Overview
The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) is the state's central IT agency — it sets statewide technology, cybersecurity, and data policy, operates shared infrastructure and networks, and administers the Information Technology Investment Fund (ITIF) that finances the state's largest modernization projects.
Under Secretary and State CIO Katie Savage (appointed 2023), DoIT has pursued a deliberately federated model: rather than centralizing all IT, it has helped individual agencies stand up their own CIOs, CISOs, and product managers while DoIT provides governance, funding, and shared capability. New in-house teams reflect that build-out — the Maryland Digital Service (state product managers, designers, researchers, and engineers) and an Office of AI Enablement led by a Senior Advisor for Responsible AI.
DoIT also anchors Governor Moore's headline tech bets, including the $1B "Capital of Quantum" initiative centered at the University of Maryland and a responsible-AI agenda flowing from the Governor's 2024 AI executive order. For a Dell seller, DoIT is both a direct buyer of infrastructure and the governance/funding hub that shapes modernization demand across the executive branch.
- DoIT itself is the central buying/governance hub — Secretary & State CIO Katie Savage sets direction and owns the ITIF that funds major modernization projects
- eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA), administered by the Dept. of General Services, is the front-door procurement portal for state solicitations and awards
- ITIF-funded Major IT Development Projects (MITDPs) are the fastest path to funded modernization demand — 58 projects funded in FY26
- DoIT's own statewide IT contracts are the primary hardware/software vehicle; confirm Dell's coverage and category scope
- The federated model means individual agency CIOs/CISOs increasingly shape their own buying — map the specific agency's buying center, not just DoIT central
Where Dell Can Play
- Confirm Dell's coverage on DoIT statewide IT contracts and eMMA registration — the access path to executive-branch agencies, not just DoIT central.
- Map the ITIF-funded MITDP pipeline (FMIS, payroll, integrated tax, plus 58 funded projects) and align ISG infrastructure and services to projects already moving into build.
- Lead AI-infrastructure and data-platform conversations through the Office of AI Enablement and the 2025 AI Roadmap, tied to the state's responsible-AI policy.
- Track the "Capital of Quantum" buildout (UMD / IonQ / Microsoft) for downstream HPC, data-center, and compute opportunities around College Park.
- Engage the Acting State CISO (Saunders) and the federated agency CISOs early — align cybersecurity and cloud offerings to refreshed statewide standards.
Budget & Fiscal
DoIT's leverage shows up through the ITIF — the fund that finances Major Information Technology Development Projects (MITDPs) across the executive branch. DoIT's FY2026 request raised its operating allowance by roughly $65.9M (about 20%), much of it flowing into the ITIF to push large modernization efforts from planning into procurement and build.
- Legislative analysts (DLS) flagged ITIF project-oversight and a fund-balance discrepancy in the FY26 review — expect tighter reporting requirements on expedited projects.
- The largest end-user IT spend often sits inside individual agencies (health, transportation, public safety); DoIT governs and co-funds rather than owning every line.
- SB85 / HB266 (2026 session, signed May 2026) broadened authorized ITIF uses — confirm current scope before mapping a project to the fund.
Initiatives & Priorities
Governor Moore's $1B public-private initiative (announced Jan 2025) to make Maryland a global quantum hub, anchored at the University of Maryland with IonQ and a Microsoft quantum research center in the Discovery District. Watch for downstream compute, data-center, and HPC infrastructure demand.
Quantum Economic Development HPCFlowing from the Governor's 2024 AI executive order, DoIT's Office of AI Enablement — now led by Senior Advisor for Responsible AI Michael Boyce (appointed June 2026, succeeding Nishant Shah) — runs an AI Subcabinet, a Responsible AI Policy, and a 2025 AI Enablement Strategy / Study Roadmap that targets 2026 enterprise adoption — a path for AI-infrastructure and platform conversations.
AI Governance DataAn in-house team of product managers, designers, researchers, and engineers driving website/application redesigns and discovery work — informing more agile, accurate procurements. Tied to flagship ITIF rebuilds (FMIS, payroll, integrated tax).
Modernization Digital ServicesSavage is pushing CIO/CISO/product-manager capacity back into individual agencies while DoIT sets standards and funds. Map the right buying center per agency rather than assuming all decisions sit centrally.
Org Model GovernanceProcurement
Selling into Maryland state IT runs primarily through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) and DoIT's statewide IT contracts. Confirm Dell's position on the relevant statewide vehicles and that any cloud/AI offering meets the state's security and AI-policy expectations before pursuing agency deals.
| Vehicle / gate | What it means for Dell |
|---|---|
| eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) | The state's central e-procurement portal (administered by the Dept. of General Services) where solicitations, bids, and awards are posted across state agencies and many local entities — the front door for registering and tracking opportunities. |
| DoIT Statewide IT Contracts | DoIT-managed master/statewide contracts for IT products and services (hardware, software, services) that agencies can buy from — the primary IT-specific path; confirm Dell scope and category coverage. |
| ITIF-funded projects | Major modernization buys are financed through the IT Investment Fund and run as MITDPs — align infrastructure and services to projects already in the funded pipeline (e.g., FMIS, payroll, integrated tax). |
Power Structure
| Decision-maker | Why they matter |
|---|---|
| Katie Savage Secretary of Information Technology & State CIO | Top statewide tech relationship; sets direction, owns the ITIF, and champions the federated agency-IT model. AI- and modernization-forward. |
| Michael Boyce Senior Advisor for Responsible AI | Appointed June 2026 (succeeding Nishant Shah, who departed Jan 2026); ex-DHS AI Corps founder and White House OMB AI-policy lead. Leads the Office of AI Enablement and sits on the Governor's AI Subcabinet — the entry point for AI strategy, policy, and use-case conversations. |
| James Saunders Acting State Chief Information Security Officer (SCISO) | Leads DoIT's Office of Security Management (effective May 2025); former CISO at U.S. OPM. Still shown as Acting on DoIT's leadership page as of June 2026 (Senate confirmation pending). Owns statewide security standards, incl. the new zero-trust Cybersecurity & Privacy Policy Suite. |
| Maryland Digital Service Product / design / engineering team | In-house delivery team shaping modernization and procurement discovery — a technical influencer on what gets bought. |
| Dept. of General Services — Procurement eMMA administrator | Runs the central procurement portal and many statewide vehicles; the contracting path alongside DoIT's IT contracts. |
News & Signals
Sources
- Maryland DoIT — Secretary Katie Savage
- Maryland DoIT — 2025 IT Master Plan (PDF)
- MGA — FY2026 DoIT Operating Budget Analysis (F50, PDF)
- Gov. Moore — Michael Boyce named Senior Advisor for Responsible AI (June 2026)
- StateScoop — Maryland names Michael Boyce responsible-AI senior advisor
- Maryland DoIT — Senior Advisor for Responsible AI (leadership page)
- Maryland DoIT — Acting State CISO (James Saunders)
- Maryland DoIT — State Adopts Modernized Cybersecurity & Privacy Framework (Feb 2026)
- Office of Governor Moore — $1B "Capital of Quantum" Initiative
- Maryland Procurement — eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA)
- Federal News Network — Savage giving IT power back to state agencies