County IT outlines cyber upgrades, Microsoft migration and plan to bring schools onto county network

Dr. Justin Mcclure, Blount County’s IT director, told the budget committee his eight‑person team supports three county fiber networks and two data centers (including a 911 facility) and has expanded services to include physical security cameras and access control. Mcclure said the department has implemented two new cybersecurity solutions and is piloting AI‑assisted monitoring to detect threats automatically, arguing automation is essential given small staff levels.

On email and collaboration software, Mcclure explained the county is migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, citing ongoing cost increases from Google and improved licensing and interoperability benefits for county departments and state partners. He said about half of the county migration is complete and the sheriff’s office will follow.

Mcclure also described plans to bring Blount County Schools onto the county network in phases: moving network equipment and internet access to provide a self‑healing, redundant path and centralized network‑level cyber protections. He argued the approach reduces long‑term costs and improves resiliency for schools while allowing the schools to retain local device management.

Commissioners praised the streaming cameras and meeting presentation upgrades; Mcclure said meetings now stream to YouTube and recordings are available immediately. No formal budget motion was taken — Mcclure’s presentation was informational and intended to inform capital and operating planning for IT services.