North Dakota CIO Shawn Riley and Utah CIO Mike Hussey said new technologies and ideas helped their states prepare for the pandemic and will continue to aid their responses.

Jeff Hensel, Microsoft's director of services modernization, will take an 18-month leave of absence to serve as North Dakota's first chief customer success officer.

States that had already adopted virtualization and cloud tech are faring best, and those that hadn't are rapidly catching up.

North Dakota, Alabama and South Carolina are the first states to say they'll use the tech rivals' platform to track the spread of the coronavirus.

Dakota Carrier Network, which supports the state's government broadband network, was the victim of an attack that exposed files including a photo of a rock icon.

North Dakota partnered with a local science museum to harness the public's "high-tech equipment and innovative solutions" and coordinate resources.

CIOs' aspirations to improve government services and automate workflows are suddenly being tested by a global health crisis few were prepared to face.

With governors around the country ordering their workforces to perform duties remotely, CIOs face new logistical problems.

The unique new position is the latest attempt by a state IT bureau to ensure a successful bridge between technology and government's many lines of business.