At a Glance
- Georgetown will relocate its 20-year-old IT datacenter to a new customer service center.
- Project cost: $4.3 million over three fiscal years.
- The move aims to improve efficiency, resiliency, and provide a true disaster-recovery site.
- Why it matters: It will keep essential services like cybersecurity, police and fire dispatch systems secure during weather events.
Georgetown plans to modernize its aging IT datacenter as part of a new customer service center that voters approved in 2023. The upgrade, slated for early 2028, will move critical systems to a facility designed for government use.
Why the Move Is Needed
The downtown datacenter, in use for about 20 years, can no longer support the city’s expanding technology demands. Structural limitations and growing utility service areas have made it unsuitable for mission-critical applications.
Chris Bryce stated:
> “We have cybersecurity systems. We have police and fire dispatch systems,”
> “Those are systems that you do not want to lose.”
Bryce said the facility’s age and capacity constraints hinder future growth and resilience.
- Move datacenter to new Customer Service Center
- Maximize efficiency and resiliency of mission-critical operations
- Meet datacenter space and technical needs for 20+ years
- Achieve a true Disaster Recovery site
Project Details and Timeline
The upgrade will cost $4.3 million spread over three fiscal years and requires city council approval through the 2026 budget process. The new center is part of the Southwestern University 560 development on the university campus.
Chris Bryce added:
> “If an event like Winter Storm Uri occurs, we would have even more flexibility now to move around, move our systems around, particularly mission critical production systems,”
> “We have cybersecurity systems. We have police and fire dispatch systems running in multiple places. Those are systems that you do not want to lose.”
Key Takeaways
- $4.3 million upgrade will relocate the city’s 20-year-old IT datacenter.
- The move targets improved resilience, a disaster-recovery site, and future-proofing.
- Approval is pending in the 2026 city council budget.
With council approval pending, Georgetown aims to finish the move by early 2028, ensuring its essential services stay protected against future disruptions.
