Microsoft Technology Centre was unveiled this week at 1 Martin Place in Sydney in a partnership with the NSW Government and IT giant DXC Technology. The Centre will allow Microsoft to provide clients with end-to-end business solutions, from concept to finished product. As a first of its kind in Australia, the Centre will see Sydney joining “Microsoft smart cities” across the world. For Managing Director Steve Worrall, the plan is one step forward in Microsoft’s ongoing investment in Australia’s digital future.
Powerful Partnerships:
Microsoft’s partner in the project, the NSW government, will be one of the centre’s first consumers. The state will work with Microsoft to “transform citizens’ experience of government”. Greg Wills, Information and Digital Officer for NSW, says this translates to up-skilling public servants to whom digital skills “don’t always come naturally”, along with plans around informing people about issues surrounding cyber security, the ethical use of AI, and platforms to aid the delivery of services in NSW.
IT services giant DXC is also on board, signing a five year strategic agreement with Microsoft. Together the two companies will transition their shared partners to the global Azure cloud. The benefits of Azure are greater security, trust and performance for the banking, commercial and private sectors in Australia. Furthermore, moving to Azure will increase the resilience and responsiveness of enterprises to shifting market conditions.
Managing Director of DXC Seelan Nayagam describes the five year plan as the combining of DXC’s “technical expertise and Microsoft’s cutting edge solutions”. Nayagam feels that the centre is “a game changer for clients wanting to realise and expand their digital transformation ambitions.”
Bringing People and Tech Together:
In House Expert Tyrone Theodorides said he aims to teach Microsoft partners “the art of the possible.” In the Augmented Reality room, people will be able to view designs in 3D, while in the Exploratorium they can trial “in office” software performance on a variety of devices.
The Centre is part of a larger strategy by Microsoft to put people first, which is increasingly important in an age where so much business is executed remotely. For Worrall the Centre facilitates “bringing people and resources together in the right place, at the right time.”
And while the Technology Centre feels like a sleek tech playground, it is not style over substance. Five technical architects, a director and manager will be on site providing hands on solutions to businesses. Think of it as a genius bar come business boot-camp.
Taking Australia into the future:
Worrall is quick to emphasise the Centre is one of Microsoft’s many recent investments in Australia. Other examples are the Sydney Microsoft Reactor Hub, data centres in Canberra and the quantum computing program at Sydney University.
And for Worrall it is clear that people and tech are Australia’s pathway to the future. Here he explains: “Australia has enjoyed 28 years of uninterrupted economic growth and it is what brought us to this point that is going to take us forward”.
The Microsoft Technology Centre shows Microsoft is investing big in both ideas.