Although the city of Montreal’s transition to a third computer system in five years is “a headache for many,” the Plante administration said Monday.
Posted at 7:32 pm
The city of Montreal argued that moving to Microsoft 365, just a few years after moving to Google Works, would avoid many compatibility issues with other public institutions and its own police department. Information to the Executive Committee, Magda Popenu.
“Ours is a responsible administration,” she said. “We don’t play politics with technology options. »
In late September, Montreal announced it was turning to Microsoft to provide its basic computer system (email, videoconferencing, word processing, tabulator, etc.) to municipal officials. Google has been offering it since 2019.
The deal with Google has come under fire from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) because the tech giant failed to guarantee its long-term pricing. Montreal decided to turn the page and choose Microsoft instead of reopening the call for tenders. Microsoft is on a government list that allows Metropolis to do so.
On Monday, the official opposition to the municipal council expressed concern about this new course change.
Elected official Abdelhak Saari suggested Montreal would have to trash hundreds of thousands of dollars in training and equipment purchased during the move to Google.
His vis-à-vis, Magda Popeanu, is her most promising. “But it’s a headache for a lot of people. But we accept it, we have to do it. We do it respectfully, gradually, by giving all the necessary training,” she said. “Transition is not a disaster. We will learn. We are in a time of transition and change. »
