The plan will upgrade 750 city employees from an outdated version of the software to Microsoft 365, the company’s cloud-based service.
City Councilor Michael Greene withheld a vote on the funding for several weeks as he sought answers on the future of the software giant’s proposed tech hub in Syracuse.
Microsoft announced in 2019 that it planned to establish a “Smart Cities technology hub” in Syracuse. Under a three-year, non-binding agreement with the city, Onondaga County and Syracuse University, the Digital Alliance included the creation of a physical office space downtown, resources for entrepreneurs and new companies, digital literacy programs and educational trainings.
The pandemic put much of that work on hold, particularly the physical office space, said Jennifer Tifft, director of strategic initiatives for the mayor’s office. As priorities shifted, so did the Digital Alliance plan.
Tifft said earlier this month that the city was in talks to hammer out expectations for 2022, the last year of the three-year deal. She said she still expects to have a plan approved by each member of the Digital Alliance before the end of December.
Greene said he would continue to encourage the mayor’s office to press Microsoft about its investment in Syracuse.
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