Posted November 12, 2019
Smart buses. Smart street lights. LinkedIn Learning. It’s all coming soon to the city of Charlotte.
On Wednesday, leaders with the city and Microsoft met at Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas Camp North End to sign an agreement for a three-year digital alliance.
Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones said the city is working to create career paths with possibilities for everyone.
“One way to make sure we are a city of the future is using data and analytics,” Jones said. “It’s a great opportunity for us.”
Charlotte is the second city in the U.S. to partner with Microsoft. In May, Houston made the first-of-its-kind agreement with the tech giant, according to Texas media reports.
Kate Johnson, president of Microsoft U.S., said a smart city will allow public services to talk to one another and collaborate more easily to direct support and city resources where they’re needed most. It also means providing more opportunities and a more inclusive environment to bridge the digital divide, she said.