The last time Tyler Technologies held its annual user conference, Tyler Connect, in Dallas-Fort Worth, it was 2012 and around 2,000 people gathered at the Gaylord in Grapevine.

Fast forward to 2019, and Tyler Connect is back in North Texas—and bigger than ever.

Tyler Technologies, headquartered in Plano, is one of the most-established providers of integrated software and technology services for the public sector. Since 2012, Tyler has seen tremendous growth, both organically and through a multitude of acquisitions, including seven last year.

Last October, Tyler’s acquisition of TradeMaster Inc. put the company on track to becoming a billion-dollar enterprise. Then, in December, Tyler announced that it had acquired Canada-based SceneDoc Inc., a provider of mobile-first, software-as-a-service field reporting for law enforcement agencies.

And most recently, in February, Tyler bought MicroPact Inc. from Maryland-based Arlington Capital Partners in a $185 million all-cash deal. Tyler’s offerings now span public safety, health and human services, and data and insights markets.

So, from April 7-10, Tyler hosted its largest conference so far, gathering nearly 7,000 attendees—including Tyler staff, sponsors, and clients—at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas. Platinum sponsored by Amazon Web Services, the four-day event offered Tyler customers the opportunity to gain knowledge of products, collaborate on best practices, and garner inspiration from speakers and sessions.

[Photo: Courtesy Tyler Technologies]

Lynn Moore, president and CEO of Tyler Technologies, said it was thrilling to bring the conference back home to corporate headquarters.

“This will be Tyler’s largest user conference to date,” he said, “and we look forward to having open, productive conversations with our clients about how we can continue helping them solve problems in their communities through technology.”

[Photo: Courtesy Tyler Technologies]

At the conference, participants were able to choose from over 1,100 training classes—many of which showcased government innovation—across 18 different educational tracks.

For example, during “Outside the Box,” the city of Dallas showcased the ways technology is being used to enhance its services.

By using a live chat feature on the city’s website, inquiries are able to be answered in real-time, website potential is improved, and the access to the court is increased. The city has also partnered with GovPayNet, so citizens can make a payment on any day, at any time.

It all reflected on this year’s theme, “Fueling Connected Communities,” which is an expansion of a vision Tyler introduced back in 2017. The idea is that Tyler can create seamless connections between citizens and government by working together with clients, connecting geographic data, and linking processes between agencies.

Tyler said it aims to improve outcomes and citizen engagement by placing a larger emphasis on data analytics and management—overall helping communities get to the next level.