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August 5, 2011 By News Staff
Canada is about to show the U.S. just how far data center consolidation can go.
Canada’s government announced Thursday, Aug. 4, it will shut down more than 90 percent of
its 300 data centers, leaving the nation with fewer than 20 when the plan is complete.
In addition, Canada’s government will make the move away from 100 different e-mail platforms to one all-encompassing system. Furthermore, all resources associated with the delivery of e-mail, data center and network services are being transferred from 44 departments and agencies to a new entity called Shared Services Canada.
Canadian officials said the moves should make the government’s IT services and delivery more secure and reliable. They said the plan will help save taxpayer dollars and balance the Canadian budget.
“Canadians work hard for their money and expect our Government to manage taxpayers dollars responsibly,” said Rona Ambrose, Canada’s minister of public works and government services, in a statement. “Shared Services Canada will have a mandate to streamline IT, save money, and end waste and duplication.”
There are a few examples in American of a centralized agency handling services that are shared by the whole organization. Ohio Shared Services, for example, is a government department that processes financial paperwork, document imaging, travel expense reimbursement, and vendor maintenance and management on behalf of individual state agencies. State officials have said the new arrangement has saved the state millions of dollars so far.
Shared Services Canada will focus on IT management and modernization. The entity will oversee and manage data center, e-mail and network for the entire government.
“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 Tony Clement, president of Canada’s treasury board and minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario. “This is why we are squarely focused on finding savings for taxpayers and implementing the next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.”
Ambrose will be responsible for Shared Services Canada, which will be part of the Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) portfolio.
Canada’s ambitious goal of slashing more than 90 percent of its data centers came shortly after
U.S. officials said more than 800 government data centers will close by 2015, an effort that would reduce the nation’s count of data centers by roughly 40 percent.
You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to
http://www.govtech.com/budget-finance/Canada-to-Close-Nearly-All-Government-Data-Centers.html
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While some things should be consolidated, like e-mail, putting all of your data in a few convient baskets, makes targeting of both the data and the center, a lot easier for those who wish to steal or destroy. Of course, outsourcing to China or India, would do the same, just quicker and cheaper. Can we say, Hello Peggy!!!
pure stupidity. this consolodation approach is closer to a political stunt than an implementation plan. the lack of planning is apparent to anyone who has actually worked in a datacentre; not just toured one. the level of core service consolodation required is staggering. not even any mention of disaster recovery planning or business continuity. but hey might as well tell the national media this will save billions...when infact it will cost 10-100x times more to implement/integrate than current estimates. this is the nature of technology. you don't buy a ferrai and then retro-fit parts from a model T.
#MJG - I couldn't agree more. My concern is that the impact of this mistake will be overwhelming and the cost of recovery will be enormous. It will be a lesson for the rest of the world.
If each and every one of these politicians were held accountable that this will save the taxpayer money and if this fiasco didn't save the taxpayer money, they they would face jail terms for misleading the government and the Canadian taxpayer, then you would not have seen the release of this document. Without a plan, the Gun registry is now into the billions of dollars and that's just one example. If Mr. Harper did not have a majority government then this would not have been announced. Was this ever put to a vote in the Commons? Do not the people in sitting in those seats represent the taxpayer and small business that depend on doing business with the government of Canada? I forsee massive unemployment just around the corner!
This IT system may work in one State but our current government is planning on implementing it for an entire country. I am constatnly suspicious about anything Mr. Harper and his puppets do particularly when they do it without bringing discussion before the House.
In order to better control access and control all services must be centralized. Just ask Orwell. Now with a few key strokes the Harper regime can change or delete anything it wants. Centralization also means far less people will be able to monitor what's going on. Secrecy and control is the hallmarks of Harper.
Good way to up government spending for simulating economy but have very little to show after a few years. consolidation for the sake of consolidation is stupid but if it stremline business processes and saves money why not. Government are incapable of running huge projects like this effectively and efficiently, another "road to nowhere"