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What to Know:
- Texans can now upgrade driver’s licenses and renew boat registrations through the TxT digital assistant platform.
- More than 10.8 million users have created TxT accounts since the platform’s public launch in 2022.
- TxT is a joint effort by DIR and multiple state agencies, with services developed in partnership with DPS and TPWD and operated by Deloitte.
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What to Know:
- The Government Experience Awards recognize governments using technology to improve service delivery and engagement.
- Grand Prairie’s engagement strategy blends a website, mobile app, social media and TextMyGov, which has handled more than 68,000 resident text exchanges.
- Midland’s Council Operational Dashboard consolidates live data across departments.
What to Know:
- The Waco City Council adopted two resolutions earlier this month for contracts that will take next steps in mobility planning for the city, suburbs and eventually all of McLennan County.
- A contract with the Center for Transportation Research is funded by $3.5 million from a Federal Highway Administration grant, with a local in-kind match of $150,000.
- The contract with TNL USA will implement a $1.4 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant the city won in December.
What to Know:
- Rocha's promotion expands his CIO role to include oversight of academic support services such as libraries and Educational Technology Services.
- Rocha has led major initiatives at the college, including an IT infrastructure overhaul, enhanced cybersecurity and the launch of a successful esports program.
- He brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education IT leadership, with previous roles at the University of North Texas at Dallas and Smith College.
What to Know:
- Fort Worth’s FY 2026 budget includes $64.8 million for IT Solutions operations and $12.9 million in separate capital funding.
- The IT department’s operating budget reflects a 13.5 percent increase over the previous year.
- The budget consolidates public safety communications and emergency preparedness into a new Emergency Management and Communications Department.
What to Know:
- United Data Technologies has been awarded a cooperative contract with the Texas Department of Information Resources covering education IT products and related services.
- The contract allows Texas state agencies, local governments and educational institutions to buy directly from UDT through DIR’s Cooperative Contracts Program, which streamlines procurement and ensures competitive pricing.
- UDT, headquartered in Florida, already serves hundreds of K-12 customers nationwide and says the award will help expand its footprint in Texas.
What to Know:
- The $2.3 million facility in Fort Worth will support real-world testing and development of autonomous aerial systems for public- and private-sector use.
- The facility enables UAV testing without FAA waivers, thanks to a netted outdoor enclosure.
- The center invites collaboration with vendors and agencies on applied research in areas such as emergency response, infrastructure inspection, public safety and environmental monitoring.
The director will oversee the design and adoption of advanced analytics platforms, guide implementation of self-service data tools and manage development of real-time dashboards and predictive models.
What to Know:
- Texas has entered agreements with nine states designed to help detect duplicate registrations across state lines.
- The memorandums of understanding include protocols for securely exchanging voter registration information.
- Texas plans to expand the program by entering into similar agreements with additional states in the future.
What to Know:
- The city's IT Services Department will receive $94 million.
- The city earmarked $32 million through its capital improvement program for technology infrastructure.
- The budget formalizes the creation of the Capital Delivery Department, a new office comprised of 188 existing positions.
Rathanlal has worked for the city of Austin since 2008, most recently serving as interim deputy CIO for infrastructure and operations.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Southwest Research Institute will develop a Transportation System Management and Operations data exchange platform, to improve coordination on regional mobility.
What to Know:
- The forthcoming request for offers will cover a wide range of services supporting end-user computing environments.
- DIR currently maintains 20 active contracts in this category and is seeking to refresh or expand its vendor pool.
- According to DIR, the program generated $3.4 billion in sales in the 2024 fiscal year across all categories.
What to Know:
- The proposed FY 2025–26 budget outlines cybersecurity upgrades, data center migration and legacy system modernization.
- Information and Technology Services accounts for more than $186 million.
- Capital funding includes IT network, security and device replacements.
What to Know:
- Jerome Greener currently serves as executive vice president at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
- The Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office operates under the Office of the Governor with a projected budget of $22.8 million in the next five years.
- Audrey O’Neill, who was named acting commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services on Aug. 1, has now been officially appointed to the role.
What to Know:
- The university is looking for a next-generation ERP solution that enhances academic and business operations while supporting institutional goals.
- The selected platform must align with the university’s mission of supporting student success, workforce readiness and institutional agility.
- Texas Southern has set an enrollment goal of 10,000 students by 2025 and 15,000 by 2030.
Key responsibilities include directing IT risk management and governance, leading architecture reviews, developing risk mitigation strategies, and establishing security protocols and procedures.
What to Know:
- The Texas Cyber Command was established through House Bill 150, signed into law in June following its designation as an emergency item by the governor earlier this year.
- White most recently served as commander of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S. 10th Fleet.
- According to the Texas Department of Information Resources, the Cyber Command represents a complete overhaul of the state’s cybersecurity strategy.
What to Know:
- The court’s request for information outlines interest in systems that can automatically assign cases using historical case data.
- Systems must operate in the Microsoft Azure Government Cloud and support secure, web-based access through the court’s infrastructure.
- Systems must include safeguards to prevent overreliance on AI and comply with the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act.
Fair brings more than two decades of experience in IT and executive leadership, most recently serving as deputy city manager for the city of Goodyear, Ariz.
What to Know:
- $2.2 million has been appropriated for FY 2026 through the city’s Technology Improvement Fund.
- $7 million is earmarked for software and hardware maintenance.
- $420,000 is budgeted for technology equipment purchases.
What to Know:
- The agency is interested in support systems capable of managing a broad range of regulatory tasks.
- Respondents are asked to describe how their system supports core business functions.
- Respondents are also encouraged to describe professional services for implementation, data migration and support.
Contributed Content
Agentic AI is expanding identity security risk. Here’s how to adopt it without opening new pathways for attackers.
This report sounds the alarm on fraud in government programs. The message is clear: Fraudsters are attacking government programs with relentless speed, using stolen and fake identities, across state borders and within agencies, often driven by complex crime networks that are difficult to entirely track down and stop.
A new wave of employment fraud is targeting U.S. companies, with fake candidates using AI-enhanced resumes and stolen identities to infiltrate organizations. Socure uncovers how these sophisticated schemes, often linked to foreign operatives, pose significant security risks and highlights the urgent need for advanced identity verification in hiring processes.
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