A Technical Update

For awhile now, we’ve been working towards a big technical goal: to allow the team at Adventures to get ministry work done from anywhere in the world, on any device, no matter what.  If a computer is stolen on a plane trip to Thailand, they can pick up an iPad at the airport, log into our systems, and keep on going.

At least, that is the plan.  To do this, we’ve moved most of our data out of our headquarters in Gainesville and onto computers (Google’s computers, actually) that we can access easily from anywhere in the world.  This saves us a boatload of time and trouble, and makes communicating and collaborating much easier and more reliable when we travel.

This did create one small problem, though.  Before, when 150 staffers got work done, about twenty of them needed to access the Internet at a time.  Now, when 150 staffers need to get work done, about 150 of them need to access the Internet at a time.  

Which takes us to a recent series of projects aimed at drastically improving the communications network in Gainesville.  Thanks to the tremendous effort of the team of guys I get to work with (more on them below), we were able to completely revamp the data network including upgrading key components, repairing long-broken connections, pulling out bad wires, removing a few fire hazards, adding some vital new equipment, and setting the stage to connect the beautiful new building that is nearing completion.  

This highly technical schematic chronicles some of the changes made in the telecom closet:

Since these pictures were taken, we’ve actually finished installing the fiber that connects the new building (we officially have a campus network!), completed the next round of upgrades for our wireless network (so participants at Training Camp can all contact home without crashing the Internet), and identified a few new ways to pinch pennies while simultaneously improving connectivity both locally and internationally (we’ll be working on that more in the coming months).

Ultimately, our goal in IT is to enable Adventures to minister effectively, and we do that with the skills we have.  I would be able to do very little, though, without the team I get to work with.  A few of them are:

Jordan – Our Service Desk Manager, and a trusted friend who is currently leading a trip to Guatemala with his wife Chantell (their blog is here: http://livinastory.wordpress.com/our-stories/ )

Ed – A former World Racer, and the man who has both architected and implemented many of the improvements mentioned above (his blog is here: http://www.edolivett.com/blog/ )

John – Another former Racer who has supported Adventures in a number of roles, most recently joining the team at the Service Desk and bringing with him a vital skill – a natural sense of organization.

Ryan – The first technician I was involved in hiring after I joined Adventures, and a survivor of many of my early blunders.  Ryan, with Jordan and John, make up the Service Desk team, responsible for ensuring that, no matter where Adventures staff are, they can do what they need to do.