His record in the public sector so far supports his point.
Take the two-year deal the state’s Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) signed in early 2025 with Google Public Sector as an example. The Enterprise Cloud Services Agreement marked a first-of-its-kind state cloud consolidation that includes security, advanced analytics, improved disaster recovery and other benefits.
“It has allowed us to save taxpayer money,” Rai said. “It’s one enterprise-level contract, instead of a number of different agencies executing a new contract with Google if and when they have a need.”
ITS also has moved to a dedicated-agency service model, under which senior staff members embed within agencies or small clusters of agencies. The idea is to offer better statewide tech alignment, customized support and faster responses. Procurement, too, often gets streamlined, another potential source of time and money savings.
“It’s night and day,” he said when asked about how the model has changed the way state tech works. “We are so much closer to the agencies, we understand their needs and their mission better than ever before.”
Of course, there is one issue certain to limit the sleep of any tech expert, whether in the private or public sector, and that’s securing systems and agencies — and overall operations — from hackers and other criminals.
Rai said the state’s Joint Security Operations Center now helps defend 57 state agencies along with the five largest cities, almost every county and other municipalities. With cybersecurity, the front lines are everywhere, but Rai has a tougher load than many of his peers, thanks to the high profile of his employer.
“The threats are real and numerous and sophisticated, and the bad guys are using AI to launch their attacks,” he said. “We are New York, so we know we are a target. You need both talented cyber professionals and tools to keep the environment secure.”
