IE11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.
chandler_treon.jpg

Chandler Treon

Chandler Treon is an Austin-based staff writer. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in technical communication, all from Texas State University.

  • What to Know:
    • The city's IT Services Department would receive $94 million.
    • The capital improvement program allocates an additional $32 million for citywide technology infrastructure projects.
    • Another $3 million is earmarked for department-level IT capital outlays.
  • What to Know:
    • The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's digital licensing and tagging program will now cover all hunting, fishing and combination license types.
    • A mobile app enables hunters and anglers to purchase licenses online, carry them on a mobile device and tag harvests.
    • TPWD CIO Jamie McClanahan has identified the agency’s digital licensing systems as a key candidate for future modernization efforts.
  • What to Know:
    • A forthcoming request for offers will seek solutions that forecast and alert for flood events.
    • DIR’s notice comes as demands to expand the state’s flood alert infrastructure have grown in the wake of deadly flash flooding in July.
  • What to Know:
    • The city has proposed a $9.4 million Information Services and Telecommunications (IST) operating fund.
    • The IST Department has proposed $300,000 in new funding.
    • The Planning Department's proposed contractual services and supplies allocations total $1.2 million.
  • What to Know:
    • The city of Corpus Christi’s proposed $1.27 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025–26 includes about $40 million in technology-related funding.
    • $21 million is allocated to the city’s IT Fund.
    • Other allocations include $9 million for the MetroCom Fund and $159,000 for the Municipal Court Technology Fund.
  • What to Know:
    • The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is soliciting offers from vendors to provide traffic management software under a new statewide contract.
    • The software will need to integrate with TxDOT’s existing technology environment, offer compatibility for data exchange and provide capacity for future expansion.
    • TxDOT requires a detailed explanation of all artificial intelligence functionalities to be included or introduced at any point during the accepted contract period.
  • What to Know:
    • In a statement to Industry Insider — Texas, TDLR confirmed Texas Lottery Commission operations and personnel will transition to the agency on Sept. 1.
    • Most TLC staff will continue in their roles within the new Lottery and Charitable Bingo division within TDLR.
    • Texas Lottery leadership will remain, although TDLR has signaled that it will continue evaluating processes and may implement additional changes following the transition.
  • What to Know:
    • The IT Fund makes up the largest portion of Arlington’s tech spending, totaling $24.3 million.
    • Of that amount, $5.5 million is set aside for IT projects.
    • The budget includes $3.9 million for the replacement of the Planning and Development Services Department’s permitting platform, known as AMANDA.
  • What to Know:
    • The largest share of citywide IT funding is $17 million for licensing, maintenance and support.
    • The Police Department expects to use $6 million in capital outlay to upgrade its records system and equip officers with body-worn cameras.
    • The city is establishing a new Code Enforcement Department.
  • What to Know:
    • H-GAC seeks a cloud-based, software-as-a-service case management system capable of automating workflows, compliance checks, dashboards and performance tools.
    • The council’s objectives include improving collaboration, ensuring consistent outputs and increasing transparency across its monitoring activities.
    • The vendor must host the solution on domestic data servers and meet Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program Level 2 certification requirements at contract initiation.
  • What to Know:
    • The county's IT Department has requested a $39 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
    • The preliminary budget for 2026, which is subject to change, only includes $21 million for the department.
    • The largest differences between requested funds and granted preliminary funds are related to hardware, software, utilities and software maintenance.
  • O’Neill assumed the role on Aug. 1 following former Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Stephanie Muth’s departure on July 31.
  • What to Know:
    • The Harris County Department of Education is seeking a broad range of technology goods and services for its cooperative purchasing division, Choice Partners.
    • Choice Partners serves more than 2,500 members nationwide.
    • The scope of work includes the supply and support of technology hardware, software, asset management services, IT support and leasing options.
  • What to Know:
    • The session includes proposals that would require modernized emergency communications systems, improved data transparency tools and updates to public recordkeeping processes.
    • House Bill 2 would establish a Texas Interoperability Council tasked with overseeing a new grant program for emergency communication improvements.
  • What to Know:
    • DPS is researching market capabilities around a biometric NFC badge that can authenticate users through fingerprint recognition.
    • The agency's existing infrastructure no longer meets updated Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) requirements.
    • The agency anticipates use cases for permanent employees and temporary contractors.
  • The Best of Texas Awards, part of the Texas Digital Government Summit, honor public agencies working to improve the constituent experience.
  • What to Know:
    • A recent Texas Digital Government Summit panel brought public- and private-sector IT leaders together to discuss practical AI.
    • Agencies are evaluating AI investments not on novelty but on measurable impacts.
    • Panelists stressed the importance of understanding agency missions, building trust and offering solutions that agencies can scale across multiple business units.
  • What to Know:
    • The district’s intention is to contract with a provider that can monitor traditional, digital and social media channels and provide customizable reports.
    • The media monitoring system should include features such as keyword tracking, earned media valuation, social media listening and integration with press distribution tools.
    • The solution must also support multilingual coverage in English and Spanish and include tools for correlating social and traditional media activity.
  • What to Know:
    • The UT System's Supply Chain Alliance represents 14 individual institutions.
    • The preferred platform is a comprehensive, scalable, cloud-hosted payment platform for all 14 institutions.
    • The chosen vendor is required to provide the necessary hardware components, implementation support, onboarding, configuration and training.
  • What to Know:
    • TDA CIO Chris Bunton and Dallas College Director of Workforce Development LaKesha Raynor spoke at a panel at the Texas Digital Government Summit in Austin.
    • TDA has rolled out several AI-enabled tools, including a chatbot for its Farm Fresh program and a new internal HR bot.
    • Dallas College serves more than 130,000 students each year and is expanding sector-based partnerships designed to meet the unique upskilling and reskilling needs of public agencies.
  • What to Know:
    • The Enhanced Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community Epidemics tracks public health threats across the state.
    • The vendor will be required to provide not only software licensing but also installation, updates, defect remediation and enhancements to the existing system.
    • The vendor will also help with SQL query support, build analytical cubes for operational efficiency and maintain the system’s API.
  • What to Know:
    • Texas Department of Public Safety CIO Jessica Ballew spoke at an Industry Insider — Texas member briefing on July 23.
    • The agency is moving away from maintaining internal support teams for every system in favor of managed services contracts to free up and refocus DPS staff.
    • Ballew is eyeing a new internal automation capability aimed at streamlining administrative workflows and improving customer-facing services.
  • What to Know:
    • State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, the most prominent Texas legislator on tech issues in recent sessions, announced the end of his tenure in the Texas House after 14 years.
    • In the 89th Legislative Session alone, Capriglione authored or co-authored five tech-related bills that were signed into law by the governor.
    • The Southlake Republican has not yet indicated his next steps.
  • What to Know:
    • The city is interested in AI-powered interpretation and translation tools for a potential pilot program.
    • The four-month pilot would support live AI interpretation and captioning services during both virtual and in-person public meetings and events.
    • The city wants to understand how tools might support in-person settings and hybrid formats.
  • Sen. Parker authored legislation to establish the Texas Cyber Command and spearheaded the state’s first AI governance framework for public agencies.
  • What to Know:
    • Nearly 90 percent of the projected IT spending will be focused on modernizing the George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Automated People Mover (APM) System.
    • The next largest project is a $13 million implementation of the SAP S/4HANA enterprise resource planning system.
    • The city has plans to migrate at least two systems to the cloud.
  • What to Know:
    • The district is seeking vendors to deliver an enterprise-scale solution across thousands of endpoint devices.
    • The effort is part of the Federal Communications Commission’s three-year Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program.
    • The initiative centers on patch management, identity protection and network access controls.
  • What to Know:
    • The county aims to gather details on available technologies and best practices for an integration platform that could support a wide range of justice system stakeholders.
    • The judicial web system currently serves as the central system for more than 100 courts and multiple agencies.
    • The county processes more than 70,000 civil cases annually and over 30,000 criminal cases through the platform each month.
  • What to Know:
    • H-GAC requires a solution that will replace the council’s current system and support a full life cycle of project tracking
    • The new platform is intended to be mobile compatible, support multiple user roles across agencies and integrate with existing systems.
    • The selected contractor will provide hosting, configuration and annual technical support.
  • What to Know:
    • The library is looking to modernize its information security via the Federal Communications Commission’s three-year Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program.
    • The library seeks a managed solution to safeguard about 1,000 public-facing Windows machines used by patrons.
    • Identity and access management services will also play a key role.