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Integration Command Cloud

Does Command Cloud Integrate with Tyler Technologies?

If you're using Tyler Technologies' jail management system and have started to explore Command Cloud, you may have questions about the interface capabilities between both systems—our integration has you covered.
GUARDIAN RFID
GUARDIAN RFID
Contributors:
Kenzie Koch | Marketing team Leader

A common question that GUARDIAN RFID receives from prospects is: Do you interface with Tyler Technologies' jail management system? 

Yes, we do. In this blog, we’ll cover how Command Cloud interfaces with Tyler Enterprise Public Safety’s jail management system, including:

  • Methods of interfacing support with Tyler Enterprise Corrections

  • Costs of interfacing

  • Why you should consider interfacing Command Cloud with Tyler Enterprise Corrections

  • What do agencies think about current interfacing support

Background

Over the last decade, Tyler Technologies has acquired and rebranded one of its jail management systems, including Tyler Jail Manager (formerly Odyssey), and Tyler Enterprise Public Safety (formerly New World Systems). Please note that this blog will not address Tyler Jail Manager.

In November 2015, Tyler Technologies acquired Michigan-based New World Systems, a public safety and financial solutions vendor for local governments. Since then, the New World Systems Jail Management System has been rebranded Tyler Enterprise Corrections.

Image pulled from Tyler Technologies website

GUARDIAN RFID is both an integration partner with Tyler Technologies and a part-time competitor with their “Corrections Mobile” application. GUARDIAN RFID shares many mutual customers across their Tyler Enterprise corrections and Tyler Jail Manager users.

Methods of Interfacing Support with Tyler Enterprise Corrections

Historically, GUARDIAN RFID has supported a one-way and a two-way interface with Tyler Enterprise Corrections. This was supported via a Stored Procedure (SP) as well as a flat file interface using what we refer to as the “NewWorldNewFormat” inmate roster type.

The one-way flat file interface method common data elements, including:

  • Basic inmate demographic information

  • Housing assignments

  • Mugshots

Keep Separates and special status data elements were not included in the one-way interface.

The two-way Stored Procedure method of interfacing supported common data elements, such as:

  • Basic inmate demographic information

  • Housing assignments

  • Mugshots

  • Keep Separates

  • Inmate restrictions

 In Command Cloud, we highly encourage the use of the REST API layer Command Cloud offers, named WolfPack. By using WolfPack, agencies are empowered to build a wide range of data elements into their interface, such as basic inmate demographics and mugshots, as well as Keep Separates and inmate restrictions. If there’s a business need to support two-way interfacing, WolfPack supports this as well.

The data elements help you to extend your data collection and reporting capabilities by automatically capturing data specific to a named inmate, their cell assignment, and their booking number.

How is this useful to my staff? 

Here are a couple of examples of the power of Command Cloud interfacing with Tyler Enterprise Corrections:

  • You need to capture inmate-specific observation checks at least every 15 minutes. Tyler Technologies updates Command Cloud at a pre-configured interval (e.g. every two minutes) with new and modified housing assignment data. This data is synchronized to a SPARTAN mobile device, allowing you to scan a Hard Tag to auto-identify the inmate(s) assigned to the RFID tag. (A Hard Tag is often linked to a named cell or room. This blog about Hardened RFID Tags explains what, where, and how Hard Tags are used in more detail.) Then with Mobile Command XR software, you can now instantly capture inmate-specific observations with WordBlocks, voice-to-text, imaging, etc. — all in real-time.

  • You need to automate your inmate program attendance. By receiving inmate demographics and housing assignments, as well as Keep Separates, you can accelerate your programs’ attendance data collection using mobile or fixed RFID readers. This allows staff to know which inmates attended which program, while automatically monitoring for any Keep Separates in real-time.

Are There Other Methods of Interfacing Supported?

Yes, Command Cloud supports other methods of interfacing such as:

  • Flat File FTP transfer

  • PostgreSQL data pull

  • MSSQL data pull

  • XML File FTP transfer

 How can Command Cloud do this?

The Command Cloud REST API, WolfPack, offers a highly robust interfacing solution, allowing both sides to efficiently control and customize their system needs. Its streamlined design enables faster development and deployment, delivering quicker time-to-value. This is why the Command Cloud’s WolfPack is the most robust API system of interfacing on the market. 

However, if you cannot support WolfPack, a Flat File FTP transfer is the next best option since it can be configured to the customer's specific payload. The main downside is the repeated full payload processing, as well as the effort required to coordinate the file format and configuration. This current method does have Keep Separates enabled but does not have Special Status enabled.

The third option is PostgreSQL and MSSQL. These methods depend on accessing the customer's database, with any updates requiring renewed access. These options do not have Keep Separates or Special Status at this time.

Costs

According to the Grand Traverse Co. Sheriff’s Office (Michigan), the price for Tyler Technologies to build a one-way flat file interface was $17,600, plus an additional $3,200 for Keep Separates, and an additional fee (unspecified) for Special Status.

Conversely, the Gaston Co. Sheriff’s Office (North Carolina) built their own interface with the Command Cloud REST API at no cost. This was accomplished in hours.

What Do Agencies Think About Current Interfacing Support?

According to Travis Bohn, a technical contact at Gaston Co. Sheriff’s Office, one improvement he would like to see in the WolfPack is that there wasn't much granularity in the status codes he got back from the API. Basically, he received a “Successful” or “Not successful” notification but didn't gain any details on why it didn't work. Bohn, however, did like the postman collection he was provided from WolfPack.

Why Should I Consider Interfacing Command Cloud with Tyler Enterprise Corrections?

There are two simple overarching reasons why jails integrate Command Cloud with Tyler Enterprise Corrections:

  1. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to efficiently communicate data siloed between disparate systems. This is especially true for jails still using a combination of paper logs, their jail management system, and possibly an antiquated guard tour system, totaling to three different sources of data.

  2. Streamlining data collection and reporting workflows helps officers gain mobility across a spectrum of use cases including mobile inmate management, mobile inmate tracking, guard tour, and more.

There are tremendous economies of efficiency when it comes to empowering correctional staff to extend their data collection capabilities at the point of responsibility, such as during cell checks and security rounds, inmate movements, headcounts, activity logging, and more.

How Easy is it to Interface Command Cloud with Tyler Enterprise Corrections?  

The level of effort to interface Command Cloud to Tyler Enterprise Corrections is extremely low when using the Command Cloud’s WolfPack. It’s simple, fast, and best of all, free. You can build the interface in a matter of hours if you have internal IT resources.

When it comes to building a Flat File FTP transfer, the level of effort is low to moderate. However, it can require additional communication regarding coordination of the file format and configuration –and if not done correctly – the interface modifications will be sent back to Tyler Technologies for correction, which can consume more calendar days to fix the issue.     

What Problems Have Arisen With the Tyler Enterprise Corrections Interface with Command Cloud?

The interface itself is low to zero maintenance with WolfPack. The same holds true, too, for the Flat File FTP transfer.

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