Inside the latest issue of CGR
Beat Watch
Government to boost wireless research at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) research and development of wireless technology is set to receive $325,000 in government funding. The aim of the funding is to help foster collaboration between academia and industry, and for SFU to establish an advanced antenna testing and measurement facility.
SSHA marks its past by looking forward
Ontario’s Smart System for Health Agency marked its five-year anniversary this week by laying out its blueprint for the future. The strategic plan, among other things, presents strategies aimed at fostering the growth of electronic communication between practitioners, enabling increased use of electronic patient health records, and helping to avert any future pandemic outbreaks.
Manitoba government announces virtual reality funding
A new Virtual Reality Applications Fund is set to receive $100,000 annually from the Manitoba government, according to Science, Technology, Energy and Mines Minister Jim Rondeau.
Governance
Demographics pose pressing dilemma: Renew or reinvent
I recently attended a meeting of four graduate students and four executives from a provincial Crown corporation. The topic was e-government and how Web 2.0 can improve customer and employee engagement and thus improve performance. The discussion was lively.
Privacy
Canadian politicos stumble towards YouTube
Canadian politicians need a crash-course in YouTubing, say several media observers. Over half the population that looks for information about political candidates finds it primarily on the Web, according to a study by the Pew Research Centre.
Feature
Unified Communications brings IT together
Unity is a word often heard in the public sector, with myriad agencies and departments looking to foster collective thinking around some of today’s most pressing issues. The word, however, doesn’t usually get mentioned in the same breath as technology. That’s a situation, though, that might soon be changing, thanks to a new software platform known as unified communications.
Wireless
Enhanced drivers’ licences create furore in Canada and U.S.
Privacy advocates on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border are sounding loud alarms about RFID-enabled enhanced drivers’ licences (EDLs). In January, British Columbia became the first province to introduce EDLs for cross-border travel in conjunction with Washington State.
Data Management
Putting e-mail intelligence to work
Canadian government organizations collect massive amounts of sensitive public data, and much of it exists in e-mail form. Studies show that more than 70 per cent of a public sector organization’s intellectual property is contained, in some fashion, within its messaging system.
E-security
Usability critical for good mobile security
The consequences of a data breach can be far-reaching and complex, but in almost every case the cause is simple. An employee, the ‘average user’, has either taken a shortcut around the security procedures or lost a device with critical data in a public place, or both.
