While there is already steep competition for IT talent across state agencies and departments, it is likely to get more intense as more employees retire. The California Department of Technology has led an effort to recruit and transition more employees to technology fields, but the need will still grow.
Cybersecurity will continue to be a major focus, with an increase in spending expected over the next year. The California Cyber Security Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), which comes under the auspices of the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), is under the leadership of acting commander Mario Garcia, and more changes are expected. The state has also started moving toward using open code, increasing security without obscurity.
The California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) will have more focus as systems are replaced going forward. The Medicaid Management Information System contract for IT maintenance and operations began in October 2018 for the Department of Health Care Services, and Techwire will bring more coverage soon.
Data remains a hot topic as the state pushes for new ways to gather and harness information for better engagement and service improvement.
