GTEC 2016 equips public, private sector with insight to digital economy
Stephen Law
Wireless Engineering IoTDigitally-empowered – Driving business transformation to move our nation forward
The development of Canada’s digital economy is a priority that is driving public and private sector action – and it is one that the GTEC conference and summit will address head on.
Held at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa from November 1-3, GTEC, Canada’s internationally recognized forum for enabling and celebrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) leadership, innovation and impact in Canada’s public sector, will equip public and private sector leaders with insight, strategies and tactics to advance the development of Canada’s digital economy.
IoT to usher in billions of connected devices
The Internet of Things is expected to usher in tens of billions of connected devices by 2020. The convergence of technologies will yield new products, services and business models not yet imagined.
Digital currency will transform economic practices, systems and commerce. Information and communications technologies (ICT) are revolutionizing our economy and our world. And in June 2016, the World Economic Forum ranked the top 10 countries best prepared to capitalize on the new digital economy given their application of ICT – a list that does not currently include Canada.
Main Stage program features intimate armchair discussion
The GTEC Main Stage program will feature an intimate armchair discussion with Leona Alleslev, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Public Services and Procurement Canada on the transformation plan established by Shared Services Canada (SSC): Building the Government of Canada’s Digital Platform. Facilitated by Michele Lajeunesse, GTEC Executive Director, this session will provide an overview of SSC’s plan to further modernize the Government of Canada’s information technology (IT) infrastructure, and enable more innovative public service delivery.
“Our world is increasingly powered by novel information and communication technologies” says Lajeunesse. “The private and public sector must transform to prepare for the digital revolution, just as our predecessors adapted for the industrial revolution. Success demands broad economic, policy, social and cultural changes that enable us to fully exploit the capabilities of technology, and achieve greater advantage in business, government and our quality of life. Strategic action and investment today will enable us to capitalize on the unprecedented opportunities presented by a digital economy tomorrow.”
Digital Government innovation paper
Key themes of this armchair discussion and other GTEC digital economy program elements are reinforced in the Digital Government innovation paper published by the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC). The paper elaborates on the need for the government to capitalize on ICT to transform and modernize its own infrastructure, operational model, workforce and service delivery. It makes recommendations on investments required today to fuel tomorrow; how to modernize government procurement; and opportunities to build a digital government by tapping into industry.
The two-day GTEC Conference program features additional elements that focus on the development of a digital economy, including:
* Driving Digital Services for Citizens; GTEC Main Stage on November 2 at 9:30AM: Sponsored and led by Salesforce, this fireside chat will address the opportunities and challenges facing public sector organizations as they transform their service delivery models for the digital 21st century.
* Simple, Secure, and Predictable – Embracing the ‘As-A-Service’ Delivery Model; GTEC Main Stage on November 3 at 9:30AM: Sponsored and led by Rogers, this panel session will discuss how government is moving towards cloud-managed services and embracing the ‘as-a-service’ delivery model to better deliver essential services to Canadians.
* Smart Cities Push Public Engagement Over Public Policy; Open Government and Citizen Engagement Track on November 2 at 1:30PM: This panel discussion will feature leaders from Canadian cities that top the 2016 Smart Cities index: Edmonton (ranked first) and Toronto (ranked second). With a focus on citizen engagement and co-creation, panelists will discuss what can be learned from the ‘smart cities’ movement as civic governments transform to address key challenges and opportunities in the new millennium.
