The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) provides network infrastructure and technology services to Texas state agencies, public universities, county and local governments, and public healthcare institutions. Access to this network from a private commercial facility is uncommon. San Antonio Technology Center is one of the few private commercial office buildings in San Antonio with TxDir network access, which benefits tenants whose work involves ongoing data exchange with state government entities, public research universities, or government healthcare systems.
What the Texas DIR Network Is
Texas DIR exists to serve state government technology needs. Its mission is to provide network infrastructure, IT purchasing contracts, and technology policy to state agencies and eligible public entities.
The DIR network, delivered primarily through the TEX-AN (Texas Agency Network) program, provides voice, data, internet, and video services to eligible customers across the state. Public universities, hospital districts, state agencies, and local government offices connect through this infrastructure.
From an IT perspective, the DIR network functions as a state-managed alternative to the public internet for communication between government and public sector entities. Organizations on the network can exchange data with connected entities more directly, without routing through standard commercial internet paths.
Why This Access Matters for Commercial Tenants
Most commercial office buildings connect tenants to the public internet only. Government agencies, public universities, and state healthcare institutions that operate sensitive data workflows often prefer, and in some cases require, that their technology partners connect through secure, managed network paths rather than the public internet.
For a private company serving these kinds of clients, having the ability to connect via the state network rather than going around it through public internet tunneling can make a practical difference in:
Compliance conversations. Some state contracts and data handling agreements include requirements or preferences for how data moves between parties. Being on the same network infrastructure as your state agency or university client simplifies those conversations.
Operational connectivity. Direct network connections to state institutions reduce the number of hops data takes between systems, which affects latency for real-time applications and reduces potential points of failure.
Contract eligibility. Texas DIR makes certain cooperative contracts and purchasing vehicles available to eligible customers. Organizations working with state entities that benefit from DIR procurement infrastructure may find value in the network adjacency.
Who Has a Presence at SATC That Benefits From This Infrastructure
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) maintains a presence at San Antonio Technology Center (Suite 320). UTRGV, as a Texas public university, is an eligible DIR customer. The building’s network infrastructure supports the connectivity requirements of a state university operating within a private commercial facility.
The broader SATC tenant community includes organizations with ongoing work in defense, biomedical research, healthcare IT, and clinical services. For companies in these sectors whose work regularly involves data exchange with state agencies, public hospital systems, or university research programs, the building’s network infrastructure is a practical operational asset.
The Full Infrastructure Picture at SATC
TxDir network access is one component of a broader connectivity and infrastructure profile that distinguishes SATC from standard commercial office options in San Antonio.
The building provides fiber-to-suite internet connectivity with dedicated bandwidth to each tenant. Bexar Datacenter operates an on-site data center, providing tenants with the option to house servers and computing infrastructure in the same physical location as their office. The combination of state network access, dedicated fiber, and on-site data center makes SATC the most infrastructure-capable commercial office building in the Medical Center corridor.
For organizations serving government clients, managing research computing workloads, or running applications that require direct connectivity to public sector institutions, that infrastructure combination is not easy to replicate elsewhere in San Antonio.
Texas Research Universities and the DIR Network
Texas now has 16 institutions with R1 (Very High Research Activity) designation, the most of any state in the country as of 2025. Two of those institutions, UT Health San Antonio and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), are located in San Antonio.
R1 universities conduct large volumes of sponsored research, grant-funded projects, and multi-institutional collaborations. Much of that work involves data systems and networks that connect to state infrastructure. Companies that partner with these institutions on research programs, provide IT services to university departments, or manage data generated by university-sponsored research benefit from being in the same network environment.
SATC’s position in the Medical Center corridor, adjacent to UT Health San Antonio and a short distance from UTSA, gives network-adjacent tenants a geographic and infrastructure alignment with the city’s research university ecosystem.
TxDir Network FAQs
What is the Texas DIR network? The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) is the technology agency for the State of Texas. DIR provides network infrastructure, IT contracts, and shared technology services to Texas state agencies, county and local government offices, and public education entities including universities. The DIR network connects eligible organizations through state-managed communications infrastructure.
Who is eligible for Texas DIR network services? DIR eligible customers include Texas state agencies, county and local government offices, and public education entities of all sizes. This includes public universities, school districts, public hospitals, hospital districts, and hospital authorities. Private organizations generally must work with eligible entities to benefit from DIR network infrastructure.
Why does TxDir network access matter for a private commercial building? Most commercial office buildings connect to the public internet only. Buildings with TxDir network access allow tenants who need to communicate with state agencies, public universities, or government healthcare institutions to do so over the state network rather than the public internet. This can simplify compliance, reduce latency for certain government-connected workflows, and support eligibility for specific technology contracts.
What types of organizations benefit from TxDir network access at SATC? Organizations that benefit include: companies providing IT services to state agencies or public universities, clinical research organizations working with university research programs, healthcare technology firms connecting to public hospital networks, defense contractors working with state-level government clients, and any company whose work involves regular data exchange with Texas state government entities.
Does UTRGV have a presence at SATC? Yes. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) maintains a presence at San Antonio Technology Center (Suite 320). UTRGV is among the tenants that benefit from the building’s TxDir network infrastructure.
To learn more about SATC’s infrastructure capabilities or discuss leasing options, contact our team at 210-582-5800 or reach out here.