Sypherlink helping Florida effort to connect law enforcement agencies.

The $15 MILLION effort to link databases gives the Dublin software developer a model to show prospects that may want to pursue similar programs in other states.

Dan Eaton, Columbus Business First

May 12, 2006 

In any venture into the unknown, it helps to have a map.

So when Florida's state government began an initiative to better connect its law enforcement agencies, it turned to Sypherlink Inc., a Dublin-based software developer, to help chart the course.

"Florida is a microcosm of the U.S.," said Sypherlink CEO James Paat. "You have to pick up the phone and call other agencies. It is almost shocking at the lack of information sharing between law enforcement agencies today."

Sypherlink is four months into a data mapping job that aims to connect more than 500 law enforcement departments and agencies into a system where information sharing can be made in a matter of minutes or hours.

Warrants, arrest information, field investigations and suspicious person reports are among the information that will be available statewide, said Mike Phillips, technical coordinator with the $15 million Florida Law Enforcement eXchange initiative.

Unisys Corp., is the lead vendor in the integration project, with Sypherlink operating as a partner and handling the mapping aspects.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Under the initiative, police agencies from seven regions will feed data that will be pooled into a central system.

Sypherlink's software, dubbed Harvester, automates the data-mapping process - finding information and identifying where it needs to go - a duty previously performed by hand with a worker reading through the databases and other documents to get it done.

Unisys has experience in the integrated justice market and partnered with Sypherlink as its mapping software provider.

"This is a major increase in efficiency," said Marty Zaworski, a consultant with Blue Bell, PA.-based Unisys. "Whatever we can do to speed up the process, we need to do. Sypherlink helps that."

Mapping is the first step toward connecting the systems.

Paat said the company's software reduces mapping time by 50 to 80 percent. Manual mapping typically handles between 2.5 and 3.5 fields per hour, while the automated system can do between 70 and 200 fields.

Phillips said work began on the initiative two years ago. The goal is to have the seven regions connected by the end of the year and one-third of the agencies connected by the end of March.

Unlike many projects, the challenge with the Florida program wasn't financial or technical. It was political. Getting all the players to the table and getting them to agree on a solution was the biggest hurdle, Phillips said. That was accomplished in part because the package offered by Sypherlink and Unisys.

"Traditionally, states will ram a system down an agency's throat," he said. "They'll say, 'You will drop your toys and we'll buy this giant, behemoth, $50 million system.' In a perfect world, maybe that is good, but it isn't a perfect world. We have 500 little fiefdoms, plus state laws protecting data."

With Sypherlink's and Unisys' program, "everyone keeps their toys," Phillips said.

Zaworski said each agency or department uses its own information system. Rather than overhauling or replacing what is in place around the state, Unisys and Sypherlink are able to make the connections between the existing programs.

If, for instance, an agency in Tampa accesses data from one in Jacksonville, the information will appear as it would if it were in the Tampa system, even though Jacksonville uses different software he said. That change in approach makes the task easier to tackle, Zaworski said.

Phillips agreed.

"Three years ago, I wouldn't have touched this project with a 10-foot pole," he said.

The Florida initiative is a nationwide growth opportunity for Sypherlink.

"Every state is pursuing an integrated justice system model," Paat said. "We think this is the model that will be followed."

Paat expects work beyond the law enforcement system with the courts, utilities, attorney general's office and public safety databases as possible opportunities as well.

The growth could come through its partnerships as well. In addition to Unisys, the company works with other companies such as IBM Corp., the Teradata division of NCR Corp., and Information Builders Inc.

The company model, Paat said, is to train partner companies to use and sell Harvester, eventually getting to a point where Sypherlink can license the technology.

"We wanted to focus on building an enabling technology," he said, "not a competing technology."