City of Kirby, TX · Est. 1955
How the City of Kirby Modernized Its IT & Built a 25-Year Foundation
In municipal government, reliability and compliance are non-negotiable. The City of Kirby, a close-knit Texas city just northeast of San Antonio, faced an aging IT footprint and tightening compliance obligations as it scaled into a new era of public service. This is the story of how Lone Cypress Technology became a quarter-century partner, delivering tailored modernization that transformed Kirby's infrastructure, email, and compliance posture.
A 1999 RFP, a 25-Year Partnership
Finding Lone Cypress Technology
The City of Kirby first became a partner of ours in 1999 through a formal RFP. More than twenty-five years and several company rebrands later, they are still with us today as Lone Cypress Technology.
The engagement has spanned multiple city administrations and nearly every generation of IT infrastructure in use during that span. Few partnerships in the South Texas IT industry run this long, and the continuity matters. When we sit down to plan the next refresh, we are not reading about the city's environment for the first time. We already know it, and the city already knows us.
Wondering whether your IT could carry you another decade with confidence?
THE CHALLENGE
An Aging Foundation Meeting Tightening Compliance
Before this program of work, Kirby's IT footprint was stable but aging.
Servers and supporting infrastructure were approaching the edge of what would be responsible to keep in production.
Email lived on-premises, with more than 80 Exchange mailboxes running on hardware nearing end of life. The firewall was still serving its purpose but was a generation behind current best practice.
Layered on top of all of it: CJIS obligations from the police department, records and transparency rules for city business, and a security landscape that grows steeper every year. Kirby needed a partner that could plan and sequence a modernization program rather than force a single large capital outlay.
THE SOLUTION
Tailored Expertise from Lone Cypress Technology
Lone Cypress Technology offered a scalable, expert-
driven approach that aligned with Kirby's needs. The LCT team brought:
✔ Municipal Expertise
A deep understanding of the platforms, regulations, and budget cycles common to Texas city government.
✔ Phased Engagement
A multi-year modernization sequenced to land in budget cycles the city could responsibly plan for.
✔ Comprehensive Support
Beyond infrastructure, LCT addressed adjacent needs across email, network security, and law enforcement systems for seamless operations across the entire city workflow.
Working directly with City of Kirby leadership, we scoped and executed the modernization through five concurrent workstreams:
1. Server & Infrastructure Refresh
Replaced aging servers and supporting hardware with current-generation equipment, sized for Kirby's workload.
2. Microsoft 365 Migration
Moved more than 80 mailboxes off on-premises Exchange to Microsoft 365, retiring the cost and risk of running mission-critical email on aging local hardware.
3. Next-Generation Firewall
Upgraded the city's perimeter firewall to a current-generation platform, raising Kirby's security posture and simplifying ongoing policy management.
4. CJIS-Aligned Network Segmentation
Built an encrypted switching network between the Kirby Police Department and the city's server location so criminal justice data moves between the two sites under the controls CJIS requires.
5. Police Department Systems Migration
Guided the department's move from WatchGuard to Axon, modernizing the evidence and records systems officers rely on day to day.
THE RESULTS
A Foundation Ready for the Next Decade
Partnering with Lone Cypress Technology delivered tangible benefits:
✔ Modern Foundation
The infrastructure refresh and firewall upgrade gave Kirby a stable, modern platform built for the next several years with minimal additional investment required.
✔ Cloud Collaboration
The Microsoft 365 environment opened the door for the city to adopt SharePoint and Teams at its own pace, streamlining how departments share documents and collaborate.
✔ Cloud Collaboration
The Microsoft 365 environment opened the door for the city to adopt SharePoint and Teams at its own pace, streamlining how departments share documents and collaborate.
Kirby's leadership has the IT foundation to focus on what matters most: serving residents, supporting officers, and planning the next decade of city operations with confidence.
CONCLUSION
A Proven Model of Long-Haul Partnership
The City of Kirby's partnership with Lone Cypress Technology highlights the value of a long-haul IT partner who knows your environment as well as you do. Lone Cypress Technology not only solved immediate challenges but also equipped Kirby with the foundation, tools, and compliance posture needed for continued success. For municipalities and SMBs looking to modernize without disruption, Lone Cypress Technology offers a proven model of expertise, phased execution, and on-point service.
Ready to Find Your Own Success Story?
Contact us today to learn how we can transform your IT and keep your business on point.