Data Center Services Experienced Team

State Team

The Data Center Services (DCS) project is a collaboration of 27 agencies with more than 400 state staff participants, including executive leadership, IT leadership, technical specialists, and human resource professionals. These agency subject matter experts have dedicated thousands of hours and contributed extensive state and private sector experience.

The DIR team comprises 10 members actively recruited for the DCS project. Team members have an average of over 20 years of state government experience, much of it directly with the 27 participating agencies, and an average of 19 years of total professional experience in information technology. The team’s diverse IT expertise includes leadership and technical positions in:

• Data center operations (including mainframe, server, print/mail, capacity planning, consolidation, and migration from mainframe to server environments)
• Project management, statewide procurements, and contract management
• IT budgeting, planning, and federal funds analysis
• IT consulting, strategic planning, and data center services outsourcing
• Data communication network planning and operations
• Human resources, organizational development, and business process redesign

Advisors

DIR also selected a number of external consultants for their expertise in outsourcing, contracts, and financial analysis:

• Technology Partners International (Houston). TPI established the outsourcing advisory industry in 1989. The firm has advised on over 780 contracts valued at $385 billion. The Texas-based DCS project contingent includes experts in data center operations, outsourcing contracts, sourcing management, and financial modeling. Collectively, the TPI team has 128 years of experience and has supported 40 outsourcing contracts.
• Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP (Houston). MBRM, outside counsel to DIR on the DCS contract, is a global leader in information technology, telecommunications, and business process outsourcing contracts. The two MBRM attorneys who developed the Master Services Agreement have extensive experience in similar transactions and detailed knowledge of information technology procurement.
• Salvaggio, Teal & Associates (Austin). STA provides information systems consulting to the public sector. Two of their financial specialists are critical members of the DCS team. Drew Thigpen, leading chargeback and federal funding analysis, has 30 years of experience working in eight Texas agencies, including service as chief financial officer at five agencies. T.C. Mallett, who manages financial coordination and Information Technology Detail (ITD) analysis, has over 40 years in state government, including ten years of service as the State of Texas Chief Financial Officer under the Comptroller of Public Accounts.