· Context
City's CIO describes Emma at Dell Technologies World; public launch expected in October
In an interview at Dell Technologies World, Rich Gagnon told Route Fifty the council had awarded Dell a half-million-dollar contract to develop Emma, that Emma was in a multistage test environment with resident testers, and that a formal appearance on the City website was expected in October. In June he told Texas Standard Emma was at version 1.0 and named Pryon as a partner supplying the "knowledge fabric."[1][2]
Rich GagnonDell Technologies
What the sources say
- ✓ Verified
Rich Gagnon, Assistant City Manager and CIO (as reported by Route Fifty): Route Fifty reported that the council "unanimously awarded a half-million dollar contract" to Dell to develop Emma, that the City "talked to several vendors," and that Emma was being vetted in a dev-test environment with resident testers before a formal appearance on the website "expected in October." Gagnon estimated Emma's cost "is significantly less" than adding staff to do equivalent work; no figure was given. [1]
- ✓ Verified
Rich Gagnon (as reported by Texas Standard): Texas Standard reported that Emma was built "with the help of Dell Technologies," that Gagnon named Pryon as a partner providing the "knowledge fabric," and that Emma was at version 1.0. The article gives no cost figures. [2]
- ✓ Verified
Chief Technology Officer, Region 16 Education Service Center: The Chief Technology Officer of Region 16 Education Service Center, interviewed by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, said of Emma, "the cost is about half a million a year," and that an education model would cost about $175,000. He said the City owns the digital human model. [3]