Cisco routers and firewalls provide additional security, protecting the gateway between the entire judicial network and the county government network-as well as the judges' private gateway to the Internet. And when judicial system employees begin using desktop videoconferencing, this same feature will also help assure that its audio and video components are synchronized. The new Cisco-based network is already improving communication and providing secure access to data. For example, individuals outside the system can now get relevant judicial data via the Internet. By creating a mirror image on a server outside the firewall, we can provide a basic judicial directory for private citizens and also enable law offices with the appropriate authorization to get docket information.
Network administration is also substantially easier.
With the VPNs, we can do the same thing in a matter of minutes. Troubleshooting is also faster, he says. Using CiscoWorks, we can diagnose problems, recommend solutions, and do the testing-all from the central office. And our response time is much faster because we don't have that five-mile drive through urban traffic. Network use is now beginning to blossom, according to Hughes, and the Cisco-based infrastructure is ready to handle it.