Ex-State Tech Official on What 2021 Holds for IT, Vendor Partnerships

As 2020 drew to a close, Techwire asked California government technology officials, legislators and industry watchers for their viewpoints on what the year ahead may hold for IT, data and innovation initiatives in and around government. Paul Benedetto, former undersecretary of operations at the California Technology Agency (CTA) — California Department of Technology (CDT) precursor — and owner of PMB Consulting Services, is among those sharing his perspective via email.

Most of us were looking at 2020 and thinking it would be a good year — you know, 20/20 vision — super clear, perfect, everything will turn out well. At least that’s what I thought, so my prognosis on what 2021 will look like in terms of technology and where we are going might just be a lucky guess. But here we go:

Technology-Related Trends

• We will continue to work from home; we made great strides already with CDT taking the lead and the rest of the departments putting a lot of investment into working from home. I think more and more operations- and program-related services will be able to be done working from home — so there should be a huge investment in those technologies. 
• Speed and flexibility in procuring technology and driving solutions: time to market will continue to be extremely important. The ability to deliver great services to 41 million Californians will be needed as much today as it was in 2020.
• Easy-to-use technology, almost plug-and-play, lift and shift, and many more services-related technologies driven and run by the vendor community. 
• Increased role for both CDT and the Office of Digital Innovation as they push for newer and better technology solutions going forward.  
• Increase in security policy, privacy policy, and security-related services. I guess this is really a "No duh." 
• Continued brain drain of IT professionals and, just as important, program professionals in the various departments whose expertise is necessary for IT to be successful. 
• The state’s continual use of social media to drive conversations and to provide the public with access, data and information. This is also a no-brainer.
• The state’s broadband and digital initiatives become even more important behind the administration’s, (CDT’s) effort, with the goal of providing and delivering technology to disadvantaged communities, wherever they may be. (I don’t see this as a hopeful trend any longer.)  

Hopeful Trends

• Vendor/state partnerships: The state vendors continue working more closely together to deliver the services and products that Californians really need. 
• More consolidation, with departments within agencies looking to build more things together. 
• Staffing/management. This might sound self-aggrandizing, but I think many in the state will continue and look to develop those relationships with the vendor community and there will be a greater trust.
• The state will continue to build solutions and services that are customer-centric and not state employee-centric.

Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for style and brevity.