Microsoft has been named as the most trusted company when it comes to enabling smart-city digital transformation in a recent IDC survey.
IDC’s Smart City MaturityScape Benchmark Survey collected views on the capabilities of 15 technology vendors from 151 local government organisations in the US.
Each vendor was rated from 1 to 5 on their performance across range of areas. Microsoft recorded top rankings of 4.35 for trust and 4.39 for customer satisfaction.
“We are grateful to receive this form of customer feedback because it acknowledges not only Microsoft but our CityNext partners, who have the deep expertise needed to empower more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive cities,” said Kathryn Willson, director of Microsoft CityNext. “Whether its traffic congestion, citizen services, energy efficiency or operating costs, our Microsoft CityNext partners are equipped to tackle whatever problem or priority local governments want to address. Microsoft’s IDC smart-city scores are really a credit to our partners, which leverage our trusted cloud platform, powerful data analytics, security and privacy infrastructures, and other advanced capabilities to enable smart-city innovations.”
Trust is a vital element for Microsoft’s CityNext initiative, which enables city leaders to create better citizen engagement, empower employees and optimise operations.
“In every conversation with city leaders, we talk about trust because it’s vital to delivering new digital experiences, services and accessibility to end users,” said Willson. “Municipal leaders and employees, partners and Microsoft need to work together to earn citizen trust in the services being provided. While this ‘chain of trust’ might sound easy, it’s anything but. That’s why it’s rewarding that governments surveyed by IDC gave Microsoft and our partners such high marks for trust, which also is the first principle of ‘A Cloud for Global Good’, the set of Microsoft policy recommendations that provides a roadmap for a trusted, responsible and inclusive cloud.”
Microsoft’s high score for customer satisfaction was also pleasing for Willson.
“To us, this means that local governments view Microsoft and our partners as problem-solvers, who deliver high-impact solutions that meet or exceed expectations,” she added. “We are working hard to be a strategic partner to cities, helping to address problems and make priorities a reality.”
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