Ben Miller

Sacramento

Associate Editor, GT Data and Business at Government Technology

Reporter for @govtechnews. I write about government, technology and futuristic stuff. I'll probably tweet about sports from time to time.

Articles

Computacenter Dives Into California Gov Tech With 4 Big Hires

3 weeks ago | insider.govtech.com | Ben Miller

There’s a new player in the California gov tech scene — and they’re off running with a flurry of high-profile hires. Since the summer of 2024, Computacenter, a United Kingdom-headquartered IT service provider founded more than 40 years ago, has brought on four notable leaders as it dives into the state’s public-sector technology market:Dan Morris, account executive: Morris started at Computacenter in September after serving as senior client director for the public sector at AHEAD for eight years.
Here’s a Look at Every IT Funding Request From State Agencies for 2025

1 month ago | insider.govtech.com | Ben Miller

Thus far, state agencies have submitted a total of 68 budget change proposals (BCPs) — although more will come out, especially following Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget revision in May*. The single largest request amounts to $256.5 million for the Child Welfare Services - California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES), a joint BCP from the California Department of Social Services, California Health and Human Services Agency and the Office of Technology and Solutions Integration.
How a Rapid-Turnaround Contract Opened the Door to the Future for DCSS

1 month ago | insider.govtech.com | Ben Miller

The California Department of Child Support Services had a problem: Its contact center technology was at end of life. It was unreliable. And it couldn’t serve as the foundation for new tech. So, in the first half of 2024, Five9 and AT&T — longtime partners who both serve California state government through the CALNET program — worked with DCSS to implement Five9’s cloud-based contact center-as-a-service platform, focusing heavily on two things: User engagement and rapid turnaround.
US, Russian officials hold talks in Saudi Arabia to end Ukraine war

2 months ago | wtae.com | Amy Lu |Ben Miller

U.S. and Russian officials are meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine, highlighting a major shift in U.S. foreign policy. The talks happening highlight the Trump administration's reversal of the U.S. isolating Russia and supporting Ukraine.
A Decade’s Worth of Knowledge About the Gov Tech Market

2 months ago | govtech.com | Ben Miller

When we started the GovTech 100 list 10 years ago, the market of state and local government technology was … murky. There weren’t many people who understood it well, and there wasn’t much coverage of the competitive landscape. In fact, so murky was the market that we left the single largest local government purist — Tyler Technologies — off the first list. Oops. We learned.
Senate holds large day of confirmation hearings for Trump's nominees

Jan 15, 2025 | wgal.com | Amy Lu |Ben Miller

The Senate will hold its largest batch of confirmation hearings Wednesday for President-elect Donald Trump's nominees. Here's who will be facing tough questions from Senators:Pam Bondi for U.S. Attorney GeneralPam Bondi is a former Florida attorney general, lobbyist, and long-time Trump defender. Her loyalty to the president-elect will be tested before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Bondi and Trump have publicly vowed to pursue revenge against perceived political enemies.
November inflation report shows moderate 2.7% increase

Dec 11, 2024 | ksbw.com | Amy Lu |Ben Miller

The latest inflation report shows a 2.7% annual increase in November. The moderate growth will likely encourage the Federal Reserve to continue cutting high interest rates at its meeting next week. The news comes as President Joe Biden touts lower inflation, which peaked at more than 9% during his term in June 2022. On Tuesday, the president defended his economic record and challenged the incoming Trump administration to preserve economic momentum.
CDT, DHCS Recruiting for 3 IT Roles

Dec 6, 2024 | insider.govtech.com | Ben Miller

The California Department of Health Care Services and the Department of Technology are recruiting for IT positions in leadership, management and specialty roles. Details are below. Cybersecurity Operations Section Chief (IT Manager I)$9,114 to $12,213 per monthApplications due Dec. 14Within the department’s Information Security Office (ISO), this position manages Information Security Engineering staff, services and projects encompassing a wide array of cybersecurity activities.
Energy Commission Seeking Quotes for EV Charging Dashboard

Nov 27, 2024 | insider.govtech.com | Ben Miller

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is seeking quotes from vendors interested in building an online dashboard to track and visualize the process of deploying new electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the state. The contract has a maximum value of $500,000. The request for quotes (RFQ) outlines a vision for a dashboard that can both collect data and visualize it.
LAO Projects ‘Roughly Balanced’ Budget, With Warnings

Nov 21, 2024 | insider.govtech.com | Ben Miller

About this time last year the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) was ringing alarm bells about the state’s next budget. This year, the picture is much less bleak. In its just-released fiscal outlook for the next year, the LAO described the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget as “roughly balanced,” with a projected deficit of $2 billion that the Legislature could easily address.