Information technology (IT) is to create, process, store, retrieve and exchange all kinds of electronic information and data. Usually, IT is used in the context of business operations rather than personal or entertainment purposes. IT is part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system is generally a communication or information system but more precisely a computer system consisting of software, hardware, and peripheral equipment. An IT system is operated by a group of computer users to access information, process data, and get the desired outputs.
When it comes to information technology of Texas, then it has more than 17,600 technology companies. These companies have more than 203,700 workers. Over the years, companies like Apple and Wipro have continued to grow every day. Texas’s long-established tech industry has invented everything ranging from hand-held calculators and semiconductors to billion-dollar apps. It is because the entrepreneurs in Texas scale their ideas into Fortune 500 companies. However, the information technology industry of Texas is brimming with skilled and talented personnel for the tech companies.
Information Technology Industry of Texas
The information technology industry of Texas has attracted tech workers to the state at a record rate. According to data from LinkedIn 2021, Texas has been a top state in the United States to attract tech workers across the globe.
IT Services in Texas
Information technology (IT) services are one of the important and growing parts of the Texas economy. It has created more than 330,000 jobs for the tech workers in Texas. The foundation of the modern knowledge economy is IT services which include software development, IT network consulting, computer system integration, data center management, internet services, video game design, etc.
IT professionals, on the other hand, are more concentrated in IT traditional businesses such as software vendors. However, IT services are integrated into several industries. As a result, IT professionals are employed in a variety of industries ranging from financial services to energy or health care. According to an estimate, more than 36 percent of IT professionals work in companies whose primary product or service is outside the traditional industry of IT.
The information technology industry of Texas is highly specialized in computer programming, computer systems design, and data management services. The percentage of the workforce employed in hosting and data processing is higher than the national average that makes 60% higher than in California. Also, the percentage of IT professionals working in computer systems design and services exceeds California’s average.
The continuous growth of IT companies and services in different sectors has increased the services of the IT field. In recent years, major Texas-based telecommunications giant AT&T and PC manufacturer Dell have acquired IT software, consulting, and online services companies to expand their IT service offerings.
Tech Titan
Texas leads in both IT jobs and the number of companies with 30,000 firms of 370,000 IT professionals in the industry.
Top Tier For Tech Workers
Texas was ranked among the best US state-level by the number of doctorates awarded in information technology and its related fields by The National Science Foundation. Also, these awards included electrical engineering and engineering-related fields. The Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is essential to maintain a competitive and skilled state workforce.
Beginning Of The Integrated Circuit
Texas has been the home of the invention of the integrated circuit. Also, the headquarters for Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas has taken a lead in the semiconductor industry since the beginning. Furthermore, Texas has been home to large manufacturing and corporate facilities for the largest semiconductor companies in the world. However, with the expanding IT industry in Texas, these companies have been expanding over time.
Texas Dominate In Data
Texas made world titles for its growth in data centers. In 2021, Dallas-Fort Worth was ranked sixth in the data center market by Cushman and Wakefield’s Global Data Center Market Comparison. The credit goes to the low land costs, government incentives, and long-distance accessible fiber.
Cradle Of New Technologies
Texas has continued to strengthen IT and technology due to growing venture capital funding and a portfolio of patents. For the last 14 years, Texas has been ranked among the top two states for the technology-related patent assignees. In the last 10 years, venture capital investment has reached around $680 million in the information technology industry of Texas.
Cyber Leader
Texas is recognized for its growth potential in cybersecurity. By the Business Facilities magazine, the two cities in Texas, Dallas and San Antonio are ranked in the top 10 cyber cities of the United States. San Antonio is home to the nation’s largest groups of cyber and intelligence personnel and the U.S. Air Force’s Cyber Command. Furthermore, the cybersecurity programs by the University of Texas at San Antonio have been ranked number one in the United States.
IT Companies, Big And Small Are Thriving In Texas
Not only a long list of Fortune 500 IT companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, and Apple have invested in Texas but thousands of small businesses are thriving in the IT industry of Texas. 35 years ago, Dell Technologies started as a small company in Austin. Now it has grown into one of the largest publicly-traded companies in the world.
5G Launch Site
5G has been deployed by major telecommunication companies such as T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and Samsung in the major metropolitan areas of Texas. In 2018, AT&T and Samsung partnered to create the first manufacturing-focused 5G Innovation Zone in Austin, Texas. It was meant to explore the impact of 5G on the future of Smart Factory manufacturing. In early 2020, Ericsson, a major IT service provider began manufacturing 5G devices at the smart factory in North Texas.
Top 25 Fortune 500 Companies Headquartered in Texas
| Company Name | Headquarters | Market Value | Employees |
| McKesson | Texas | $31 Billion | 70,000 |
| ExxonMobil | Irving, Texas | $236.4 Billion | 72,000 |
| AT&T | Dallas, Texas | $215.9 Billion | 230,760 |
| Dell Technologies | Round Rock, Texas | $67.2 Billion | 158,000 |
| Phillips 66 | Houston, Texas | $35.7 Billion | 14,300 |
| Valero Energy | San Antonio, Texas | $29.3 Billion | 9,964 |
| Sysco | Houston, Texas | $40.2 Billion | 57,000 |
| Oracle | Austin, Texas | $202.3 Billion | 135,000 |
| Energy Transfer | Dallas, Texas | $20.8 Billion | 11,421 |
| USAA | San Antonio, Texas | $35.6 Billion | 35,935 |
| Enterprise Products Partners | Houston, Texas | $48 Billion | 7,130 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | Houston, Texas | $20.5 Billion | 59,400 |
| CBRE Group | Dallas, Texas | $26.5 Billion | 100,000 |
| Plains GP Holdings | Houston, Texas | $1.8 Billion | 4,400 |
| Baker Hughes | Houston, Texas | $22.5 Billion | 55,000 |
| D.R. Horton | Arlington, Texas | $32.4 Billion | 9,716 |
| ConocoPhillips | Houston, Texas | $71.6 Billion | 9,700 |
| Kimberly-Clark | Irving, Texas | $47 Billion | 46,000 |
| Tenet Healthcare | Dallas, Texas | $5.5 Billion | 97,900 |
| American Airlines Group | Fort Worth, Texas | $15.3 Billion | 102,700 |
| Occidental Petroleum | Houston, Texas | $24.8 Billion | 11,800 |
| Fluor | Irving, Texas | $3.3 Billion | 43,717 |
| Waste Management | Houston, Texas | $54.5 Billion | 48,250 |
| Texas Instruments | Dallas, Texas | $174.4 Billion | 30,000 |
| Halliburton | Houston, Texas | $19 Billion | 40,000 |
Notable Employers In The IT Industry of Texas
The world’s most innovative and largest computer tech and information technology companies have chosen Texas for major operations. The notable employers in the information technology industry of Texas are as follows:
- Apple
- Activision Blizzard
- BMC
- Broadcom
- Concentrix
- Crown Castle
- Dell Technologies
- Fujitsu
- HP
- Ibex
- IBM
- iHeart Media
- Microsoft
- Oracle
- Quanta Services
- Rackspace
- Raytheon
- Sabre
- Steward
- Wipro
- X-Fab
- NI
Texas – Information Technology Industry
Texas is home to hundreds of thousands of businesses. Within the large information technology companies, there are some downright and innovative tech companies and startups. Over the decades, the information technology industry of Texas has spread across different cities such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. Out of the top 10 industries in Texas, the information technology industry has been able to provide more than 300,000 jobs to IT professionals and skilled personnel.
Apart from the employment of skilled personnel in the Texas IT industry, the well-established IT sector has given Texas a global reputation in the IT industry. Furthermore, Texas has been fueled by the efforts of diversified investment in information technology products and services. As a result, Texas is a tech titan, home of integrated circuits, and the birthplace of the latest technologies. The information technology industry of Texas incorporates the top 25 fortune 500 companies’ headquarters in different cities in Texas having hundreds of thousands of employees.
