Thursday, June 14, 2007
ABC7

The Cook County government is getting a sophisticated computer system upgrade -- the first in decades.

The upgrade is for the county's purchasing department. County Board President Todd Stroger said the upgrade to the online operations is designed to improve the way the county conducts business. A new web portal will allow vendors and county departments to access purchasing functions.
County Commissioner Larry Suffredin pointed out just how long it has been since an improvement has taken place.

"If Anton Cermak, who was elected president of this county board in 1924, came back to life, he would feel right at home at our board meetings, because we still use the paper trail from the 19th century. This ordinance and what you're going to see today actually takes us from the 19th century to the 21st century," said Suffredin.

The new upgrade is part of a larger modernization project.