Department of Administrative Services. Division of Telecommunications

To meet the needs of state government agencies, the enabling act empowered the division to establish telecommunications system specifications and standards, coordinate planning with users and other departments and state agencies, and to cooperate with federal, state, county, or city telecommunications agencies in the development, implementation, and maintenance of governmental data processing and telecommunications systems.

The public safety mobile radio communication system used for the delivery of public safety services, which was managed by the Department of Public Safety, was originally exempted. It was merged into the telecommunications area of the division by the 49th Legislature in 1991.

An assistant director appointed by the division director administers the Telecommunications Area of the Division of Information Technology Services (UTSVH01922-A).?When a division, the director was appointed by the executive director of the Department of Administrative Services (UTSVH00270-A) with the approval of the governor. Policies and practices for the efficient and effective operation of the division were recommended by an advisory committee composed of representatives of user agencies.

The Division of Telecommunications was statutorily created within the Department of Administrative Services in 1986 by the 46th State Legislature. The new division absorbed the telephone services section that had existed under the Division of Central Services. Four years after creating the Division of Telecommunications the 48th Legislature in 1990 merged Telecommunications with the Division of Data Processing, creating the Division of Information Technology Services. Telecommunications became one of three areas within the newly restructured division.