Williamson County's Information Technology Services Department has snagged a prestigious accolade, the Excellence Award from the Texas Association of Governmental Information Technology Managers (TAGITM) for its innovative Unify Project. The announcement was made earlier this week during the April 9 Commissioners Court meeting.
The awarded Unify Project is a critical communication system tying together area dispatch centers, allowing for real-time coordination on emergency calls and providing a comprehensive view of all available units on a digital map. It began as an initiative bolstered by a federal grant of $386,000 in 2015 and initially joined forces with Williamson County, Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, and TxDOT. Recently, the City of Austin got on board, elevating the project's scope.
The Commissioners Court recognized the county’s IT Department for winning the Texas Association of Governmental Information Technology Managers Excellence Award for its Unify Project. The Unify project allows dispatch centers in the area to communicate in real-time. pic.twitter.com/x0Gk3jFyC1
— Williamson County (@wilcotxgov) April 9, 2024
In a statement, Williamson County Chief Information Officer Richard Semple celebrated the achievement, "This project was a huge regional effort focused on improving service to the citizens. I’m proud of the team and the region for this effort that has taken years of hard work and cooperation,” the Williamson County website reports. He further highlighted the system's innovative lead, “This system leads the way with innovation and is a model for the rest of the nation.”
The TAGITM Excellence Awards are an annual highlight, presented during the association's education conference. Recognizing standouts in innovation, nominations for the award are made by members of the TAGITM themselves, illustrating the esteem in which the Unify Project is held among industry professionals.
