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Flot, a technologist with more than two-and-a-half decades of IT experience, will be focusing on helping states smooth benefit delivery.
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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.
What to Know:
- The city of Northlake deployed an Envisio dashboard to create a single digital source for tracking capital projects.
- Town leaders said the tool replaces spreadsheets and manual reports, helping staff answer council questions faster and giving the public direct visibility into project status without filing information requests.
- The dashboard currently tracks about 18 projects including road work, meter upgrades and a hotel conference center.
What to Know:
- Collin County approved a $191,000 Palo Alto firewall support renewal through Dell Marketing LP for county data center network access.
- Commissioners also approved an agreement with Hopdox LLC to support eRecording alongside the county’s paper-based filing process.
What to Know:
- Public pressure over El Paso’s proposed Meta data center dominated discussion, with speakers tying the project to water use, electricity demand, tax incentives and the city’s Climate Action Plan.
- City materials indicate the project’s potential impact may be greater than some public comments suggested.
- Council acknowledged the backlash but stopped short of taking direct action on the Meta agreement during the meeting.
Williams said his focus at Cloverleaf AI is helping vendors engage government opportunities earlier, before procurements become late-stage, reactive pursuits.
Next week’s members-only event in Austin will feature the chief information officers of the Texas Department of Transportation and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
What to Know:
- Rice has secured $22.3 million in combined new funding for two space research centers.
- The newest piece is an $8.1 million U.S. Space Force award for a center focused on sensing and data analysis.
- An earlier $14.2 million Texas Space Commission award supports a second center focused on research, partnerships and workforce training.
What to Know:
- The North Central Texas Council of Governments is hiring an IT program manager to lead enterprise infrastructure strategy and operations.
- The role oversees infrastructure programs spanning cloud, networks, storage, backup, disaster recovery and vendor coordination.
What to Know:
- ERCOT is planning to shift very large power users from a single-study interconnection model to a batch-study process.
- The change applies to large-load interconnections of 75 megawatts or more and is tied to Senate Bill 6 and PUCT review.
- ERCOT’s timeline calls for Batch Study Zero revision requests in June and ongoing batch-study revision requests in September.
What to Know:
- Texas was chosen for a federal pilot program to test electric air taxis and other next-generation aircraft.
- The program is meant to give federal regulators real-world data as they develop safety rules for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft used for passenger trips, cargo delivery, emergency response and other missions.
- Wisk Aero said its Texas testing could help shape federal policy for integrating autonomous aircraft into U.S. airspace, with first pilot operations expected as early as summer 2026.
What to Know:
- Mike Robbins has joined Ivanti as regional vice president for U.S. SLED, where he will lead the company’s state, local and education market efforts.
- Robbins previously spent close to four years at NetApp, most recently serving as district sales manager for SLED Midwest Atlantic.
- Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles in supply chain and procurement.
What to Know:
- Sauerhoff had been serving as interim executive director and interim state CIO since January.
- He stepped into the role after Amanda Crawford left DIR to become commissioner of insurance at the Texas Department of Insurance.
- Board members described Sauerhoff as the standout candidate and approved his appointment Friday.
What to Know:
- Midland County approved purchases for a drug analyzer, courthouse X-ray system and jail radio infrastructure.
- A TruNarc device for the Texas Anti-Gang unit will be funded through the TAG grant.
- Commissioners amended an agreement with TxDOT allowing the Midland County Sheriff’s Office to install Flock license plate reader cameras on TxDOT rights of way.
Industry Insider’s latest conversation with TxDOT CIO Anh Selissen precedes the March 26 member briefing with CapMetro CIO Tanya Acevedo.
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