Convoluted procurement processes, lengthy sales cycles, and RFPs that last months if not years… working with governments seems to be at odds with the life cycle and speed of startups. At the same time, many of the services selling to governments are at the core of the inner workings of our cities are falling behind in integrating digital technologies that are currently baseline industry standards. This makes government a space prime for disruption, but the question remains: is selling to government a trap or an opportunity? Answers might be diverse and dependent on a myriad of factors, but some startups are starting to break through this tough space, and governments and policy makers are joining forces to willingly to challenge hundred-year-old systems and processes to open the gates to a groundswell of new technologies.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]