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What to Know:
- Zoning commissioners backed changes to Black Mountain’s proposed $10 billion Fort Worth data center.
- The plan calls for four buildings, 2.2 million square feet and a larger setback from nearby homes.
- Residents still raised concerns as related rezoning requests head to City Council in June.
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What to Know:
- Dallas approved several tech-related items at once, including evidence-system integration, counter-drone tools, cybersecurity services and traffic signal infrastructure.
- The biggest item was a $10.4 million counter-drone grant tied to FIFA security, while a separate $400,000 contract will support city cybersecurity services.
- The city originally wanted a roughly $200,000 laboratory information management system for firearms examiners, but shifted after receiving only $40,000 in grant funding.
What to Know:
- TWC launched an updated texasinternnetwork.com to connect Texas employers and students through a free statewide internship platform.
- The site adds AI-supported tools for students, including resume help, interview practice and career-prep resources.
- The updated portal runs on Geographic Solutions Inc.’s Virtual OneStop platform, according to the website footer.
What to Know:
- Texas Comptroller staff said proposed amendments published in the March Texas Register would make the emergency VetHUB framework permanent.
- The draft rules remove race, ethnicity and sex-based classifications and eliminate statewide quantitative utilization goals.
- Speakers at the April 7 hearing said the shift is already affecting bids, contracts and staffing, and warned it could reduce competition and increase costs.
What to Know:
- Fort Bend County and Comcast are moving forward with an $18.9 million broadband expansion project.
- The county is contributing $2.5 million in recovery funds, while Comcast is providing about $16.4 million.
- County officials said fiber work is already underway near Thompsons, with broader service expected by the end of 2026.
What to Know:
- Travis County’s FY 26 ITS plan centers on Phase II of its ServiceNow rollout.
- The county is also advancing digital modernization through a main website rebuild, accessibility improvements across seven public-facing sites and a planned replacement of the Travis Central intranet.
- The plan includes sizable funding requests for hardware replacement, central computer refreshes, infrastructure growth and project-specific work.
What to Know:
- HHSC told Texas health-care facilities to review and mitigate risks tied to unauthorized remote access to protected health information.
- The directive points facilities to FDA guidance on Contec and Epsimed patient monitors with known cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
- The move follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s March 9 order for state health agencies and public university systems to review China-linked medical device risks.
The software company has not disclosed how many workers were cut, but employees said engineers, account executives and program managers were among those affected Tuesday.
What to Know:
- Denton has hired Michael Deegan as chief technology officer, bringing in a private-sector executive to lead the city’s next phase of technology strategy.
- In the role, he will oversee IT strategy, cybersecurity and infrastructure as Denton plans about $45 million in capital IT projects in the next five years.
What to Know:
- Texas senators used an April 1 hearing to examine supply chain risks to the grid and other critical infrastructure from foreign-linked technology.
- Lawmakers focused on whether software access or remote connectivity in solar and battery systems could create security vulnerabilities.
- Texas already has disclosure and attestation requirements in place through the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act and ERCOT rules, but senators signaled they may consider tougher oversight.
What to Know:
- Matt Reed has joined Tenable as a territory account manager in Texas.
- He previously worked at AMS.NET and AT&T, with experience in cybersecurity, IoT and SaaS sales.
- Reed said his focus is helping Texas agencies unify complex environments spanning cloud, identity, operational technology and AI.
Industry Insider — Texas is pleased to welcome Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to the Industry Insider family.
What to Know:
- Alamo Heights ISD said ransomware caused the multiday network outage that disrupted district operations last week.
- The outage affected Wi-Fi and Gmail across the district, and outside forensic specialists assisted with the response.
- The district restored technology systems by Friday afternoon, but the review into possible data exposure is still underway.
Flot, a technologist with more than two-and-a-half decades of IT experience, will be focusing on helping states smooth benefit delivery.
What to Know:
- DIR is signaling that vendors may have a role in execution, not just planning, as agencies assess websites for accessibility, navigation, usability and efficiency.
- The state’s website templates are optional, so the stronger vendor play may be targeted assessment, remediation and modernization support rather than a full rebuild pitch.
- DIR outlined multiple contracting paths, which could favor vendors already positioned on Shared Technology Services, cooperative contracts, deliverables-based IT services or staff augmentation vehicles.
What to Know:
- At an Industry Insider — Texas member briefing, the TxDOT and CapMetro CIOs said AI, network resilience and operational technology security are shaping near-term decisions.
- CapMetro is focused on separating AI hype from tools that can deliver real return on investment.
- TxDOT told vendors to make a clear case for value and explain why agencies should care before bringing forward new products.
What to Know:
- CPS Energy, San Antonio's municipal gas and electric utility, is hiring a vice president of digital platforms and data strategy to lead digital platforms, enterprise applications and data strategy.
- The role includes overseeing digital transformation, analytics, data governance, AI enablement and enterprise application delivery.
What to Know:
- Nancy Rainosek recently spoke on a webinar, saying Texas agencies want AI vendors to lead with visibility, governance and control rather than broad transformation claims.
- Shadow AI and data exposure remain top concerns, creating demand for safer internal tools, stronger controls and secure deployment models.
- Winning vendors will need to show practical results, fit within Texas compliance requirements and address stakeholders beyond the security office alone.
What to Know:
- Tarrant County rolled out a new jury management system and online juror portal starting March 24.
- The county said the upgrade replaces a platform that had been in use for nearly 20 years.
- Jurors can now use a QR-enabled summons to access online service tools, email updates and optional text notifications.
What to Know:
- Austin launched a redesigned austintexas.gov site on March 19 as part of a broader digital experience modernization effort.
- The project is tied to a multiyear Material Holdings contract approved in 2024 for up to $5.5 million.
- The redesign follows years of city concerns about an aging web presence with thousands of pages and heavy resident traffic.
What to Know:
- Council approved about $945,000 in technology purchases for Houston Information Technology Services.
- The largest purchase was $545,000 to Motorola Solutions Inc. for public safety radios and accessories.
- City leaders pointed to a broader efficiency effort, citing recommendations on consolidation, strategic purchasing and centralization.
What to Know:
- Capital Metro is Austin’s regional transit agency and is operating with a 2026 budget of $625.2 million.
- The agency’s capital plan this year includes $15.7 million for IT projects.
- Capital Metro’s Strategic Plan 2030 includes goals tied to digital transformation, process automation, fare technology and security technology.
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In my previous blog, I talked about how government agencies have been experimenting with AI through small pilots and assessments. These initiatives helped build familiarity, test guardrails and determine what works.
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