Microsoft extracts around four million dollars weekly from the Quebec government, totaling over 217 million dollars in the last year through nearly 100 agreements. This reliance on American tech raises concerns about dependency, as local companies like Micrologic could provide competitive services. With Ottawa also investing heavily in Microsoft, critics urge a more diverse supplier base to protect sensitive data. Additional contracts in various sectors highlight ongoing spending despite efforts to reduce reliance on external agencies.
Microsoft’s Financial Influence on Quebec
The multinational corporation Microsoft extracts approximately four million dollars from the Quebec government each week, as indicated by recent data. In the previous year, Quebec’s ministries and public organizations entered into nearly 100 agreements with this American tech giant, racking up a staggering total of over 217 million dollars—equating to about 4.2 million dollars weekly. This figure also encompasses expenditures made by municipal governments.
To put these figures into perspective, the budget allocated to the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital for the current year stands at only 123.7 million dollars. This amount surpasses the budgets of several other ministries, including the Ministry of the French Language (68 million dollars), the Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie (169 million dollars), and the Ministry of Labor (36.3 million dollars). The contracts with Microsoft predominantly involve spending on cloud services and software licenses, including popular applications like Word and Excel, along with various maintenance and IT support services.
Concerns Over American Tech Dependency
It’s noteworthy that the federal government is also a substantial customer of this American multinational. Since the start of 2024, Ottawa has inked contracts amounting to at least 244 million dollars, further illustrating the trend of governmental reliance on American technologies for digital advancement, as pointed out by Stéphane Garneau, president of Micrologic. He asserts that local companies, such as his own, are fully capable of providing services that rival those of Microsoft while adhering to the standards established by Quebec and Ottawa. Notably, Micrologic has secured 50 million dollars in contracts with Quebec’s ministries and public organizations.
Garneau highlights a significant risk in this situation: the excessive dependence on American firms. He emphasizes in an email that “a cloud contract typically spans a decade, locking us into their technologies for an extended period.” With numerous contracts anticipated in the upcoming months, especially within the health sector, he urges for a more balanced distribution among suppliers to safeguard sensitive data. “In the current geopolitical climate, we cannot afford to entrust all our data to American corporations,” he cautions.
Among past expenditures that have flown under the radar is a 90,000 dollar contract for a headhunter tasked with compiling a candidate list for the CEO position at Mobility Infra Quebec (MIQ). The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility is seeking assistance in finding the ideal candidate, who will earn an annual salary of 309,000 dollars. Additionally, health establishments in Montérégie-Est have awarded a contract worth 242,441 dollars to a staffing agency, despite Quebec’s aim to gradually reduce reliance on such agencies. The deadline for this transition has been extended to October 2025 in the concerned region, with services from these agencies still needed until the fall of 2026 across the province.
Moreover, a contract of 50,000 dollars was granted to assess the performance of the communications and media relations department at CIUSSS of Estrie. This evaluation aims to identify strengths and areas for improvement to enhance adaptability during the ongoing changes associated with the launch of Santé Québec. Lastly, Quebec has also provided a grant of 4 million dollars to Gatineau-based Soudure Marc Marine to support the establishment of a new factory and the acquisition of automated equipment, a project with a total investment of around 10 million dollars, which the company hopes will boost productivity.