News
Top Story
What to Know:
- DIR has opened a competitive solicitation to refresh or expand its vendor pool for end-user IT outsourcing services.
- Vendors may offer services including desktop support, asset management, hosted virtual desktops and emerging tech like AI and cloud solutions.
- Selected vendors will enter Master Cooperative Contracts and serve a wide range of public-sector customers across Texas.
Top News Stories
What to Know:
- Grand Prairie was recognized in the 2025 Digital Cities Survey for expanding its use of cloud services, artificial intelligence and open data to support transparency and public safety.
- The city now runs 70 percent of IT systems in the cloud and uses generative AI for internal tasks such as document creation and research.
- Recent public safety and engagement upgrades include AI-enabled drone response, GIS dashboards for first responders and a new open data portal for residents.
What to Know:
- TPWD’s new internal AI policy outlines rules for the responsible use of generative AI tools by agency staff.
- All AI tools must be approved by the IT Division, with strict limits on high-risk use cases.
- The policy emphasizes training, data privacy and human oversight in AI-assisted decision-making.
What to Know:
- Texas received federal approval for its $1.27 billion BEAD plan, selecting 22 providers to deliver broadband service to more than 240,000 unserved and underserved locations statewide.
- A state-funded match program awarded $177 million to help smaller providers meet federal cost-sharing requirements without reducing project scope.
- Projects were selected through a competitive process emphasizing speed, scalability and cost-efficiency.
What to Know:
- Frisco earned seventh place in its population category in the 2025 Digital Cities Survey for its expanding use of artificial intelligence and resident-centered digital services.
- The city piloted generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, to summarize meetings and generate internal briefings, informing a broader AI strategy.
- Transparency and accessibility initiatives included launching a Capital Improvement Projects Dashboard, revamping the open data portal and modernizing digital platforms for public engagement.
Industry Insider — Texas will not publish a newsletter Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. The newsletter will resume Monday morning. The Industry Insider staff wishes our friends and readers a safe and meaningful holiday celebration.
What to Know:
- Austin earned seventh place in the national Digital Cities Survey, reflecting progress in digital equity, AI governance and modernized service delivery.
- The city launched an All Services Hub that consolidates department websites and streamlines access to services.
- Internal improvements included deploying a new security platform and piloting AI tools for service delivery and staff productivity.
What to Know:
- Shannon Lawson has been named chief information security officer for the city of San Antonio and director of the Alamo Regional Security Operations Center.
- He most recently served as CISO at Redapt and was previously assistant CIO and CISO for the city of Phoenix.
- Lawson’s background includes leadership roles with the state of Alaska, NAVWAR, the U.S. Navy and NSA.
What to Know:
- Texas has secured a statewide MS-ISAC membership through November 2026.
- The federal government ended funding for MS-ISAC in late 2025, citing redundancy with other federal programs and shifting cybersecurity priorities.
- Texas members will continue to receive threat intelligence, incident response support and domain-blocking tools.
What to Know:
- Vince Kellen will lead IT strategy as CIO for the Texas A&M University System starting Dec. 1.
- He was previously CIO at the University of California, San Diego, overseeing AI and research tech modernization.
- Kellen holds a doctorate in computer science with a focus on human-computer interaction.
What to Know:
- A panel at the Texas IT Leadership Forum emphasized that successful vendor relationships depend on collaboration, not commodity-style transactions.
- Brownsville CIO Jorge Cardenas and state courts CIO Casey Kennedy highlighted key differences in how cities and state agencies manage procurement, especially around pricing flexibility and vendor capacity.
- Speakers urged vendors to invest in long-term partnerships through effective communication.
Commission on State Emergency Communications Director of IT Grace Ruwwe and public-sector IT leaders from various agencies were recognized for their contributions to the state’s public service.
What to Know:
- San Antonio has removed race- and gender-based subcontracting goals from its municipal contracting program to comply with federal grant requirements.
- The change eliminates a rule that previously required up to 40 percent of work be subcontracted to minority- and woman-owned businesses, a provision once considered key to promoting equity in city contracting.
- While the SBEDA program still supports small and local businesses, all race- and gender-specific contracting goals have been suspended.
What to Know:
- The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is hiring a director of IT initiatives to lead a major case management system modernization and oversee strategic IT efforts.
- The role reports to the deputy CIO and involves cross-agency coordination, vendor management, IT compliance and legislative engagement.
- The director will guide the development of new systems that support child welfare programs and ensure alignment with state and federal requirements.
What to Know:
- Angelo State University (ASU) is procuring a vendor to design, develop and implement a cybersecurity data dashboard for its Regional Security Operations Center.
- Student collaboration is a core requirement of the solicitation.
- The solution must integrate with ASU’s Microsoft environment and tools like ServiceNow, CrowdStrike and Okta, and comply with security standards including NIST and FedRAMP.
What to Know:
- Texas has suspended all new and renewed HUB certifications as it reviews the program for compliance.
- The freeze may reduce the number of eligible vendors, making it harder for agencies to meet state-mandated HUB participation goals.
- Planned revisions aim to remove race- and gender-based eligibility, signaling a shift toward race- and sex-neutral certification criteria. Provisions relating to veterans may survive the changes.
What to Know:
- Tesla plans to expand its driverless robotaxi service to Houston.
- The autonomous vehicles are currently operating with safety drivers in Austin and the Bay Area; Tesla plans to phase out safety drivers in Austin by the end of 2025.
- A Texas law allows driverless vehicles on public roads, but companies must secure a permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles to operate fully autonomous fleets.
What to Know:
- The university is seeking a centralized tool to manage and publish course syllabi.
- The platform must integrate with Canvas and Banner and support accessibility and version control.
- The platform must support version history, role-based access, archiving and public-facing syllabus access.
What to Know:
- Houston’s new CAD system has a selected vendor, but integration with other systems is still being scoped and could lead to future solicitations.
- Upcoming needs may include services for systems integration, mobile connectivity, and data platform interoperability.
- The CAD contract is expected to go before the City Council in February 2026, with implementation targeted for 2028.
What to Know:
- The city is seeking information on systems that support KPIs, project management and transparency dashboards.
- The request is focused on tools that enhance automation and reporting for local government operations.
- The city previously employed a platform provided by Envisio.
What to Know:
- H-GAC is soliciting vendors for artificial intelligence consulting under a cooperative purchasing agreement.
- Contracts will support managed services, strategic planning and system implementation across the public sector.
- Sales may be made nationwide to eligible cities, counties, school districts and nonprofit organizations.
What to Know:
- The Texas Cyber Command is poised to take over statewide cybersecurity functions from DIR by the end of 2026.
- Agencies are being guided to adopt responsible AI practices, including use of the Texas AI Code of Ethics and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
- The state is prioritizing cloud, DevSecOps and agile development as part of a broader strategy to replace aging systems and accelerate modernization.
Contributed Content
How AI-enabled identity tools and collaborative strategies combat rogue AI, synthetic identities and remote-hiring vulnerabilities.
Modernize to boost agility and security. Protiviti’s Code Bender accelerates legacy migration, cuts costs, and preserves knowledge — empowering organizations to innovate and thrive in a digital-first world.
New service offering approved under BeyondTrust’s existing FedRAMP authorization to operate (ATO) broadens government access to identity security
Upcoming Events
