a company that could meet the demands of our state and deliver results quickly. Alias Infosec did both.

“Those within state government count on us to look out for them,” said Harpe. “By investing $1.94 million in a local company with a proven track record, we are spending our dollars wisely to deliver critical services. Our work behind the scenes ensures thousands of employees at 189 state agencies, affiliates and municipalities can depend on OMES.”

Alias Infosec will complete the SolarWinds replacement in the coming months and will offer training over the next several years.

OMES is dedicated to finding the best solution and value in our service to Oklahomans. If you would like to become a state vendor and need more information, please visit the OMES vendor website, or visit our State Suppliers Expo on Oct. 19.