Summary
This case study details the network upgrade undertaken by the City of Hoover, Alabama, which involved the implementation of Pica8's PICOS Network Operating System and Edgecore switches. The city faced challenges with an aging Cisco and HPE network that was complex and costly to manage. The decision to adopt an open networking approach was inspired by successful implementations in other organizations. The upgrade resulted in a modern network architecture that supports increased bandwidth, achieving up to 40G capacity in wiring closets while reducing costs by 35% to 40% compared to proprietary solutions. The new network architecture simplifies management and enhances performance, with sub-millisecond response times. The deployment included eight switches in the data center and one in the backup data center, supporting critical operations like emergency services. The city has since expanded this network to additional facilities, ensuring robust performance and redundancy for its operations.
