Merci, and good morning everyone.

I'm here today to talk about the supplementary estimates (B) 2014-15 as well as the newest departmental performance report, 2013-14, for Shared Services Canada. I will present the key results we've achieved to date as well as outline some of the next steps on the road ahead for SSC.

Joining me today are my two colleagues from the department. Peter Bruce is the senior assistant deputy minister of Projects and Client Relationships. He is available to answer questions about IT transformation and projects. Also with me is Manon Fillion, the deputy chief financial officer.

Mr. Chair, just over three years have passed since Shared Services Canada was created. In August 2011 SSC was given the mandate to both operate and transform the IT infrastructure that supports the programs and services delivered by 42 departments and agencies.

The objectives are clear: consolidating, standardizing, and transforming the delivery of Government of Canada e-mail, data centres, and network services. Simply put, SSC is planning and managing the IT infrastructure for the Government of Canada with a view to creating savings and efficiencies and eliminating duplication. SSC is securing systems and building a modern IT platform that will better support departments in delivering benefits for Canadians. It is about applying solutions across the government that are modern and sustainable.

As detailed in SSC's most recent departmental performance report, we are making progress against these objectives. SSC has already generated savings of $150 million annually by consolidating contracts, modernizing telephone services, and keeping internal overhead low. In addition to this, SSC will be saving $50 million by moving government departments to a single outsourced e-mail service. SSC is also achieving $8.7 million in savings by consolidating workplace technology procurement.

There are four key activities where big changes are going to mean major improvements, better value and greater security.

First, there is email. SSC is taking 63 legacy systems from all across government and replacing them with one secure, robust, modern system. As you may have heard, there have been delays in how the rollout has progressed.

SSC continues to work with our suppliers to address the challenges and deliver a consolidated email solution for the Government of Canada. We are taking the time to do things right and ensuring that the system will be secure.

The second activity involves data centres. Two enterprise data centres are now up and running. At the same time, we have closed 18 legacy data centres. Once we're done our transformation, our footprint will shrink from 485 to 7 enterprise data centres. Enterprise data centres will be secure and modern so they can provide the Government of Canada with the technology it needs to be effective in the era of big data.

Third is cutting the cord on 20th century phones. As part of the Government of Canada's economic action plan, SSC launched the cost-effective telephone services initiative. To date over 37,000 land lines have been removed in favour of voice-over IP and cellular services with the objective of generating over $28 million in annual savings beginning in 2015.

SSC is also upgrading video conferencing systems to offer efficient remote meeting alternatives and to provide alternatives to travel.

Fourth is user devices. Another way SSC is cutting costs is by consolidating and standardizing the procurement of workplace technology devices. Budget 2013 announced this consolidation and standardization. Workplace technology device software includes operating systems software and basic desktop applications such as word processing software. The government spends about $660 million a year in this area. SSC is negotiating new contracts and now buys these essential tools in bulk, saving $2.1 million last fiscal year and $8.7 million this year.

As you can see, this work is a major undertaking. SSC is taking every action to deliver efficiently and to ensure that the work done today can be sustained in future. Right now, we maintain 24/7 IT service delivery to 43 federal partner organizations. That includes maintaining 2,100 different mission-critical systems for the Government of Canada.

SSC is responding to issues quickly and efficiently, even as we grow and take on more responsibilities. For example, problem reports closed over the last year consistently kept pace with new ones. That's meaningful because this was occurring as we were taking on so many new tasks. In cases where there's been a service disruption, 75 were the result of an SSC planned change. The balance was the result of a partner planned change.

SSC also strives to create a secure, centralized communications infrastructure that directly supports Canada's cyber security strategy. We work closely with the Communications Security Establishment and other partners to maintain supply chain integrity through coordinated response to issues such as Heartbleed, the incident at the National Research Council and, more recently, Bash.

With these considerations in mind, let me turn to the details of SSC budgetary matters for the 2014-15 fiscal year.

Supplementary estimates (B) for SSC represent an increase of $58.6 million in SSC's reference levels. That increase is attributed to $18.1 million in new funding and $40.5 million in net transfers, broken down as $38.6 million in net adjustments required from partner departments in support of SSC's mandate, and $1.9 million for various projects and initiatives.

The new funding of $18.1 million consists of $10.8 million to provide IT infrastructure for the 2016 census of population program with Statistics Canada, $5.1 million as part of the revitalization of Canada's weather services with Environment Canada, $1.8 million for activities to support the CRA implementation of programs identified in the budget implementation acts of 2013 and 2014, and $400,000 for a new express entry solution with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The $40.5 million in net transfers from partner organizations includes items such as transfers to support IT positions and missions abroad, and adjustments as a result of the creation of Shared Services Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My colleagues and I would be pleased to answer your questions.

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