New York State Office of Information Technology Services

New York State Office of Information Technology Services
Name	New York State Office of Information Technology Services
Formed	2011
Jurisdiction	State of New York
Headquarters	Albany, New York
Chief1 position	Chief Information Officer
Parent agency	New York State Executive

New York State Office of Information Technology Services is a state agency responsible for statewide information technology infrastructure, policy, and services. It provides centralized IT operations, enterprise architecture, and security for executive branch entities, interacting with agencies such as New York State Department of Health, New York State Police, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, and the New York State Department of Labor. The office coordinates with federal bodies and private vendors to implement large-scale programs tied to initiatives by governors, the New York State Legislature, and municipal partners like City of New York and Suffolk County, New York.

History

The office was created through consolidation efforts following executive orders and legislative action influenced by reports from entities including the Office of Management and Budget (United States), the Government Accountability Office, and state-level commissions. Early organizational changes referenced precedents set by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the Office of the State Comptroller (New York), and legacy units such as New York State Office for Technology and private contractors like IBM and Oracle Corporation. Major milestones trace to technology modernization efforts concurrent with administrations of governors including Andrew Cuomo and David Paterson, and policy shifts driven by state legislative acts and budget negotiations with the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership typically includes a Chief Information Officer appointed by the Governor, supported by deputy CIOs, an enterprise architecture office, and divisions handling operations, security, and procurement. The agency engages with statewide elected officials such as the Governor of New York and offices like the New York State Division of the Budget, while coordinating with judicial and legislative technology staffs, municipal CIOs from Albany, New York and Buffalo, New York, and counterparts in neighboring states like New Jersey and Connecticut. Senior leaders often have prior roles at corporations such as Microsoft, Amazon (company), or consulting firms like Deloitte and Accenture.

Functions and Services

Core functions include enterprise data center operations, network services, cloud migration, identity and access management, and application hosting used by agencies including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Education Department. The office operates statewide fiber and network backbones that link facilities like the Empire State Plaza and municipal data centers, and runs disaster recovery programs in coordination with federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security (United States). It administers statewide systems that support programs managed by entities like the New York State Department of Social Services and New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

Major Programs and Initiatives

Major initiatives have included enterprise email consolidation, cloud adoption programs involving providers such as Google and Microsoft Azure, and modernizing legacy mainframe systems that served agencies like the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Notable projects link to statewide identifiers and platforms used in partnership with the New York State Department of Health for public health reporting and with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for emergency communications. Initiatives often align with statewide strategic plans and workforce development programs that intersect with institutions like SUNY and City University of New York.

Budget and Procurement

Budgeting is overseen with input from the New York State Division of the Budget and appropriations approved by the New York State Legislature, reflecting capital and operating allocations used to contract with vendors including Cisco Systems, Amazon Web Services, and systems integrators such as Capgemini. Procurement processes adhere to state procurement laws and central procurement policies influenced by rulings from the New York State Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), and are subject to audits by offices like the New York State Inspector General and the Comptroller of the State of New York. Large procurements have prompted oversight hearings in committees of the New York State Senate and reviews by municipal partners like New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

Cybersecurity and Privacy

Cybersecurity programs encompass incident response, continuous monitoring, and threat hunting in coordination with federal partners such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Privacy and data governance frameworks align with state statutes and guidance from entities like the New York State Office of Mental Health when handling health records under standards influenced by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act discussions and interactions with the New York State Department of Health. The office fields security operations centers that collaborate with sector-specific agencies including the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and municipal CERT teams.

Partnerships and Interagency Coordination

Interagency coordination occurs with executive agencies, county governments like Westchester County, New York and Erie County, New York, and municipal governments including City of Buffalo and Rochester, New York. It partners with academic institutions such as Cornell University and Columbia University on research, workforce training, and cybersecurity initiatives, and with private-sector partners and standards bodies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology and industry groups including the Information Technology Industry Council to align procurement and technical standards. Collaborative efforts extend to federal-state programs involving the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Labor.

Category:State agencies of New York (state)