INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY @ CITY OF AUSTIN
The
City of Austin is renowned as an early adopter in civic IT innovation, leading
with initiatives in the open data movement, civic hacking and more. The group of civil
servants advancing this work is known as Citywide Information Technology (IT),
a diverse collaboration of information technology professionals from across the
City of Austin, including: Austin Convention Center, Austin Energy, Austin Fire Department, Austin Police Department, Austin Public Health, Austin Public Library, Austin Water Utility, Austin Watershed Protection, Aviation, Communications and Technology Management, Development Services Department, Emergency Medical Services, Financial Services Department, Information Security, Human Resources Department, Municipal Court and Public Works. From managing day-to-day technology needs, to operating
network infrastructure, Citywide IT powers the technology that makes the City
of Austin work.
Led
by Chief Information Officer Stephen Elkins, Citywide IT offers expertise and
strategic vision to ensure efficient distribution of resources. Under his
leadership, Elkins instituted IT Governance, a framework and ideology for an
informed, transparent decision-making process. The result is an innovative and
efficient delivery of technology throughout the City of Austin, improving
municipal services for residents and visitors alike. Currently, Elkins leads
the City’s adoption of Smart Cities technologies, including electronic
timekeeping, a redesign of the City’s public website, and improved
cyber-security tools. He also oversees
the support of regional public-safety technology partnerships, ensuring
interoperability of communications and IT systems and the coordination of
emergency response efforts. In
the coming year, Citywide IT will continue to lead innovative initiatives by
supporting the vision and strategies established in the City of Austin Strategic Direction 2023.
2017 SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
Making for a
banner year, Citywide IT advanced critical work in managing technology
infrastructure and delivering services for residents.
· Austin Police Department: Deployed more than 600
body-worn cameras for police officers as a crucial part of the APD’s commitment
to enhancing accountability, openness and transparency.
· Austin Energy: Upgraded the utility’s Storm
Center with mobile alerts, making it easier for customers to get power outage
updates in real time.
· Austin Public Health: Implemented electronic
health records, transitioning health clinics to paperless operations, improving
efficiency and collaboration with community health partners.
· EMS: Deployed an analytics solution that uses
service history to track emergency service trends, improving service delivery
when every second counts.
· Austin Library: Grand opening of the new Central Library
with advanced digital integration, including loanable laptops, advanced A/V for
meeting spaces, Wi-Fi connectivity and more.
· Public Works: Launched the Sidewalk Program
Interactive Project Map and Street Preventative Maintenance Annual Service Plan
Map to engage residents in ongoing street and sidewalk projects.