There is pent-up IT demand from customers underserved by the previous five years of outsourcing. But "with the new contract, we opened the door to new secure, sustainable and cost-effective technologies like cloud computing, so customers don't have to wait for servers to be delivered," Robinson says. "We can have something built in 20 minutes."

Successful outsourcing relationships take longer than that. Many have their eyes on Texas to see how this model works, particularly Robinson's public-sector CIO peers, who have struggled with IT services deals. "It could be a landmark deal or it could be a disaster because so much is unknown," says Esteban Herrera, COO of sourcing analyst firm HfS Research.

"I've gotten lots of 'Good lucks,'" says Robinson. "I expect some hiccups. But I'm tired of having unhappy customers."

The biggest benefit Robinson is looking for is increased transparency of IT delivery and improved service. She'll know the new deal is working, she days, when her phone finally stops ringing.

in CIO's Outsourcing Drilldown.