Tech Alert
from Customer Engagement Services
“Your Gateway to Technology Services”
TA 26-04: Poppy-California’s Digital Assistant
Issue Date: June 3, 2026
Attention: All California State Departments
Action Requested: Submit a Poppy Request to Enroll, if interested
Effective Date: July 1, 2026
Overview
Effective July 1, 2026, the California Department of Technology (CDT) will launch Poppy: California’s Digital Assistant. Poppy is a vendor-agnostic, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) platform specifically configured to align with State data, security protocols, and operational requirements that has been built by California state employees, for California state employees.
Poppy offers a variety of GenAI models, side-by-side model comparisons, customized workspaces, and integration capabilities with existing systems, all while maintaining strong security and compliance standards. Information shared with Poppy remains within California’s trusted environment and is protected by enterprise security standards.
To learn more about Poppy and its capabilities, please visit https://www.genai.ca.gov/poppy/ or https://www.cdt.ca.gov/services/poppy/.
How to Request Poppy:
State departments interested in using Poppy may submit a Poppy: California’s Digital Assistant request through the CDT IT Services Portal beginning June 15, 2026. Requests submitted during this period will be queued and processed in advance to support timely onboarding. Please note that access to Poppy will not be available until July 1, 2026.
To request a virtual demo of Poppy, please submit a Poppy: California’s Digital Assistant request in the CDT IT Services Portal and select the Poppy Virtual Demo option and a demo will be scheduled.
If you are not sure whether Poppy is the right fit or you have questions, contact your CDT Account Lead for assistance.
Rates/Subscription Options:
Poppy offers two subscription/pricing options to support different department sizes and needs. Both pricing models include pre-defined monthly processing capacity. Usage beyond that allocation is subject to overage charges. Departments may choose either a pay-per-user (PPU) option or a department-level committed capacity tier.
- Pay-per-user rate is charged at $8 per user/per month.
- Committed Capacity Tiers are charged at a monthly rate, based on tier:
| Tier | Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| 1 | $7,500 |
| 2 | $10,000 |
| 3 | $15,000 |
| 4 | $20,000 |
| 5 | $25,000 |
| 6 | $35,000 |
| 7 | $50,000 |
- Overage usage above the included processing capacity is subject to a 2.79% pass-through charge applied to AI compute costs.
- Limited 30-day free trial version available for non-participating departments up to 20 users with a maximum $8 per user processing capacity.
For more information on service rates please visit the Poppy Rate Memo.
Contact
If you have questions, need further clarification, or would like to discuss your department’s specific requirements, please contact your CDT Account Lead by using the Account Lead Directory, or by calling Customer Engagement Services at (916) 431-5390.