Florida will reorganize IT governance yet again

Last week, HB 5301 was passed in the Florida State Legislature that will combine the Agency for State Technology and the Telecommunications Division of the Department of Management Services, marking the third time in 15 years that the state is overhauling its IT governance structure. This follows initial proposals to reorganize the state’s IT earlier this year from Governor Ron DeSantis, who advocated for these changes in his first budget proposal. The Agency for State Technology, which provides management of most IT functions, will be combined with the DMS Telecommunications Division, which handles the state’s data center, phone system, wiring and cable, and video conferencing.

This overhaul also includes changes to the state’s IT policies. For one, the state will now adopt a “cloud-first” approach to procurement, meaning they will consider technologies that do not require additional hardware maintenance or add strain to the state’s data center. The bill also creates a new Florida Cybersecurity Task Force that will assess the state’s IT security posture.

At this point, the bill has passed in the legislature and is heading to the Governor’s desk. These changes would take effect as of July 1, 2019. Vendors interested in working with the State of Florida may find it beneficial to continue to watch these changes and see what may arise regarding further IT leadership and policy in the state moving forward.

Source: StateScoop