How Did Chatham Township, New Jersey Modernize Its IT Infrastructure and Save $10,000+ Per Year?

When Robert Hoffmann joined Chatham Township as Administrator in early 2019, he inherited a technology situation that was holding the municipality back. No IT plan, no reliable backup, servers nearly a decade old, multiple incompatible versions of Microsoft Office, email delays, and a firewall that needed replacing — a collection of infrastructure problems that had accumulated over years without a dedicated technology strategy. The solution was not a quick fix but a multi-year partnership with eMazzanti Technologies, built through a formal RFP process and designed to modernize the Township's technology foundation systematically. "With eMazzanti's help, we're more collaborative, we're able to solve problems faster and provide better customer service. That's our bottom line," said Hoffmann.

What Technology Challenges Was Chatham Township Facing Before the Upgrade?

Chatham Township's technology environment when Hoffmann arrived was fragmented and outdated in ways that affected daily operations across every department. Two servers served the entire municipality, supported by a mix of Microsoft Office versions spanning 2010, 2013, and unsupported earlier releases. Some staff were still working on Windows 97. Different staff members using different software versions created compatibility problems that corrupted formulas in spreadsheets and made document sharing unreliable.

Email presented persistent operational problems. Delays, lost attachments, and failures to receive messages due to Exchange issues and incompatible email platforms disrupted communication between departments and with external parties. Cybersecurity was inadequate, with an outdated firewall and no plan to address it.

The Township had previously evaluated Google Docs and other alternatives but kept returning to Microsoft. "Microsoft helps us analyze things better because we can do a deeper dive with data mining," Hoffmann explained. The challenge was finding a capable Microsoft Partner who could develop a long-term technology roadmap — not just fix immediate problems. "We needed a technology partner that could help us grow strategically, upgrade and migrate our systems properly, and then provide training as well as cybersecurity," Hoffmann said. "Rome wasn't built in a day, and we would not be able to solve all our technology problems in one budget year."

How Did eMazzanti Technologies Build a Modern Microsoft Foundation for the Township?

Chatham issued a formal RFP, and eMazzanti Technologies was selected based on best overall value following an evaluation process that included all department heads. The formal partnership began in January 2020.

eMazzanti's engineers began with comprehensive assessments of both hardware and software needs. Most of the Township's computers were approaching ten years old. From there, the work proceeded across several interconnected areas:

• Infrastructure security — new firewalls were installed, outdated ones updated, and police servers and vehicles received proper cybersecurity protocols
• Network reliability — Wi-Fi issues were resolved and servers were relocated to enable remote work capability if the building became inaccessible
• Platform standardization — the entire Township staff was migrated to Microsoft 365, with four new servers installed
• Software licensing — all staff moved to current, supported versions with a plan established for ongoing computer replacement

"They helped us change our 12-year-old platforms to modern Microsoft technology," said Hoffmann. "We now have up-to-date software licensing and a plan to replace our computers."

What Specific Operational Improvements Has Chatham Achieved Since the Upgrade?

The results across different Township departments illustrate how a technology foundation affects daily operations in concrete, measurable ways.

Document processing savings: Because the Township is now on the current Microsoft platform, it can receive building plans electronically — eliminating 22 sets printed on 72-inch paper. "This is going to save us a minimum of $10,000 a year and save the applicant $2,500 for each set of plans that don't have to be printed," said Hoffmann. "We're saving trees and reducing the cost of special folders as well as fuel and man hours to deliver plans."

DPW operations: Mechanics in the Department of Public Works can now download truck specifications directly, accessing the diagnosing software needed to identify required parts and estimate repair times. "Equipment gets back on the road quicker because there is access to the diagnosing software that we now run on the Microsoft platform," said Hoffmann. This capability proved particularly valuable during a 48-hour snow event.

Information retrieval: "This means that we're able to find in minutes information that used to take us days or weeks to find, particularly in the Construction office," Hoffmann confirmed.

Accuracy and error reduction: Standardizing on Microsoft 365 and Outlook eliminated the formula corruption that occurred when spreadsheets moved between incompatible software versions. "We also have fewer errors because the formulas are not getting blown up going from one version to another."

Remote work capability: When COVID-19 struck, the updated platform allowed half the staff to work from home while the other half continued on-site, maintaining operations throughout the pandemic without significant productivity loss.

Communication reliability: The email delays, lost attachments, and delivery failures that had plagued the Township were resolved. "When I need to communicate with the sewer plant operator, he and I can e-mail information back and forth without a delay or it getting lost."

Why Does Long-Term IT Partnership Matter for New Jersey Municipalities?

Chatham Township's experience reflects a pattern common to municipalities across New Jersey and nationally: technology infrastructure that was adequate for a prior era but has not kept pace with the operational demands of modern government. The accumulating cost of fragmented, outdated systems is often invisible until a systematic assessment reveals how much time and money is being lost to workarounds, compatibility failures, and manual processes that better technology would eliminate.

"When we call them to fix something, it stays fixed so we're not paying for the same repair four times," Hoffmann noted. "Plus, they're good at helping us plan for our future needs." Hoffmann specifically recommended that other municipalities going through similar processes evaluate eMazzanti's RFP responses. "eMazzanti's level of technical expertise is very significant and up to date. If eMazzanti responds to a Request for Proposal, it would be prudent to evaluate their response."

For municipalities navigating the gap between legacy infrastructure and the technology capabilities that modern government services require, the right technology partner — selected through a rigorous, department-inclusive evaluation process — makes the difference between a costly series of reactive repairs and a coherent, sustainable technology strategy.

---

FAQ: IT Modernization for New Jersey Municipalities and Local Government

Q: What are the most common IT infrastructure problems facing New Jersey municipalities?

A: The most frequently encountered IT problems in New Jersey municipalities include outdated hardware operating beyond its useful life, incompatible software versions across departments that create document compatibility and formula errors, inadequate cybersecurity controls including outdated or missing firewalls, unreliable email systems causing communication failures, absence of a formal IT plan or replacement schedule, and lack of 24/7 IT support coverage. Many municipalities are also operating without reliable backup and disaster recovery systems, creating significant exposure to data loss.

Q: How does Microsoft 365 benefit municipal government operations specifically?

A: Microsoft 365 standardizes the software environment across all staff, eliminating the compatibility errors that arise when employees use different software versions for the same documents. For municipalities, this means spreadsheets, forms, and reports maintain their formatting and formulas correctly regardless of who opens them. Microsoft 365 also enables secure email with significantly higher reliability than on-premises Exchange configurations, real-time document collaboration that reduces the need for version management, and Teams-based communication that supports both in-office and remote work — a capability that proved essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q: What should a New Jersey municipality look for in an IT managed services provider?

A: Key criteria include demonstrated experience serving municipal and government clients with the specific compliance, budget, and operational requirements of local government, Microsoft partnership status and technical certification levels, the ability to provide 24/7 support coverage rather than business-hours-only response, a clear methodology for assessing existing infrastructure and developing a multi-year technology roadmap, and a track record of resolving problems durably rather than applying temporary fixes. Municipalities should also assess the provider's cybersecurity expertise, as municipal networks hold sensitive resident data and face increasing threat activity.

Q: How can municipalities manage IT modernization within annual budget constraints?

A: Effective IT modernization for municipalities requires a multi-year roadmap that prioritizes improvements based on operational impact and risk rather than attempting to address everything at once. A formal assessment of the existing environment establishes the baseline and identifies the highest-priority gaps — typically security, reliability, and compatibility issues that are actively costing the municipality time and money. Each budget year addresses a defined set of improvements, with the roadmap updated as needs evolve. Fixed-cost managed services agreements replace unpredictable break-fix expenses with predictable monthly costs that are easier to plan for in annual budget cycles.

Q: How does IT modernization affect a municipality's ability to serve residents?

A: Modernized IT infrastructure enables municipal staff to access information faster, collaborate more effectively across departments, process resident requests and applications more efficiently, and respond to time-sensitive situations — whether regulatory mandates, emergency events, or service requests — more quickly. Specific examples include the ability to receive and process building plans digitally rather than through paper-intensive processes, faster repair of public works equipment through access to technical documentation, and reliable communication between departments and with the public. When IT systems work reliably, staff time is spent on public service rather than on working around technology failures.