Information Technology

The Information Technology (IT) Department provides technology leadership for the City of East Chicago, providing solutions to deliver City services more efficiently and effectively. 

This efficiency results in the reduction of government costs, and also provides our customers with multiple service options, which includes automated online services.

Mission Statement

The IT Department works with the Administration and City Departments to constantly strive for future efficient technology growth, while looking to better any and all technology opportunities for our residents, allowing them to benefit from these endeavors, as well as improve the efficiency of any technology based city operations that occur on a daily basis.

Services

The services provided by the IT Department for all City of East Chicago Departments, includes:

  • City owned Fiber network management
  • Citywide internet content filtering maintenance
  • Citywide Network services
  • Citywide Security Camera hardware and network management
  • Citywide Telecommunications
  • Data Server maintenance and operations - physical and virtual
  • End user support for personal computers
  • Financial application maintenance
  • Hosted Email server maintenance
  • Public WiFi Hotspot services maintenance
  • Timekeeping application and hardware maintenance

City of East Chicago Fiber Network

The City of East Chicago Fiber network has provided the citywide network with a redundant 20 gigabyte connection between all city facilities, allowing the ongoing dataflow to transport at a high rate of speed. This results in optimal performance of the City daily tasks, while eliminating the need and expense of communications services from previous providers.

Public WiFi Hotspot Locations

Since the completion of our Fiber Network, the Mayor has requested that the IT Department begin installing Public WiFi Hotspot locations throughout the City. Currently, the public WiFi is servicing the Plaza on Main Street, and we serviced the Beach Lakefront Splash Pad area during the summer. Look for increasing public locations to be coming up in the near future.

Multimedia Department Collaboration

The IT Department also works together with the Multimedia Department to ensure that they are able to provide any and all Public Information as timely and efficiently as possible, resulting in the residents having information available through many means of media, including the City Website, Facebook, Twitter and the City’s YouTube channel.

Nixle Messaging Service

The two departments have also been working together while implementing the Nixle messaging service. Nixle provides residents with city related information, which is sent directly to their mobile phone via text message. The Multimedia Department provides these messages in a timely manner so that the Nixle service can send them out for in time notifications.

SeeClickFix 311 Application

The IT Department also manages and maintains the SeeClickFix 311 Application, which allows the public to enter a request for services of any incident that needs to be addressed, at which time the requests are directed to the assigned department for review. This application is available for download to your smartphone, and can be used for these on the spot requests that the public can enter.