Oct 30, 2026 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Zendesk
Imagine trying to conduct an orchestra where every world-class musician plays a different song simultaneously. The final music would be difficult to understand, even though each individual performance makes sense on its own. Counties face a similar challenge due to the mandated variation in their operations and functions, centered around the single goal of public service.
Tasked with delivering a massive and diverse list of outcomes for citizens, counties share an ultimate objective, but the digital needs of a public works department differ greatly from those of a health department, emergency response team, or justice system (National Association of Counties [NACo], 2025). Because of these distinct missions and use cases, the technology platforms used across various departments often lack interoperability.
Part of this comes from the sheer weight of history. For the last 40 years, local governments have been building and buying separate, on-premise server-based systems. In the modern cloud era, IT departments are now left with the task of connecting archaic data sets and tape libraries into shiny new platforms. The result? Deep, stubborn information silos that trap data, frustrate employees, burn overhead, and ultimately shortchange the citizens relying on these services (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2025).
The Great “Data Lake” Mirage
Over the past 10 to 15 years, a common proposed solution to information silos was physical centralisation. As counties migrated to cloud infrastructure, organisations attempted to consolidate historical data into centralized data lakes. However, this approach has often failed to deliver expected outcomes, rendering traditional physical de-siloing ineffective.
An analysis of recent implementations shows that this approach relied heavily on manual data uploads, frequently leading to unification failures (ThinkLogic, n.d.). Furthermore, data deduplication errors occurred regularly. Merging and cleaning four decades of disjointed municipal data consumes budget resources and taxes IT personnel, reducing the capacity for strategic initiatives.
Zero-Migration Unification Platforms (ZMUPs)
Future-proofing county operations requires leaving existing data structures in place and ending unnecessary data migration cycles. A practical baseline approach is to maintain data in its original repository.
Modern technology allows local governments to transition to cloud infrastructure while drawing on past, archived, and legacy datasets without complex migrations. These systems are known as Zero-Migration Unification Platforms (ZMUPs).
A ZMUP addresses data within its original source environment. By utilizing standard REST APIs and modern integration frameworks, these platforms securely query 40-year-old servers, reading data in place and presenting it through a single interface.
In-Place Unification Key Technologies
When ushering in the next era of county technology, government leaders should keep their eyes peeled for providers who champion this data-in-place unification strategy. Here is a look at ecosystem players making it happen:
- MuleSoft and Boomi: These vendors provide API-led connectivity to link legacy databases with cloud They read data directly from older servers, avoiding large-scale data transfers to new repositories.
- Snowflake: Snowflake supports federated data sharing, allowing organisations to query and analyze data across diverse systems directly at the source location.
- Zendesk: Zendesk serves as a resolution platform and unified knowledge center for citizen service and internal employee support (Zendesk, n.d.). It uses REST APIs and integration tools to bring legacy data into a single workspace without requiring permanent external data storage within the platform.
Integrating these systems creates a unified connection across departments. A centralized hub adapts to specific agency workflows and reads underlying legacy data, allowing employees to access historical information efficiently.
Capitalizing on Past Investments: Honoring the Data
A primary advantage of a ZMUP strategy is its management of historical data. The architecture maintains access to historical records while providing a cloud interface. Rather than requiring IT teams to select specific datasets for migration, a ZMUP retains all existing data in place.
This approach preserves existing technology investments and uses historical data to support current operational needs and citizen interactions, avoiding expensive long-term storage in new cloud environments.
Cost and Legacy System Retirement
A common question regarding ZMUP architecture concerns the ongoing licensing costs of legacy software systems.
Adopting a ZMUP does not require maintaining active software licenses for retired applications. Data from decommissioned systems can be exported into standard file formats and stored in low-cost archival environments, such as Amazon S3 Glacier, Google Cloud Storage Archive, or Microsoft Azure Blob Storage. These storage options maintain cross-platform readability and API connectivity, allowing the ZMUP to query data on demand while reducing infrastructure overhead.
Through API connectivity, the platform reads standard file formats from archival storage and delivers requested information to users, eliminating ongoing software subscription costs while maintaining complete data access.
Real Counties, Real Wins
Many counties globally have implemented ZMUP strategies. For example, DuPage County, Illinois replaced fragmented legacy systems with Zendesk to support 2,500 employees across multiple departments. Through this implementation, DuPage County reduced its IT service desk response times by 95 percent across ten departments and achieved high customer satisfaction ratings (Zendesk, n.d.).
Similarly, Surrey County Council implemented Zendesk to consolidate citizen inquiries across multiple channels (Zendesk, n.d.). By centralizing data visibility across departments, the council improved service coordination and operational efficiency.
The Bottom Line
Consolidating municipal technology through physical data integration often increases operational complexity (Government Finance Officers Association [GFOA], 2020), and while this practice has been seen as the track towards operating in the cloud while utilizing historical data, the emergence of the API-driven, AI-supported tech landscape available today allows for better options – including leaving data where it is, and focusing on a system that unilaterally accesses historical records without migrating in data. Focusing on zero-migration cloud-based integration solutions allows local governments to access data in its existing location. By leveraging
API-driven platforms such as Zendesk, counties can improve mobility, unify information access, and maintain integration with historical data assets, honoring and protecting the data generated by past investments in historical systems.
References
Government Finance Officers Association. (2020). Does consolidating local governments work?
National Association of Counties. (2025). How county governments thrive with cloud-based solutions.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2025). Governing with artificial intelligence: Implementation challenges.
ThinkLogic. (n.d.). From 30+ disconnected websites to one scalable platform. Zendesk. (n.d.). DuPage County modernizes employee support and CX. Zendesk. (n.d.). Surrey County Council customer story.
To meet publication-length limitation needs, condensed or shortened versions of this article are available on request.
Author Note
Laura Lundahl Baga, MPA, DBA, Zendesk.
Laura Lundahl Baga is a government-technology enthusiast and thought leader in the technology industry. Her professional background includes drafting technology-oriented fiscal notes for legislation, researching policy, overseeing national funding allocations for the federal government, and chairing federal panels for agencies such as USDHHS. She has served clients including the US VA, NOAA, and NASA, directed university research funding development, and directed programs on NATO and US military bases globally. She represents technology companies in supporting the technology goals of government customers.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Laura Lundahl Baga, Zendesk. Email: laura.baga@zendesk.com
Oct 29, 2026 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Trane
Trane works with organizations like OMNIA Partners to help public agencies, including those across Oregon, with simple and cost-effective procurement solutions. Through its collaboration with OMNIA Partners Public Sector (National IPA and U.S. Communities), Trane offers Oregon county and state government agencies with streamlined purchasing options and reliable procurement resources.
Work completed in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area illustrates how Oregon communities can benefit from cooperative purchasing. In 2023, Trane partnered with four cities—Des Peres, St. Ann, St. Charles, and Wentzville—to enhance their building infrastructure using the best value procurement offered through OMNIA Partners.
For example, St. Ann, home to about 13,000 residents, had a long list of costly repairs and necessary improvements to their community facilities. To manage the modernization of each building without impacting taxpayer dollars, the city turned to Trane as its single, turnkey provider for project execution.
Collaborating with the city leaders, Trane’s local building experts identified the following building upgrades and maintenance plan:
- New rooftop units
- Exterior and indoor lighting
- Tracer® SC+ building automation systems
- Annual maintenance and repair service agreement
They were able to bolster savings through the cooperative purchasing contract with OMNIA Partners. This offers best–value, pre-negotiated pricing and streamlined equipment, controls, and service procurement directly from Trane – reducing the cost to fund, execute, and manage the project.
St. Ann City Administrator, Matt Conley, comments on the project: “We’ve significantly improved the efficiency of the buildings throughout our entire city, improving the comfort and indoor air quality for staff and residents alike; We are also seeing over $21,000 in energy savings annually.”
Read the full customer story.
Communities in Oregon can leverage the same Trane OMNIA Partners contract to accelerate infrastructure modernization, manage taxpayer resources responsibly, and enhance building performance.
Trane’s full portfolio of HVAC systems, controls, building services, and energy solutions is available through the OMNIA Partners contract—making it easier for Oregon’s public-sector leaders to achieve cost savings and operational improvements.
Learn more about how Oregon state and local governments can access Trane solutions through the OMNIA Partners procurement process.
All trademarks referenced are the trademarks of their respective owners.
© 2025 Trane. All Rights Reserved.
Oct 29, 2026 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Oregon Health Authority
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is gearing up for a major shift in how some adults ages 19–64 qualify for Oregon Health Plan (OHP / Medicaid) coverage, as new federal requirements take effect in January 2027. These updates stem from House Resolution 1 (HR1), a federal law mandating changes to Medicaid programs nationwide.
Under the new rules, certain OHP members will need to meet work or activity rules when applying for or renewing their benefits. Members can meet the rules by having a monthly income of at least $580, being enrolled in school half-time, or completing a mix of work, volunteering, education, or training totaling 80 hours per month.
These requirements will not apply to everyone. Many members—such as those who are pregnant, enrolled in Medicare, qualify based on disability, or have serious medical needs—are exempt.
Caregivers, veterans with total disability ratings, and American Indian/Alaska Native members are also among those who may qualify for exemptions. OHP members may need to provide more information or provide proof to meet an exemption.
Notices sent to members this fall
OHP started sending informational notices to about 600,000 members in October 2026. These early alerts are meant to help people understand whether the changes could affect them and what steps they may need to take before their next renewal.
Keeping contact information current remains one of the most important actions members can take to avoid communication gaps.
Local impact and how counties can help
Counties could play an important role in helping members through these shifts. Local offices will be a resource for OHP members who need help updating information, understanding exemption requirements, or gathering documents.
Starting in January, counties can connect residents with community partners, workforce organizations, or education and volunteer programs to meet the new requirements. If OHP members have questions about the new requirements, counties should direct them to an OHP assister or ODHS. Given the very detailed nature of the new rules, we want to make sure that OHP members have the most accurate, timely information possible.
Here is how OHP members can get additional information:
- Go to benefits.oregon.gov
- Call 1-800-699-9075 (relay calls welcome)
- Visit an Oregon Department of Human Services office.
- Find a local office at ODHSoffices.oregon.gov
- Find an OHP assister who can help at oregonhealthcare.gov/gethelp
Stay Connected. Stay Covered.
To support partner organizations and members alike, OHA launched Stay Connected. Stay Covered, a campaign to share updates through web pages, newsletters, and social media. This includes tools, sample notices, and materials that partners can use in their own outreach efforts. We encourage counties to put up these posters or to have pocket cards available for OHP members.
What comes next
Many OHP members will keep their coverage, but the new rules mean that some people may have to renew more frequently or provide new documentation. Counties can help members stay covered by emphasizing the need for accurate contact information and directing them to experts.
In October, OHA, in partnership with Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), launched a new monthly bulletin to share information and resources about federal changes to OHP with partners. Subscribe to the bulletin here.
These changes will be a major transition for many OHP members. Counties can help soften the impact by learning the new rules and clearly communicating with members to help ensure communities remain connected to essential health coverage.
Resources
Oct 29, 2026 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: CIS
Oregon’s counties are facing difficult budget decisions. Health care costs continue to rise faster than revenues, putting additional pressure on already-tight county budgets. At CIS, we understand that pressure. Every premium dollar comes from a local government budget, and every dollar must deliver value.
That’s why affordability remains a top priority for CIS. We’ve reduced administrative expenses and made some difficult decisions to help keep rate increases as low as possible while protecting the program’s long-term sustainability. But the numbers tell an important story: CIS directly controls only about 7% of premium costs. The remaining 93% goes toward health care itself, including hospital services, physician care and prescription drugs.
We’ve worked hard to reduce the 7%. Now we need to focus on the 93%.
That means looking at how care is delivered, managed and paid for. CIS has strengthened pharmacy and utilization management, continued programs such as Lantern that help eligible members access high-quality surgical care, and offered plan options such as Surest that give members more information about costs before receiving care. We continue to evaluate other approaches that can improve affordability while preserving access and choice.
It also means addressing challenges no single employer can solve alone. CIS is working with AOC and the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) to address broader health care costs, particularly hospital costs that continue to rise faster than inflation. Together, we’re working to help policymakers understand how these increases affect local government budgets and the services our communities depend on. Our goal is to find practical, long-term solutions that make health care more affordable for Oregon’s counties and cities. Every additional dollar absorbed by health care costs is a dollar local governments cannot invest in public safety, infrastructure and the other services their communities rely on.
As a member-owned risk pool, CIS is not driven by profits or shareholders. Our focus is on providing dependable coverage, managing costs and delivering value to our members. Pooling our resources and expertise gives us greater buying power and a stronger collective voice. There is no single solution to rising health care costs, but we can keep looking for practical ways to make coverage more sustainable for members.
Learn More at the CIS 25th Annual Conference
The affordability conversation will continue at the 25th CIS Annual Conference, Feb. 24-26, 2027, at the Salem Convention Center. The conference will feature benefits sessions focused on what is changing and what employers can do to help manage costs.
What’s New in Benefits
CIS Benefits Director Mike Beyrouty will review key changes for 2027 and provide a look at issues the Benefits team and Board are evaluating for 2028 and beyond. Attendees will also hear updates on compliance, coverage, plan administration and other initiatives affecting CIS Benefits members.
Claims, Costs and Choices: What Employers Can Do to Make a Difference
Representatives from CIS medical carriers will discuss practical strategies employers can use to encourage employees to make better use of available plan resources, preventive care and cost-transparency tools. The session will focus on actions that can improve engagement with benefits and help manage claims costs over time.
Registration goes live the first week of December. Visit cisoregon.org/conference for the latest agenda, speaker information and registration.
Health care costs remain one of the most significant financial challenges facing Oregon’s counties. We cannot control every part of the market. But we can be clear about what’s driving costs, manage what we can control and work together to address the challenges we can’t solve alone.
That’s the value of working together as a member-owned risk pool: helping Oregon’s local governments become safer, stronger and healthier.
Sep 30, 2026 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: T-Mobile for Government
It’s 4:45pm, and the only line into your courthouse just went down. No backup carrier, no second provider, nothing. Court records are frozen. The DMV counter can’t process a title transfer. A caseworker two counties away can’t pull up the case file she needs before a home visit. That’s not a hypothetical for a lot of Oregon counties. It happens more often than anyone would like.
County governments in Oregon don’t run out of one office. They run out of courthouses in Baker City, permitting counters in Bend, election sites that pop up for a few weeks and disappear, and field staff who spend more time in a truck than at a desk. For years, county IT planning followed a simple model: run a wire to the building, and connectivity is solved. That model is running out of road.
The gap shows up hardest in rural Oregon, where many communities have exactly one wireline provider serving a courthouse, DMV branch, or health and human services office. When that single connection drops, so does everything riding on it: benefit payments, permit processing, criminal records, court dockets. In a Portland-metro office, an outage is an inconvenience. In a county where the nearest backup provider is ninety minutes away, it’s a full stop.
Field operations face a parallel problem. Caseworkers meeting families in remote parts of a county, road crews clearing a mountain pass, inspectors at a rural job site—all depend on a signal that used to be an afterthought. Temporary operations like election sites or a county fair only compound it: you can’t justify running fiber to a location that’s active for two weeks a year.
This is where the connectivity conversation for county leaders needs to shift from “do we have broadband” to “do we have layered broadband.” Fixed wireless can backstop a courthouse’s single wired connection, automatically picking up traffic if the primary line fails. Mobile 5G extends that same reliable connection to vehicles and field devices, no fiber trench required, and it’s increasingly the more practical option for the remote and low-density areas that make up much of rural Oregon’s geography. Satellite connectivity closes much of the remaining gap, in the stretches of high desert, forest, or coastline where neither cable nor cell towers reach at all. T-Mobile, through its partnership with SpaceX, is now integrating satellite directly into standard mobile service, and is already included in the price for some premier plans; so a device can move from cell coverage to satellite coverage, providing text and select satellite-ready apps on a compatible device in most outdoor areas in the U.S. where you can see the sky—without a county ever standing up separate equipment for it.
None of this requires ripping out what already works. It starts with two questions every county should be asking right now: where in our facilities do we have exactly one path to connectivity, and what happens the day that path fails? And where in the field—from a job site outside Pendleton to a caseworker’s route through the Coast Range—are our employees working with no reliable signal at all? For counties stretching from dense urban cores to some of the most remote terrain in the state, the answers to both determine whether services stay online when it matters most.
Rural coverage isn’t an add-on to a county’s connectivity plan. It’s the baseline. A county that can keep its courthouse online, its field staff connected, and its most remote communities reachable isn’t just avoiding outages; it’s making sure that no resident, whether they live off a highway exit in Portland or forty miles down a gravel road, gets a different standard of government service because of where they happen to live. That’s worth building toward, one connectivity gap at a time.
Sep 30, 2026 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, Portland State University Center for Public Service
Cyber threats are constantly evolving and being prepared today can make all the difference tomorrow. How well prepared is your county on each level it takes to respond to these inevitable attacks?
This year at the AOC Annual Conference, the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence will be hosting a special pre-conference event to help your county prepare for and respond to ever-increasing cyber attacks through Cyber Incident Lifecycle Planning.
In this condensed two-hour session, LBL Cybersecurity (a trusted public sector educational partner with the State of Oregon) will guide participants through the lifecycle of a cyber incident, from initial detection and response through containment, recovery, and post-incident actions.
Through guided discussion, participants will explore the critical decisions organizations may face at each stage and consider how those decisions connect to their Incident Response Plan (IRP).
Whether you’re part of a county’s IT team, leadership, communications, safety staff, or emergency management group, this event offers value through collaborative learning, practical takeaways, and networking with peers across other county leaders and staff in Oregon.
You can register for this pre-conference event through your conference registration process at no extra cost.
Date: November 17, 2026
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm
Location: Graduate Hotel, 66 E 6th Ave – Eugene, OR
Protect Your County From Cyber Threats with FREE Cybersecurity Tools and Dedicated Support–State-Sponsorship Expiring Soon!
Want to take action to protect your county before the conference? The state of Oregon has already secured MS‑ISAC® membership on your behalf, giving your organization access to powerful cybersecurity tools and dedicated support at no cost. Activate your membership today to begin taking full advantage of the benefits and resources available to you.
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®) is the nation’s trusted cybersecurity resource for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government organizations. Backed by the U.S.-based 24x7x365 CIS Security Operations Center, the MS-ISAC provides threat intelligence, monitoring, and expert support to help public sector entities defend against ever evolving cyber threats.
Through statewide sponsorship, your organization receives MS‑ISAC membership at no cost, giving you access to powerful cybersecurity tools and services designed specifically for SLTT needs. An MS‑ISAC membership gives your organization enterprise‑grade cybersecurity capabilities, ensuring every local organization can benefit from shared defense, real‑time insights, and expert guidance.
Learn more and register before the opportunity expires at the end of this year.
