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What to Know:
- Sandy Russell has joined NTT DATA North America as senior account executive for state, local and education business in Texas.
- She brings experience across SLED, higher education and enterprise technology, with prior roles at Precisely, Oracle and Intel Security.
- Russell said she is focused on helping Texas agencies modernize while maintaining secure and reliable infrastructure amid a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Top News Stories
What to Know:
- The attorney general concluded Texas law does not authorize constables to issue speeding citations by mail using automated camera or lidar systems.
- Under Chapter 543 of the Transportation Code, a speeding citation must follow an officer detention or arrest.
- Any expansion of automated speed enforcement at the county level would require express authorization from the Legislature.
Industry Insider — Texas will not publish a newsletter on Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of the Presidents' Day holiday. The newsletter will resume on Wednesday morning.
What to Know:
- DIR has launched a new website modernization webpage that centralizes resources for state agencies and institutions of higher education.
- Information collected from agencies through a statewide technology review will be used by DIR to help report on digital modernization efforts required by House Bill 5195.
- That bill requires DIR to report to the Legislature on the status of state agencies’ digital modernization efforts.
What to Know:
- Dallas police are weighing an integrated approach that would link gunshot-detection sensors, drones and cameras to respond to random gunfire calls within 30 seconds to two minutes.
- Random gunfire calls have declined since 2022 but remain concentrated in southern Dallas and rarely lead to arrests, prompting continued concern at City Hall.
- The proposal would pair new technology with a public awareness campaign warning residents about the dangers and criminal penalties of celebratory or random gunfire.
What to Know:
- The Texas Office of the Attorney General is hiring a chief information security officer to lead its enterprise cybersecurity strategy and operations.
- The CISO will oversee incident response, security operations, policy enforcement and strategic risk management, reporting directly to the CIO.
- Applicants must have at least 10 years of experience in information security or risk management, with strong technical and leadership qualifications.
What to Know:
- Austin Technology Services is hiring a chief information security officer to lead the citywide information security program.
- The CISO will manage incident response, security architecture, governance, audits and staff, while coordinating closely with enterprise architecture and resiliency teams.
- Brian Gardner, the city's deputy chief information officer, is also the current interim CISO.
What to Know:
- Dallas College has named Michael Anderson as its new chief information security officer.
- Anderson said his focus will include digital and IT transformation, with an emphasis on the convergence of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
- He brings more than 27 years of technology and cybersecurity leadership experience, including prior senior roles in public-sector education and local government.
What to Know:
- DIR plans to issue a solicitation for security operations services supporting its Shared Technology Services program.
- The forthcoming RFO will seek a vendor to manage, modernize and evolve SecOps services across DIR’s data center environments.
- Vendors will be expected to integrate with DIR’s existing Shared Technology Services environment and coordinate with other service component providers.
Wendy Barron, who has led IT for the department since 2021, discusses high-level priorities, personal preferences and how a major modernization project will drive procurement in the next year in an exclusive interview — now with video and text.
Industry Insider is opening the floor to member-submitted questions for an upcoming interview with TxDOT’s chief information officer.
What to Know:
- DIR plans to issue a cooperative contract solicitation for desktops, laptops, tablets and related hardware, software and services used by state and local entities.
- The forthcoming RFO is expected to move away from branded contracts and may result in one or more indefinite quantity awards with no purchase minimums.
- Manufacturers and resellers will be eligible to respond, with software and services offered in conjunction with hardware.
What to Know:
- Austin City Council is considering a $2 million contract to expand mobile surveillance trailers in public parks.
- City staff say a pilot launched in 2022 reduced crime, particularly vehicle burglaries in park parking lots.
- The proposed system would exclude facial recognition and audio capture, with city-owned video deleted after 60 days.
What to Know:
- DIR is seeking a new executive director, who also serves as Texas’ state chief information officer, with applications due Feb. 27.
- The search follows the departures of former state CIO Amanda Crawford and Deputy Executive Director Steve Pier.
- The executive director leads statewide IT strategy, major procurements and shared services for an agency of about 325 employees.
What to Know:
- Laredo police plan to expand AI use across operations, with new systems rolling out in 2026.
- Tools include gunshot and crash detection, AI-assisted reporting, and real-time data integration to improve response times amid staffing shortages.
- Department leaders say AI supports efficiency, with all decisions remaining under human review.
What to Know:
- DIR is now accepting vendor applications to certify AI training programs for use by Texas government employees.
- Starting in FY 2026, annual AI training will be mandatory for most state and local government workers under House Bill 3512.
- Certified programs must meet seven standards focused on responsible AI use, risk mitigation, accessibility and relevance to public-sector work.
What to Know:
- DFPS is replacing its legacy IMPACT system with a federally compliant case management platform, supported by business process redesign and expected to improve data quality and usability.
- The agency is piloting generative AI and developing an AI governance framework, with more than 75 use cases identified and an evaluation report due in early 2026.
- New systems such as SEMARC and CGMS aim to streamline interagency background checks and contract oversight, while a Data Governance Program will guide data accuracy and security across DFPS.
What to Know:
- Houston approved more than $1.6 million in tech-related contracts, including SAP system upgrades and airport navigation system services.
- Precision Task Group Inc. was awarded a $435,000 contract to support enhancements to the city’s enterprise service management system.
- A $2.6 million legal settlement with EPI-USE America Inc. closed out a lawsuit tied to prior SAP-related services.
What to Know:
- The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a strategic advisory partner to guide the integration of automation and robotics in its new academic medical center.
- The RFQ focuses on early-stage planning and design readiness with a near-term need to define workflows for robotic material transport.
- The selected firm will help develop an automation road map, functional requirements and procurement-ready documentation to support future design and vendor selection.
What to Know:
- Brazos County adopted a new social media policy for employee use on platforms such as Facebook, X and Instagram, excluding elected officials.
- The policy bans obscene, political, commercial and discriminatory content and requires posts to be archived under public records law.
- Employees must complete annual training, and violations can lead to discipline or termination; personal accounts are not regulated unless misused.
What to Know:
- The Texas Comptroller is seeking industry input on a digital payment system backed by gold or silver stored in the state’s bullion depository.
- The system must comply with constitutional limits on state-issued currency and may involve digital tokens or other technologies.
- The RFI requests input on system architecture, settlement workflows, regulatory compliance and public-private partnership models.
What to Know:
- Laredo Police will implement a new 911 platform, Prepared 911, in early 2026 to route emergency call data and audio directly to responding officers.
- The system aims to reduce dispatch delays, improve officer safety and streamline response during high-call-volume periods.
- Residents reporting non-emergencies may be guided through automated prompts and offered secure online reporting options instead of waiting for an in-person response.
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Cyber, AI, Third-Party Risk Dominate the Government Opportunity Agenda: New Report
Public sector agencies across all levels, from city and state to tribal government to federal agencies, face the ongoing challenge of streamlining workflows. This includes collaborating and sharing data about budgets, programs, spending, decision-making, meetings, and so much more.
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