Government of Canada enables a more Modern and Accessible Public Service

VANCOUVER, April 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, responsible for Shared Services Canada (SSC), announced that the Government of Canada has signed a renewed agreement with Microsoft Canada that includes a new suite of modern digital communication and collaboration tools for public servants.  

As part of the agreement, SSC will offer public servants access to Microsoft Office 365 which will enable them to deliver services to Canadians that are timely and citizen-centred. With accessibility features built-in by default, Office 365 will support the next generation of a diverse workforce and enable new degrees of efficiency and collaboration through the latest office productivity technologies.

These new digital communication and collaboration tools are part of a larger renewed framework agreement with Microsoft Canada to support critical software and services for the Government of Canada. This agreement simplifies the acquisition and maintenance by merging the licenses and support for Microsoft technologies that enable key Government of Canada operations.

Quotes

"Today's announcement is a key step on the road towards a true digital government. Equipping our public servants with accessible, reliable and innovative technologies will unleash the potential of our world-class public service and result in better service delivery for all Canadians."

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility and the Minister responsible for Shared Services Canada

"Canadians deserve the best government programs and services we can provide, and that means equipping public servants with the right tools to enable modern digital delivery. We are ensuring our workforce has access to cutting-edge technologies that will strengthen collaboration across government and help unleash creativity and innovation."

The Honourable Joyce Murray
President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Quick Facts

• The new seven-year agreement with Microsoft Canada will cover the acquisition of digital communications tools, business and network applications and ongoing support and maintenance for licensed services.
• Starting in August 2017, SSC consulted with both industry and public servants to identify the Government of Canada's needs when it comes to digital communication tools.
• SSC will continue to work with client departments to provide the workplace digital enablement platform that best meets their business needs.
• This renewed agreement with Microsoft will allow the Government of Canada to take a step forward in achieving its Cloud Adoption Strategy.

Backgrounder

Government of Canada Enables a More Modern and Accessible Public Service

Shared Services Canada (SSC) renewed its agreement with Microsoft Canada to procure software and services for the Government of Canada. In addition to the services renewed under this agreement, SSC will now be able to provide all public servants with access to Office 365, thus laying the groundwork for a digitally-enabled public service.

The agreement, valued at $940 million over seven years, includes continued support for Windows operating system, Microsoft Exchange (email platform), Server Operating System and other infrastructure software for the data centres, development software (MSDN, Visual Studio, SQL, etc.) and business applications (Project, Visio, etc).

From the MS Office suite, to directories for network, to data processing systems applications, Microsoft Canada software has long been used by the federal government. This overarching agreement ensures SSC will continue to get product upgrades and security patches and also to provide public servants with the tools they use every day:

• software licenses;
• network and business applications software; and
• support services.

In 2017, SSC began the preliminary work for the renewal of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (MSEA). In 2018, SSC undertook a procurement for a digital communications platform. Microsoft was the successful respondent in the procurement process and so the decision was made to combine all software services and support under the same contractual umbrella. This allows for simplified contract management and ensures better value for Canadians.

The addition of Office 365 will modernize the numerous tools the public service relies on with an integrated suite of communication and collaboration tools, for effective information sharing, enhanced productivity and improved collaboration.

This agreement also includes hybrid rights which will enable the software to run in data centres or in the cloud, allowing for the transition to a digital government.

As a result, the Government of Canada will have a strong platform for the effective delivery of high‑quality programs and services to Canadians.

SOURCE Shared Services Canada

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