As a data analyst who loves tracking promising tech hubs, I was initially skeptical when Oklahoma first landed on my radar as an emerging innovation center. The Sooner State often gets overlooked amid flashy headlines touting silicon hot spots like Silicon Valley and Austin.
But diving into the data tells an undeniable story – Oklahoma is gaining serious momentum as a magnet for tech talent and investment. Just look at the numbers:
- 29% expansion in Oklahoma tech employment over the past decade
- 9th fastest growth among U.S. states for tech wages and output between 2010-2019
- Over 13,000 new tech jobs forecasted to arrive in Oklahoma by 2027
Propelling this surge are established giants like Oracle, AT&T and homegrown startups raising eyebrows across the industry. So allow me, your resident tech industry analyst, to walk you through the most impactful technology employers currently powering Oklahoma‘s digital transformation.
I‘ll focus on the heaviest hitters based on Oklahoma headcounts as well as total revenue generated within state boundaries. Got your #2 pencil ready? Let‘s dive in!
Cognizant – The New Kid Quickly Becoming Oklahoma‘s IT Crown Jewel
In just a few short years since entering Oklahoma through acquisitions, global IT consultancy Cognizant has aggressively scaled to become the state‘s largest tech employer.
2,800+ Oklahomans now deliver Cognizant‘s coveted managed services and digital solutions – accounting for over 3.6% of the company‘s global workforce.
And they have no plans to take their foot off the expansion pedal, recently earmarking 500+ additional local jobs through 2023.
What‘s driving such hypergrowth in this region? Cognizant likely spotted a prime opportunity to leverage Oklahoma‘s deep pool of universities feeding ~9,000 skilled graduates annually into the job market at 25% below average U.S. pay rates.
The numbers validate this talent retention strategy is paying dividends for both Cognizant and Oklahoma:
| Year | Oklahoma Employees |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,000 |
| 2022 | 2,800 (+40% 3-Year Growth) |
| 2025 Projection | 3,800 |
With Cognizant‘s global footprint and expertise around cloud platforms, AI, and IoT, this new partnership promises to equip Oklahoma companies to compete in the digital economy.
I‘ll certainly be keeping close tabs on Cognizant‘s upcoming expansion and local partnerships as we track Oklahoma‘s continued rise!
AT&T – Oklahoma‘s Longtime Telecom Anchor Goes Big on 5G
The iconic AT&T dates back over 140 years, but its Oklahoma ties trace to the 1980s via exchanges acquired from Southwestern Bell.
Fast forward to today, and around 2,000 AT&T professionals now enable the 24/7 telecom demands of 1.7 million wireless subscribers statewide.
Beyond supporting all those cellular plans and devices, AT&T chose Oklahoma as one of its first sites nationally to pilot game-changing 5G network infrastructure.
This multi-hundred-million-dollar 5G initiative brings next-gen mobile speeds up to 100x faster than 4G LTE across homes, businesses, factories, hospitals – you name it.
As one of AT&T‘s flagship innovation zones, Oklahoma gains early access to revolutionary technologies like self-driving vehicles, high-precision IoT sensors, and remote augmented reality.
We should all be grateful for AT&T‘s huge support accelerating our state‘s digital capabilities! I know I‘ll be among the first with my nose pressed against their store windows when those 5G smartphones launch.
Oracle – Leveraging Homegrown Talent to Anchor Cloud Innovation
Another global mainstay choosing Oklahoma as a prime cloud delivery hub is Oracle. The software giant operates major sales, service and software development sites in Oklahoma City spanning 20+ facilities.
Thanks to a deep bench of computer science grads from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, Oracle confidently manages substantial pieces of its cloud solutions delivery out of Oklahoma locations.
Let‘s examine how this Silicon Valley transplant expanded its investment in our state:
| Year | Oklahoma Employees | Portfolio Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 850 | Primarily localizing software |
| 2022 | 1,300 (+50% growth) | Cloud platform development, Sales and Renewals, Marketing |
| 2025 Projection | >2,000 | Expand engineering, AI and security teams |
Boasting triple-digit growth in a few short years, Oracle helps position Oklahoma as an emerging cloud computing hub. And with revenues exceeding $40 billion annually, any uptick in market share they capture spells great news for our state economy!
Spartan College of Aeronautics – Oklahoma‘s Original Tech Disruptor
Beyond software giants, I always admire scrappy innovators changing technology paradigms. Spartan College, founded in Tulsa in 1928, established itself as the world‘s first school for aviation mechanics.
Talk about a serious tech mover-and-shaker altering how we train pilots and engineers! This local institution cemented Oklahoma as a global aerospace hub nearly a century ago.
Today, Spartan educates over 1,700 students annually across aviation maintenance, aviation electronics, non-destructive testing and quality control disciplines – fueling high-tech careers supporting over 120 global airlines and cargo operations.
Despite aviation downturns amid COVID, Spartan demonstrated resilience launching new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) curriculum to equip graduates for booming drone industry roles.
This DNA for reinvention keeps Spartan solidly perched as lynchpin provider enabling Oklahoma‘s massive aerospace sector. Be sure to catch their next airshow to witness innovation firsthand!
Wrap Up
Whew – that whirlwind tour through a few of Oklahoma‘s tech titans reveals an incredibly promising landscape gaining serious national credibility!
Beyond stalwarts like Oracle, AT&T and Cognizant blazing expansion trails here, I‘m also enthused by upstarts like Cherokee Nation Technologies, Open Distribution and Skience carving out spaces in cybersecurity, energy tech and chemical verticals.
Oklahoma catapulted from relative obscurity to our #9 fastest growing tech economy thanks to strategic infrastructure improvements plus incentives luring talent and investment.
My forecast based on 20+ years tracking tech industry dynamics?
I predict Oklahoma cements itself as a bonafide Midwest tech hub rivaling Austin by 2030. The digital economy resonates here – and both global giants and scrappy startups recognize Oklahoma enables innovation scaling faster than coastal tech meccas can match!
Obviously I‘ll be glued to Oklahoma‘s emergence with my spreadsheet dashboards tracking every new unicorn launch, funding deal and ribbon cutting. Care to pull up a seat next to me to watch history in the making?
