Technology & Innovations

Technology and Innovation (T&I) is responsible for innovating and providing computer, telecommunications, radio services, public safety technology, SCADA maintenance, and GIS support for all city departments. The focus is to lead our city to be a dynamic force of innovation while efficiently managing the City of Tallahassee's technology resources. Revenues are derived through the distribution of costs to user departments.

Enterprise Infrastructure Division

The Enterprise Infrastructure Division (EID) provides technology services and support for each of the City of Tallahassee divisions and their infrastructural needs. EID offers analytics and reporting, mobile and web services, and consulting services.

Business Engagement and Professional Services

The Business Engagement and Professional Services Division make up the Public Safety and Utility Support for T&I. They are responsible for information technology projects, servers, software applications, mobile devices, body-worn cameras, the 800 MHz Radio System, peripherals, and new technology for the Tallahassee Police Department, Tallahassee Fire Department, and the Consolidated Dispatch Agency (CDA). They also provide onsite T&I support to the City Utilities offices.

Office of the CIO

The Office of the CIO (OCIO) is a team reporting to the CIO. It consists of two sections: Portfolio Management and Technical Governance, Support, and Strategic Planning. Its two crucial objectives are ensuring a consistent and strategic approach to applying information and technology (I&T) across the enterprise and ensuring a consistent, transparent and efficient approach to how the IT organization delivers value and service to the business.

The core of the OCIO is the capability for strategy, planning, governance, I&T operating model, and performance management. The OCIO can include other vital functions, including portfolio management, knowledge management, IT marketing and communications, financial management, strategic supplier management, and workforce management.

Innovation Division

The Innovation Division investigates new opportunities and the development of proof-of-concept solutions to advance the City as a leader in the smart city realm. Alongside the evaluation of new software tools and hardware, the increased use of advanced data analytics in government and utilities provides a range of options to give real-time insight to managers, realize new solutions for customer engagement, and create automated processes to replace existing methods, often laborious, manual ones.

Software Services Division

The Software Services Division (SSD) provides enhancements, upgrades, support, and maintenance for the computer software and databases used by all departments throughout the City. SSD supports and maintains software packages, databases, and SharePoint sites. The division strives to offer comprehensive software support while ensuring all departments have the optimal technology to operate.

Information Security

The Information Security Division (ISD) protects IT infrastructure, edge devices, networks, and data. More granularly, they are responsible for preventing data breaches and monitoring and reacting to attacks.

Special Projects

The following special projects are underway in T&I:

The Customer Contact, Communication and Virtual Collaboration Team works with each department within the City to ensure the required tools and methodologies to manage enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management applications are on hand. The team will handle project needs from the conception phase to support after implementation.

The ERM Project Team modernizes the City's Customer Information & Billing, Meter Data Management & Customer Web Self Service Systems. The team is comprised of employees from various departments within the City to create a technology framework that will lead the City towards our vision of creating a one-stop contact for all its citizens.

The department is an internal service and is fully allocated to the operating funds.

FY23

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employees within T&I is 100.50 in FY23, representing no change from the prior year. For FY22, three employees categorized as Other Personnel Services (OPS) were converted to permanent full-time employees. As part of an overall review of OPS positions citywide, the conversion provided employees with additional benefits such as matched annuity and City pension. Further, they strengthen the workforce and ensure the delivery of quality and efficient public services. The administrative specialist positions converted provide administrative support to Technology and Innovations.

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Ensuring our community has adequate access to broadband internet is a key target for assuring the City is a competitive, innovative, and sustainable regional economic hub. Currently, Tallahassee has more than 15 residential and commercial internet service providers (ISPs) over its territory. However, some residents have noted customer service and affordability as challenges to internet access. A 2019 survey conducted by a team of Florida A&M University researchers found that 55% of those surveyed are currently satisfied with their overall internet experience. Of the 45% of responders that identified as unsatisfied, nearly three-fourths identified internet speed and loss of connection as a key driver of dissatisfaction.

Tallahassee’s ISP community includes 5 providers with a market coverage of 97% or more. Those providers with both broadband speed service and community-wide coverage operate on varying types of infrastructure including satellite, DSL, and fiber. Rates for broadband service in the City's local market range from $29.99/month for residential service to $499.95/month for up to 1 Gbps speed business service. 1 Gbps internet service from Comcast is not available in all areas and requires a 2-year minimum term agreement with the customer.

More recently, in October 2019 another gigabit service provider announced a plan to bring their service to the Tallahassee market with a targeted investment of $75 million in new high-speed fiber-optic infrastructure. The proposed investment would advance internet coverage, speed, and accessibility in Tallahassee and potentially its surrounding service area. Upon completion of construction, Tallahassee will be the first ‘Gigabit City’ in Florida.

The City surveys Tallahassee residents on a frequent basis to gain insight into organizational performance and to change or improve service delivery as needed. City departments, like Parks and Recreation or the Electric and Gas Utility, get constant feedback from residents. The increased visibility of these departments leads to more frequent feedback, either through planned customer satisfaction surveys or through calls, emails, in-person discussions and social media. There are several City departments that are less visible to residents and rarely surveyed, but which nevertheless provide essential technology and administrative support to all City departments. 

As outlined in the City’s Strategic Plan, internal service departments will begin evaluating their performance based on the customers they serve - other departments - via satisfaction surveys. Beginning this practice internally will ensure service departments treat fellow employees as customers, promoting a culture of respect and efficiency. Service department surveys will give leaders the opportunity to evaluate performance and discover what aspects of their work need to be improved. 

The five-year goal is to roll out this practice to all service departments. Staff is evaluating options for implementation and frequency. Staff is collaborating with departments that have extensive experience in administering surveys to learn what tools are available. By 2021, staff will administer a test survey which will be used to improve the process before rolling it out to all eight service departments:   

Strategic Innovation  

Technology and Innovation  

Financial Services  

Human Resources and Workforce Development  

Communications  

Resource Management  

Fleet Management  

Diversity and Inclusion