Navigating the Cloud: A Key Partnership for RMS via Microsoft Azure CJIS-Conformant Cloud
Author: Tonya Stewart, Cloud Infrastructure Architect, CODY Systems.
Before joining the CODY team, Tonya spent 15 years working with other SaaS companies to build their secure Azure cloud foundations. During that time, she honed her expertise in Security, Development Operations best practices, and infrastructure management and now leverages that expertise to assist the CODY team in safeguarding digital assets while optimizing operational efficiency and reliability within cloud environments.
As new advancements in technology take centerstage all over the news (…enter AI), law enforcement agencies across the nation are dealing with the mounting pressure of how to efficiently and securely manage the increasing volume and complexity of data generated across all their various technical platforms. In response to these evolving demands, police departments have begun turning to the world of cloud-computing. As an initial, core step in this migration to the cloud, many agencies are making the switch to a cloud-based records management system (RMS).
Enter the collaboration between CODY Systems' Pathfinder RMS and Microsoft Azure Cloud. This dynamic partnership is poised to meet the evolving needs of police departments across the nation by providing a feature-rich, stable RMS from a trusted name in law enforcement, backed by the most secure and agile cloud service provider on the market.
Abington Police Department in Montgomery County, PA is one of the select agencies across the country to participate in the limited release of Pathfinder RMS. “The move to Pathfinder RMS will transition us off of our servers and into the Microsoft Azure CJIS-secure cloud,” said the department’s Chief Patrick Molloy. “This move to Pathfinder, backed by Azure, will provide enhanced security, FBI-mandated authentication processes for secure access, and eliminate the need for us to have internal servers which are expensive and need to be updated and/or replaced every few years. Plus, with Pathfinder RMS being fully web-based, our officers and investigators will be able to access our RMS on a variety of devices wherever and whenever they need to. This will be a total game changer for us.”
While cloud computing has become the standard for almost all information systems, law enforcement agencies have been justifiably reticent in moving their RMS operations to the cloud due to the inherent security challenges that must be considered. However, with all the advancements in cloud tech over the last few years, the conversation has shifted away from ‘whether’ to move to the cloud and instead has become a discussion about which provider and platform to trust with their public safety information, and what differentiates one solution from another.
Below, we provide a list of key points for law enforcement agencies to consider as they look to the sky for a cloud RMS solution and is specifically focused on the Pathfinder/Azure GovCloud collaboration as a top contender for agencies of all sizes in the web-based RMS arena.
Pathfinder Data Security: Robust Security for Your Data – Surpassing CJIS Standards
Both Pathfinder RMS and Microsoft Azure adhere to strict compliance regulations such as Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), prioritizing security, ensuring that sensitive public-safety information remains confidential and secure from unauthorized access.
Reliability and Availability of your Critical RMS
Pathfinder RMS, backed by Azure Cloud's resilient infrastructure, offers unparalleled reliability and uptime, ensuring that officers have access to critical records whenever they need them. Plus, say goodbye to downtime woes – with Azure's robust architecture, agencies can count on consistent performance and availability.
Updates and Maintenance While you Keep on Working
In the digital world, updates and maintenance are a given. However, by using Azure Cloud we are able to configure our platform in a highly available environment, allowing updates to occur in a way that keeps everything running smoothly. So even if the system needs maintenance, there’s a backup plan in place ready to keep everything up and running without any interruptions. If something unexpected happens, like a power outage or technical glitch, Azure Cloud has failover capabilities so that if one part of the system goes down, there’s another part ready to step in and keep things going, so you never lose access to your important data.
Streamlined Login Using Single Password
With Azure acting as our Identity Provider (IDP), you’ll have a single username and password to remember, streamlining access while maintaining strong security measures.
Azure App Insights Ensures Reliable Uptime and Access
By using Azure Cloud, we have integrated with Azure App Insights to keep our software running smoothly. Azure’s App Insights feature acts like a watchful eye, constantly monitoring how our application is performing. This means we can catch and fix any glitches or slowdowns before they become a problem, ensuring law enforcement officers always have access to the information they need when they need it.
Scalable to Match Your Agency Size and Needs
Pathfinder RMS on Azure is designed to scale and adapt to match your changing needs, now and into the future. This gives us the flexibility to scale our Pathfinder services to match your demands, ensuring you always have access to the resources you need no matter how big or small your operation.
Whether you're a small-town police department or a state-wide agency, Pathfinder RMS on Azure Cloud can adapt to your changing needs without sacrificing performance or security.
Enhanced Collaboration and Efficiency
Pathfinder RMS on Azure, combined with CODY’s COBRAnet Data Interoperability Framework, facilitates seamless information sharing and collaboration among law enforcement agencies, breaking down silos and improving communication. Further, as agencies are able to connect to the statewide information sharing network in PA, they will be able to access that data directly through the Pathfinder RMS/Azure framework.
Advanced Analytics for Smarter Policing
Pathfinder also integrates directly with ESRI ArcGIS to provide cloud-based geo-location and mapping functionality. With the powerful search and analytics suite baked into Pathfinder combined with ESRI, agencies can gain valuable insights into their data to Identify patterns, trends, and potential threats more efficiently, enabling proactive crime prevention strategies and enhancing investigative capabilities.
To learn more about this partnership and platform, please reach out to CODY Systems (contact info below) to schedule a demo of Pathfinder RMS.
CODY Systems
(610) 326 7476
info@codysystems.com