Government of Canada to Reduce Information Technology Costs and Save Taxpayers' Dollars
(firmenpresse) - GATINEAU, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 08/04/11 -- Editors Note: A photo for this release will be available on the Canadian Press picture wire via Marketwire.
On behalf of the Government of Canada, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, along with the Honourable Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, today announced measures to streamline and identify savings in Information Technology (IT) through Shared Services Canada.
"Canadians work hard for their money and expect our Government to manage taxpayers dollars responsibly," said Minister Ambrose. "Shared Services Canada will have a mandate to streamline IT, save money, and end waste and duplication."
"The top priority of our Government is ensuring that our economy remains strong while we continue on our plan to return to balanced budgets," said Minister Clement. "This is why we are squarely focused on finding savings for taxpayers and implementing the Next Phase of Canada's Economic Action Plan."
The Clerk of the Privy Council, Wayne Wouters, said that this will help "the Public Service streamline and modernize our administrative services. Through new business models, we are renewing the organization as a whole and supporting innovation and excellence across the Public Service."
The Government has over 100 different email systems, over 300 data centres, and over 3,000 network services within the Federal Public Service. This is inefficient and wasteful. The Government will move to one email system, reduce the overall number of data centres from 300 to less than 20, and streamline electronic networks within and between government departments. This will improve services to Canadians, make IT more secure and reliable, and save taxpayers' dollars in line with the Government of Canada's plan to return to balanced budgets.
All resources associated with the delivery of email, data centre and network services are being transferred from 44 of the more IT-intensive departments and agencies to a new entity called Shared Services Canada. These departments and agencies will no longer provide these services internally. Rather, the services will be provided by Shared Services Canada.
Minister Ambrose will be responsible for Shared Services Canada, which will be part of the PWGSC portfolio. The President of the new entity was also appointed by the Prime Minister today, and will be leading this consolidation and transformation initiative.
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Backgrounder
Shared Services Canada
Information Technology (IT) is essential to support daily federal government operations and deliver services to Canadians, but it costs taxpayers more than it should.
Presently, each department of government sets up and runs its own IT infrastructure. This results in fragmentation, duplication and inefficiencies. Consolidating and streamlining email, data centre and network services will improve service and save money.
The Government of Canada is building on proven models.
Other governments and private sector companies have demonstrated that streamlining and consolidating in the areas of email, data centres and networks is the smart thing to do. They are reporting substantial savings and efficiencies. For instance:
Shared Services Canada is being created to transform and get better value for money from Information Technology services across the federal government. Led by the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, Shared Services Canada will be mandated to streamline and reduce duplication in the Government's IT services.
Within the next two months, Shared Services Canada will consolidate the existing resources and personnel relating to email, data centres and networks and associated internal services from 44 departments and agencies. These organizations are the more IT-intensive in the Government of Canada. This will enable Shared Services Canada to manage and transform IT infrastructure such as email, data centres and networks at a whole-of-government level, drawing on significant economies of scale. Where it makes sense to do so, we will pursue public-private partnerships to deliver these services, and will use the government's purchasing power to get the best possible prices from the private sector.
Through this initiative the Government will:
Business Priorities of Shared Services Canada
Email
The Government has over 100 different email systems for federal government employees. This is inefficient and wasteful.
Shared Services Canada will move the government to one email system. This will save money and make it easier to reach federal government employees.
Data Centres
The Government has over 300 data centres across the country, which store data and computing equipment for departments. This is not reliable, nor economical.
Shared Services Canada will save taxpayer dollars by reducing the overall number of Government of Canada data centres, and make sure they're robust, secure and energy efficient. Over the medium term, this means reducing the number of data centres from over 300 to less than 20. This will save taxpayers' money, be good for the public service and good for the environment.
Networks
Across the federal government, there are over 3,000overlapping and uncoordinated electronic networks within and between departments and agencies.
Shared Services Canada will reduce the number of networks that connect to data centres, and streamline networks in Government buildings.
FACT SHEET: SHARED SERVICES CANADA
What we have now: Fragmentation, duplication, inefficiencies in IT
What the Government will do:
This will:
Email
Problem: The Government has over 100 different email systems for federal government employees.
Solution:
Data Centres
Problem: The Government has over 300 data centres across the country, which store data and computing equipment for departments. This is not reliable, nor economical.
Solution:
Networks
Problem: Across the federal government, there are over 3,000 overlapping and uncoordinated electronic networks within and between departments and agencies.
Solution: We will also reduce the number of networks that connect to data centres, and streamline networks in our buildings.
The Government of Canada is building on proven models.
Other governments and private sector companies have demonstrated that streamlining and consolidating in the areas of email, data centres and networks is the smart thing to do.
They are reporting substantial savings and efficiencies. For instance:
Contacts:
Michelle Bakos
Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose
819-997-5421
Heather Hume
Office of the President of the Treasury Board
613-957-2666
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
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Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 04.08.2011 - 11:31 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1027782
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contact information:
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Government & Administration
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