Loudoun County Government Case Study

Loudoun County is a dynamic county with an outstanding quality of life, located just 25 miles from Washington, D.C. The home of Dulles International Airport, America Online, MCI, and the soon-to-open Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Loudoun has established a reputation as an international center for technology, communications and transportation.

Bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains and Potomac River, Loudoun is widely known for its beautiful scenery, rich history and strong sense of community.

As one of the country’s fastest-growing counties, the challenge for all areas of government to communicate effectively increases. In Spring 2004, Lori Waters, board of supervisors’ member representing the Broad Run district, added her name as a Telework Consortium pilot. She was closely followed by Mick Staton, board of supervisors’ member representing the Sugarland Run district.

In Summer 2005, the IT department of Loudoun County, led by IT Director Gene Troxell, took on the challenge of adding video collaborative tools to the county’s distributed work suite. Since then, the Loudoun County government pilot has expanded to include multiple departments, including county administration, social services, mental health/mental retardation, parks and recreation, and the county liaison to the Commonwealth legislature.

Telework Consortium-recommended tools for this pilot included:

Software:
Marratech (www.marratech.com)

Hardware:
Laptops
iREZ cameras (www.globalmedia.com)
iREZ echo-canceling mics (www.globalmedia.com)
Duet echo-canceling mics (www.globalmedia.com)
Headsets

Connectivity:
Arranged through Loudoun County Government

To request a transcript or DVD copy of Supervisor Lori Waters’ presentation at the 2005 Loudoun Economic Summit, please contact:

Donna Garfield
Dir of Program Development and Client Services