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NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
NYS Higher Education Services Corporation
Statewide Wireless Network
NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
The Client
New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for conserving, improving and protecting the state’s natural resources and environment. The Department also works to control water, land and air pollution, and ultimately to enhance the health, safety and welfare of all New Yorkers.
Project Background
Through the auspices of DEC, approximately 1,800 vendors across New York State sell sporting licenses and permits to the public. These issuing agents include town clerks’ offices, sporting-goods stores, and other retail outlets around the state. DEC and its issuing agents have relied on a manual system that is highly paper-intensive. DEC initiated a project to revamp this system by implementing state-of-the art technology linking each licensing outlet to a central computer repository that would store and process the licenses and permits, and handle the electronic transfer of funds. Mail order and call-in options for sporting enthusiasts would also become part of the solution.
Project Summary
DEC hired NYSTEC to define and document the system requirements, and to develop an RFP package for the new system, known as the Department of Environmental Conservation Automated Licensing System (DECALS). NYSTEC’s recommendations served as the basis for the Request for Proposal issued by the DEC in February 2000. WorldCom was chosen as system vendor. DECALS became operational in August 2002.
NYSTEC’s Added Value
Over a period of many months, NYSTEC conducted interviews with issuing agents and DEC officials. Company engineers performed extensive technology evaluations, and offered ongoing engineering advice to the client. NYSTEC’s preliminary work served as the basis for the final RFP, which was largely written by company technical engineers. NYSTEC continued to provide technical assistance after the vendor was selected. NYSTEC takes pride in the end product. DECALS makes it much easier for people to purchase sporting licenses and permits in New York State, reducing the average time of purchase from five minutes to around one minute. The new system provides a much more efficient means for DEC to track its transactions and access its historical data. In addition, DECALS has fostered significant communications improvements between DEC and its issuing agents.
NYS Higher Education Services Corp.
The Client
New York State’s Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is the agency responsible for administering loans, grants and scholarships awarded to New York State’s college and university students. Between 1996 and 2001, HESC administered a total of $144.8 billion in loans, grants and scholarships. Its activities over this five-year period included guaranteeing approximately 2 million federal student loans totaling more than $11 billion, and helping 1.3 million undergraduates and 1.4 million graduate students pay for their schooling through the state’s Tuition Assistance Program.
Project Background
HESC manages multiple billions of dollars in loans, grants and scholarships for thousands of students. It accomplishes this mission through two primary computer systems, one for the Federal Family Education Loan program, the other for various grant and scholarship programs. These two aging systems are fraught with myriad difficulties, including maintenance problems, outdated technologies, and interface complications. The agency decided to explore different options for replacing and upgrading these systems. Its preferred solution was a single, all-encompassing system offering maximum integration and data sharing. The agency named this proposed system the Comprehensive Student Financial Aid Delivery System (CSFADS).
Project Summary
The agency engaged NYSTEC to assist with defining its technical requirements, planning the system acquisition and upgrade, generating a Request for Proposals, and evaluating various technology options. NYSTEC immediately instituted its proprietary process for guiding a technology acquisition. This process includes developing a program vision, gathering and documenting technical requirements, developing various action plans, creating a Request for Proposals, and instituting a procedure to evaluate proposals. Hundreds of technical requirements were defined, a comprehensive Request for Proposals was generated in less than a year, and proposals were reviewed.
NYSTEC’s Added Value
After evaluating vendor proposals, HESC concluded that the system it needed would be too costly to acquire in a single acquisition. Although it has not yet acquired a new system, HESC achieved a thorough understanding of its technical and programmatic requirements across the organization. Besides helping the agency transform its workflow needs into clearly defined technical requirements, NYSTEC provided the agency with a disciplined approach to technology integration and workflow analysis. HESC can apply these lessons whenever it needs to integrate new technologies or alter its work processes.
Statewide Wireless Network
The Clients
New York State government consists of many workers whose job requires them to communicate using land-mobile radio systems. In addition, many communities across the state rely on land-mobile radio for police, fire, and other forms of public safety and emergency communications.
Project Background
Various radio systems are currently utilized across New York State for public safety and emergency radio communications. Some of these systems are outmoded and many are incompatible. The terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, demonstrated the need for a robust system infrastructure for wireless land-mobile radio to support emergency responders.
The New York State Office for Technology (OFT) has spearheaded a vast undertaking to build a new digital land-mobile radio infrastructure across New York State. The Statewide Wireless Network (SWN) must meet the wireless communications needs of multiple New York State and local agencies, emergency responders including police and fire departments, various utility forces, and many other organizations that communicate via radio. This network must connect on-site field workers with agency offices and allow employees of different organizations to converse and exchange information. Besides voice communications, the network must carry mobile data transmissions.
Project Summary
OFT contracted NYSTEC to provide engineering and technical advice for the SWN project. In the earliest planning stages of the project, NYSTEC engineers surveyed managers and workers from multiple state agencies and local organizations to determine their wireless communications needs and desires. In addition, NYSTEC performed radio coverage studies throughout the state and assisted the OFT’s SWN Project Office to develop various solutions to coverage issues. NYSTEC has assisted the SWN Project Office with helping to define the functional specifications contractors will follow when they build the new network. NYSTEC continues to assist the SWN Project Office in such areas as frequency spectrum acquisitions, engineering studies, and day-to-day assistance in project management. The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Statewide Wireless Network has been issued, and NYSTEC continues to assist the SWN Project Office with various aspects of the SWN Project.
NYSTEC’s Added Value
The SWN Project is a large undertaking, and NYSTEC’s communications engineers and project-management staff are providing valuable assistance and analysis to the SWN Project Office. NYSTEC was pleased to assist the SWN Project Office in the development of the RFP document that was well received at the recent SWN pre-bidder conference. It is envisioned that an advanced wireless network will serve all of New York State within five years. The Statewide Wireless Network is anticipated to satisfy the land-mobile radio requirements of state agencies and local governments, while simultaneously supporting New York State’s public safety community.
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