Telecom/1996-04-telecom-walnutcreek.iso/reports/ontario.comp.strategy

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Subject: Ontario Computing Strategy

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  Newsgroups: can.general,can.infohighway,comp.dcom.telecom
  From: [e-mail] (Joan McCalla)
  Subject: Ontario Computing Strategy Announcement
  Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
  Organization: Government of Ontario
  Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 15:12:25 GMT


May 17, 1994

Lankin Announces $10.6 million support for Ontario's Computing Sector

TORONTO -- Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade Frances
Lankin today confirmed the Province's support for Ontario's computing
sector by committing $10.6 million for initiatives that will ensure
future prosperity for this key sector of the economy.  These
initiatives are part of a strategy that is estimated to create 25,000
new jobs within five years.

"Information technology is revolutionizing the way we live and the
way we do business - that's why we need a plan to help this sector
grow, create jobs and further the economic well-being of our
province," said Ms. Lankin.

This funding from the Sector Partnership Fund will support two key
initiatives recommended by the Advisory Committee on the Computing
Sector in its report called "Agenda for Action":

Establishing an Ontario computing sector resource facility to provide
business and technical support to small and medium firms in the
computing sector.  The Ontario Government will provide up to $9.5
million to the facility over five years.

Creating an Electronic Commerce Institute of Ontario to encourage
businesses to improve productivity and efficiency by using electronic
information systems for business transactions and inventory. The
province will provide up to $1.1 million for the start-up of this
institute.

In addition, the Minister announced that the Council for an Ontario
Information Infrastructure, which was established last year to advise
the government on the implementation of the provincial telecommunications
strategy, will expand its mandate to include the computing sector.
This new responsibility will link these two vital elements of the
information technology sector.

Minister Lankin also indicated that the Ontario government is looking to
improve the delivery of public services and foster the development of new
technologies by making greater use of information technology.

"The strategy sets out a clearly defined role for this government in
promoting Ontario's computing sector," said Ms. Lankin.  "We will also
develop an information technology education and training strategy.
Its goal will be to address the need to ensure the skills of the
future workforce and increase public awareness of information
technology and its applications."

The computing sector strategy, created by a team consisting of
industry, worker and government representatives, also outlines
specific directions necessary for sector success:

stimulating growth in the industry's small and medium-sized firms;
promoting the "enabling effect" of information technology to help
  other sectors to boost their competitiveness;
addressing the skills gap of the sector workforce;

 "Ontario's computing industry is an important part of our economy,
providing high-wage and high value-added employment to thousands of
Ontarians.  It also has a spin-off effect, assisting other industries
to improve their productivity and competitiveness," said Jim Hayward,
Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Computing Sector. "This report
addressed the need to combine our knowledge, resources and expertise
to tackle problems and develop solutions in partnership. I am very
pleased to see the signs of industry and government partnership.  We
now move to action."

 "It was a distinct pleasure working on a joint government-industry
initiative," said Stephen Ralphs, Ontario Director of the Canadian
Information Processing Society (CIPS). "The knowledge workers in the
computing industry represented by CIPS will continue to play a full
and active role in implementing this strategy."

 The Sector Partnership Fund is a $150 million, six-year fund designed
to encourage collaborative initiatives among business, labour and
other interested parties within a sector to help them achieve greater
competitive advantage and boost economic development in the Province.
Currently, the Ontario government is working with more than twenty
sectors, including tourism, aerospace and autoparts, to develop and
implement strategies.

                         -30-

Media contacts: Lucy Rybka-Becker        John Cooper
                Minister's Office        Marketing & Public
                [phone]           Affairs
                                         [phone]

For more information, use Internet address: [e-mail].
COMPUTING SECTOR FRAMEWORK UNDER SECTOR PARTNERSHIP FUND

Several initiatives recommended in the ~Agenda for Action~ have been
approved for funding under the Sector Partnership Fund (SPF). The SPF
is a six-year funding program established to support the
implementation of Ontario~s Industrial Policy Framework. It encourages
business, labour, academia, associations and other stakeholders to
closely examine an economic sector in Ontario, develop a plan for
growth of the sector, and subsequently establish approaches that will
encourage this growth.

Intent of the Sector Partnership Fund

Announced in the Ontario Budget in the spring of 1992, the SPF is
designed to strengthen sectors or ~clusters~ of the province~s economy
by shifting sectors to higher value-added.  The intention is to
encourage the establishment of economic development infrastructure
that will be used by all firms within a given sector to increase their
competitiveness. A total of $150 million is earmarked for the fund,
portions of which will be awarded to approved initiatives from various
sectors of the economy.

Focus on Competitive Fundamentals

The SPF~s focus is to strengthen various competitive fundamentals of
firms within sectors. These include:

continuous innovation;
raising skill levels;
increasing technological capabilities;
developing linkages and networks;
building international capabilities;
establishing companies~ home-based activities in Ontario.

The Computing Sector Strategy takes into account all of these
fundamentals and provides a sound action plan for strengthening them.
In particular, the initiatives to establish a Computer Sector Resource
Facility and an Electronic Commerce Institute provide specific action
plans for strengthening all of these fundamental areas of competitiveness.
Details are provided in the accompanying documents.


COMPUTING SECTOR STRATEGY FOR ONTARIO

Ontario Computing Sector Development Strategy

The computing sector is a key component of the Information
Infrastructure, which has the potential to reshape and revitalize our
economy. The industry, users, workers, government and other
stakeholders in Ontario recognize the need to nurture this rapidly
emerging, high-growth sector. The strategy for accomplishing this
identifies practical action plans to accelerate sector growth. It was
developed and will be implemented through the combined efforts of
government and computing-sector stakeholders.


How the Strategy was prepared:

In late 1992 the Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology requested
that the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), the
Canadian Advanced Technology Association (CATA) and the Canadian
Information Processing Society (CIPS) develop an Advisory Committee,
through which ways would be identified to grow Ontario~s computing
sector. These and other associations were mandated to (a) formulate a
comprehensive, concise strategy for the growth of the province~s
computing sector, and (b) identify initiatives which, when
implemented, would support and accelerate this growth.

During 1993, over 120 representatives of business, labour, academia,
associations and organizations in the sector devoted approximately
10,000 hours to developing its report entitled ~Agenda for Action~.
This was submitted to Ontario~s Minister of Economic Development and
Trade Frances Lankin, on December 15, 1993. After a period of review
and analysis, Ontario is responding positively to the findings and
recommendations of that report.

The Vision of the Computing Sector

The computing sector, along with the telecommunications and
information- content sectors, is one of the three pillars supporting
the ~new information economy~.  This sector~s strategy supports the
vision which was adopted with Ontario~s Telecommunications Strategy in
February 1993: Through Information Technology, Ontario and Canada will
be the best place in the world to live, work, learn and do business.

          The computing sector has a key role in the economic
prosperity and quality of life in Ontario through its contribution of
employment, trade and the enabling effect of computing products and
services.

Key Objectives in Developing Ontario~s Computing Sector

The Computing Sector Strategy focusses on four areas:

The first is to promote self-sustaining growth of market share,
revenues and employment among small and medium-sized firms; the second
is to enhance the ~enabling effect~ of technology by improving
linkages among computing, telecommunications and other sectors of the
economy; the third is to foster the new- skills workforce that will be
needed to underpin those objectives; and the fourth is to retain and
attract new investment.

First Objective: Ontario~s computing sector comprises over 6,000
companies, 93 per cent of which are innovative, entrepreneurial firms
employing 10 or fewer people.  Many of these firms are in high-growth
areas such as software and services, areas expected to have a compound
annual growth rate of 17 per cent over the next five years.
Recognizing the potential economic benefits that can be realized by
stimulating the growth of this sector, the strategy seeks to assist in
improving the core competencies of small and medium-sized firms,
helping them through start-up and growth phases, encouraging alliances
and partnerships, and enabling them to export their products and
expertise globally. Ontario~s continued global market share is not
assured, and it is the primary objective of this strategy not only to
maintain global market share but to expand it.

Second Objective: The Advisory Committee concluded that ~Ontario is in
the throes of economic change~; it is in transition from an industrial
to a knowledge- based society. The computing sector will play an
important role in this transition, not only because of its own
vitality but also because of the enabling effect of its products and
services. Its potential to assure the vitality of mature industries
and stimulate new enterprises through Electronic Commerce is reflected
in this enabling effect. By improving infrastructure linkages and
increasing demand for the computer sector~s products and services,
other sectors including the public sector will benefit as well by
improving their productivity and competitiveness.

Third Objective: The province sees an urgent need for an appropriately
educated and skilled workforce within the computing sector and more
broadly across Ontario for the ~new economy~. This requires the
ability to identify any existing or potential gaps in supply and
demand for such skills, so that education and training providers can
quickly act to address the situation. Other initiatives in improving
the skills base of the workforce include fostering an information
technology learning culture through programs that will stimulate an
interest in science and technology in our youth, and support of
'learnware', a subsector of the computer industry that produces
educational and training software.

Fourth Objective: Together, achieving these objectives will position
the province globally to produce and supply the broadest possible
range of state-of-the-art information technologies. By pursuing the
preceding objectives, Ontario will:

enhance its status as a global supplier of information technology;
foster the growth of existing information-technology firms;
increase the number of firms that conduct research and develop, produce and
supply goods and services for the domestic market and for export through
Ontario-based activity.

The Action Plan

Responding positively to the Advisory Committee~s report, the strategy for the
computing sector calls for the following:

Adopting the strategic directions put forward by the Advisory
Committee in its 'Agenda for Action'.  Implementing two primary
initiatives, including the establishment of a computing sector
resource facility and an Electronic Commerce Institute.  Following
through with additional recommendations related to the Advisory
Committee's report in areas such as education and training, technology
awareness, and government procurement.  Re-mandating the Council for
an Ontario Information Infrastructure to include computing sector
development priorities.

Benefits of the Primary Initiatives

The government believes that substantial beneficial impact can be made
on the sector by supporting the establishment of a computing sector
resource facility and an Electronic Commerce Institute for the
province. These initiatives were primary recommendations of the
'Agenda for Action'.

Computing Sector Resource Facility: This 'virtual' organization with
locations throughout the province will provide a variety of support
functions for small and medium-sized firms that would benefit from
management and marketing support.  Among the services provided will be
management training, advisory services, provision of up-to-date
product and market information, marketing expertise, facilitation (eg.
of strategic alliances), and assistance in investment and export
readiness.

The resource facility will assist the sector in three other ways: by
helping to establish international beachheads, enabling member
companies of the resource facility to obtain professional marketing
services in certain foreign markets; by supporting international
quality standards, which will encourage the development of more
competitive products and services by Ontario companies; and by
improving linkages between the sector and educational institutions.

Electronic Commerce Institute of Ontario: Electronic Commerce (EC) is
the creation, movement, use and display of digital (electronic)
information by and between enterprises and people. It is a key
enabling technology because it helps businesses and institutions
benefit from tremendous savings in costs, time, responsiveness,
service and operations.

The EC Institute of Ontario will increase the capabilities of Ontario
computing and telecommunications firms to provide EC products and
services. It will also foster the use of electronic commerce in both
the public and private sectors in Ontario, including electronic data
interchange (EDI), the standardized movement of digital information
between trading partners. The advantages of EDI include enhanced
efficiency, keeping existing clients and adding new ones in a
marketplace where the use of EDI is becoming increasingly predominant
and mandatory, access to future government contracts where bids will
be taken electronically, and the ability to interact with government
electronically.  The province wishes to form a partnership with the
federal government and industry to establish the Electronic Commerce
Institute, with federal participation levels equivalent to those of
other regions.


The Government's role under the Computing Sector Strategy

The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade will work with other
ministries in order to make progress in the areas of raising public
awareness, devising an education and training strategy for information
technology industries, enhancing the delivery of health care in the
province through information technologies, ensuring that supplier
development is an integral part of government procurement and assuring
that the sector~s small firms have adequate access to capital.


How the strategy will be funded

The Computing Sector Strategy will be financed through the Sector
Partnership Fund (SPF), which supports co-operative initiatives that
help sectors develop their potential at home and internationally. The
sector initiatives satisfy the two main objectives of the SPF: they
move the sector to the production of higher value-added products,
services and processes, and they improve the sector~s competitiveness,
leading to high quality and secure jobs.


Council  for an Ontario Information Infrastructure

The Council for an Ontario Information Infrastructure, formed in 1993
as a key element of Ontario~s Telecommunications Strategy, is being
re-mandated to include the computing sector in addition to its other
activities. The Council, an advisory body to the Government, has
several functions. It raises public awareness; brings partners
together; advises the Government on industry trends; reviews and
advises on applications and priorities under the Ontario Network
Infrastructure Program (ONIP) and the Sector Partnership Fund;
assesses progress under the provincial computing and
telecommunications strategies and recommends further actions if
necessary. It champions the campaign for an Ontario information
infrastructure.


PROFILE OF THE ONTARIO COMPUTING SECTOR

The Ontario computing sector is characterized by growth, innovation,
variety and opportunity. Composed of over 6,000 firms providing a wide
variety of computer-related hardware, software and services, the
sector employs about 43,700 people, and in 1992 posted revenues of
over $6.6 billion, an increase of over nine per cent from the previous
year, making it a major contributor to provincial wealth.

Ontario's Computing Sector:

The computing sector comprises firms which produce and provide the
following computer hardware, software and computer-related services:

Computer hardware includes electronic data processing equipment,
primarily computers and input, output and electronic storage devices.
Computer software products include packaged software such as operating
systems software, user tools (systems development and maintenance
packages) and applications (ready-to-use packages).  Computer services
include computer rental, leasing, maintenance, repair and time-sharing,
and such professional services as programming, and information technology
planning and systems work.


The Market for Computer Products and Services

The worldwide market for information technology, including
telecommunications, is currently $395 billion annually, and is
expected to grow to $1 trillion by the year 2000.  Ontario~s share of
the global market is now two per cent. The province~s contribution of
58 per cent of the nation~s computing sector revenues helps to
position Canada as the seventh largest supplier of computing products
and services in the world (behind the U.S., Japan, Germany, France,
U.K. and Italy). Domestically, the computing sector has a large and
concentrated base of potential customers.


Make-up of Computing Sector Firms

The large majority of firms in the sector are small and
entrepreneurial, with 93 per cent having ten or fewer employees.
Ontario firms are known for the innovativeness and high quality of
their computing products and services, and typically have strong
growth potential which can be enhanced through management and
marketing expertise, export and domestic market information and
assistance in investment readiness. Many of these dynamic, fast-moving
firms are well-suited to succeeding in the ~new information economy~.
On average, sector firms invest 10.4 per cent of sales revenues in
research and development.


Sector Employment Profile

Directly accounting for about one per cent of the province's
workforce, the sector provides high value-added and skill-intensive
jobs. Between 1985 and 1991, employment growth in the software and
services portion of the sector averaged 7.6 per cent annually, while
total provincial employment grew at 2.4 per cent annually. A 1992
Employment and Immigration Canada report 'Software and National
Competitiveness' found that software-related workers are more educated
than those in other white-collar occupations; the report also pointed
out a high degree of mobility among software-related workers.  Ontario
has a pool of workers who are well-educated and experienced in all
areas required to build the computing sector.


Infrastructure supporting the Computing Sector:

Ontario has a well developed infrastructure capable of supporting and
fostering growth in the computing sector. Two key components of that
infrastructure are education and telecommunications. The province
spends about $25 billion a year on education, part of which supports
world-class universities which have earned excellent reputations in
the field of information technology. Ontario also has a strong
telecommunications infrastructure, with advancements being made
continuously.

Broad Base of Sector Associations and Collaboration

Adding to the strength of the sector is a wide variety of
associations. Over 30 different national and regional computing
organizations operate in the province, including vertical-market and
special-interest groups, professional associations and research
institutes. Firms which are members of an association represent 90 per
cent of sector employment, revenue and exports. By providing
information through a variety of communications vehicles, and by
facilitating seminars, conferences and other events, these
associations collectively can communicate with virtually every sector
firm in the province.

Industry, workers, sector associations and other stakeholders have
demonstrated their desire to collaborate with each other and to work
with the Ontario government to develop the sector and to lead
initiatives supporting its ongoing development. The sector also
benefits from the Province~s growing multicultural population, whose
contacts and affinities with countries of origin throughout the world
provide domestic firms with a major strength in the pursuit of global
trade.

Computing Sector Opportunities

With a practical strategy for building on the sector~s many inherent
strengths, Ontario is well positioned to stimulate growth and
prosperity in the sector itself and in other areas of the economy,
through the enabling effect of information technology.  Sector growth
will bring the opportunity for new jobs and the enrichment of existing
sector jobs, and will improve the economic prosperity of Ontario and
Canada.


The Computing Sector Resource Facility: Enabling Ontario~s information
technology entrepreneurs.

    Ontario's computing sector is one of the most promising components
of the economy.  Its current business base of more than 6,000 firms is
a substantial foundation upon which to build economic growth based on
increased market share, revenue and employment.

    Ninety-three percent of the participants in this dynamic and
highly fragmented sector are small firms with less than ten employees.
Although participants tend to be entrepreneurial, innovative and
highly responsive to market demands, these strengths have
traditionally been offset by a lack of the management expertise
necessary to move the organization from start-up mode to
market-viability. In addition to their need for this expertise, the
growth of many firms could be accelerated dramatically through the
provision of:

  industry-specific sales and marketing skills
  access to financing
  market intelligence
  accurate, current product information
  export marketing expertise the ability to comply with international standards
    Through the creation of the Computing Sector Resource Facility,
the Government of Ontario seeks to strengthen this important sector
and enable its information technology entrepreneurs ~ thereby
stimulating the province~s overall economy.

Computing Sector Resource Facility

    The primary role of the computing sector resource facility will be
to assist small to medium sized firms in developing competencies in
management, marketing expertise and export readiness.

Functions:

    Operating as a virtual organization with pay-for-service
representatives and locations across the province, the computing
sector resource facility will establish links with the sector~s many
industry and professional associations and their members. This will
provide participants with access to a rich, but inexpensive one-on-
one 'human database' of skills and expertise.

    As a networking and information referral service, the resource
facility will provide computing sector participants the information
support, access to knowledgeable advisors and comprehensive training
necessary for long-term business viability and growth. What~s more, by
acting as a single referral point for participants in the sector, the
likelihood of creating synergistic relationships and industry
alliances for commercialization and product development is increased.

    In keeping with its objective of helping to foster trade and
global readiness, the Facility also will act as the 'interface to the
industry,' liaising between Ontario's computing sector participants
and parties interested in dealing with them commercially.
Representatives of the resource facility will support innovative
activities and the provincial, national and international marketing
efforts of the sector~s small and medium sized companies.

    The creation of beachheads in markets outside Canada, which will
be used to identify commercial opportunities for Ontario's computer
sector goods and services, will also bolster the sector's opportunities
of competing globally.


Overall Effects

    To the economy of Ontario, the effect of the computing sector
resource facility will be to improve the business viability and global
market competitiveness of companies in the sector.

    Expected results include self-sustaining growth of the industry,
accompanied by the attendant increase in employment, exports and
revenues.

Ontario's Commitment

    The government has committed up to $9.5 million over five years to
match industry~s support of this initiative. The level of Ontario~s
commitment will depend on that of the private sector. In the first
year, government funding will be of particular importance as
investments in information technology tools and other capital
intensive start-up costs are met. As infrastructure expenses diminish,
concurrent to the rise in its revenues, that the facility will become
self-sustaining and financially independent.

   By stimulating exports, job creation and additional investments in
Ontario, the benefits of the resource facility will far outweigh the
costs associated with the initiative.

    The province~s contract with the facility will specify mutually
agreeable milestones to measure its progress, auditing procedures, and
an approved operating plan.


Revenue Generation

    The resource facility will raise revenues from fees for service,
donations, event sponsorships, seminars and training and supplier-user
matching services.

Management

    There will be a Board of Directors, comprised of 15-20
representatives of various stakeholder groups; including the Ontario
Government, industry, workers and others.  A President will report to
an Executive Committee comprised of three to five senior industry
individuals, including the Chair of the Board.

Electronic Commerce Leveraging Ontario~s Economic Competitiveness

    With the advent of inexpensive, reliable computer and
telecommunications systems, today~s organizations have come to depend
on quick, convenient access to electronic information. In this form,
information is extremely valuable because it can accelerate the flow
of business through and between organizations; thereby providing
opportunities for greater productivity and competitiveness.

    In essence, this 'Electronic Commerce' (or EC) is the creation,
use, movement and display of information in electronic form by and
between enterprises and people.


Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

    One important subset of Electronic Commerce, Electronic Data
Interchange (or EDI) is used to communicate high volume business
transactions between and among trading partners.

    EDI helps organizations develop synergistic relationships, respond
quickly to commercial opportunities, improve productivity, reduce
expenses, and provide improved job quality.

    In short, EDI~s enabling effect is to improve the competitiveness
and effectiveness~both domestically and globally~ of the organizations
that use it.

    'Agenda for Action; A Strategy for the Development of Ontario's
Computing Sector' identifies Electronic Commerce in general, and
Electronic Data Interchange specifically, as levers which will
stimulate development in both the private and public sectors.


Adding Value

    EDI provides an environment in which just-in-time inventory
management and electronic funds transfer (EFT) become possible.
Complex interactions involving numerous steps and trading partners are
reduced to one continuous electronic transaction. For example, goods
are ordered, picked from inventory, shipped, tracked, received and
paid for as part of one electronic 'exchange' among several partners:
in this case, the supplier, buyer, shipper and bank, all of whom are
networked together. Electronic data is all that remains to prove that
transactions occurred~there is no need for manual forms.

    By facilitating the implementation and use of just-in-time
management techniques and EFT tools, EDI will provide extensive
residual benefits 'particularly increased responsiveness and
profitability' to manufacturing enterprises of all sizes.

    Suppliers of information technology products and services
especially will enjoy increased demand when organizations implement EC
and EDI because these products form the backbone or ~infrastructure~
that makes possible the transmission of electronic data. Therefore,
widespread acceptance and implementation of electronic commerce will
result in immediate growth in both the telecommunications sector and
the computing products and services sector.

    Furthermore, as EC users strive for greater competitive advantages
through reduced operating costs, greater accuracy in transactions and
improved information availability for operating and customer service
improvements, they will again turn to suppliers in the information
technology sectors for additional value-added services.  This will
result in further development and growth of these sectors and provide
constant demand for Ontario~s knowledge workers.


Promoting EC and EDI

    As stated, Ontario is committed to the promotion of electronic
commerce as a lever to bolster the economic prosperity and
competitiveness of both the province and the country as a whole.
Ontario understands the critical importance of retaining and creating
new jobs, expanding export development opportunities and growing small
businesses. The proliferation of electronic commerce will serve to
further enhance and accelerate our ability to meet these challenges
and to compete globally with timely, innovative products and services.

    In keeping with these objectives, the Government of Ontario wishes
to work in partnership with the Electronic Data Interchange Council of
Canada and the federal government to establish and operate the
Electronic Commerce Institute of Ontario.  Federal government funding
consistent with federal support provided for similar institutes in
other regions will be sought.


The Electronic Commerce Institute (ECI) of Ontario

    The ECI facility will promote and support the use of information
technology as a means of providing higher value-added activity across
Ontario~s economy.

Its objectives will be to:

increase the capabilities of Ontario~s computing and
telecommunications firms in providing products and services that
support electronic commerce and increase the use of electronic
commerce, including electronic data interchange in Ontario.

Functions:

    Specifically, the ECI will help Ontario firms and the broader
public sector identify and use innovative, leading edge electronic
commerce techniques and technologies.

    In particular, small and medium sized enterprises, not
traditionally users of EDI, stand to benefit enormously from the
activities of the Electronic Commerce Institute.

    In view of the fact that Ontario and its front-line commercial
organizations have had to keep pace with and remain ahead of global
competitors, the use of various aspects of electronic commerce has
become very sophisticated in some areas of Ontario~s economy. As a
result, many of the more than 800 Ontario firms that now use EDI, are
at the global state-of-the-art in its use.

Bridging the Learning Curve

    Therefore, small and medium firms that have not already optimized
their businesses through the use of electronic commerce or EDI will
have the opportunity to bridge the learning curve quickly and
efficiently with the assistance of the Institute.  Further, they will
enjoy the benefits created by synergistic relationships with other ECI
clients~from the uninitiated to the most sophisticated users of
electronic commerce solutions.

    Another of the ECI~s primary functions will be to foster
relationships between Ontario information technology sector firms and
potential and growing users of electronic commerce. In other words,
the ECI will introduce suppliers of information technology products
and services that support electronic commerce to users, in both the
private and public sectors, who wish to leverage its power to optimize
their organizations.

    Through its related consultative activities, the Institute will
also be ideally suited to identify and facilitate the development of
unique solutions to electronic commerce-related problems~solutions
which can subsequently be marketed by Ontario information technology
firms~both within the province and around the world.


Three Areas of Service

The Institute will:

  provide specialized services to existing, new and potential
Ontario-based suppliers of Information Technology products and
services that support electronic commerce;

  develop activities which will bring these suppliers together with
existing, new and potential Ontario-based users of EC to jointly
overcome hurdles as they emerge;

and provide information and educational materials that promote EC and
which can be used to support decisions for its future implementation.

Electronic commerce has a positive impact on Ontario~s workforce

    Electronic commerce tends to have a positive impact on workers
whose organizations use it. Because repetitive administrative tasks
are not particularly interesting to employees nor valuable to their
companies when they underutilize the skills of a talented resource,
the use of Electronic Commerce provides both parties with the
opportunity for better deployment of valuable human assets. For
example:

  time and resources associated with certain administrative duties can
be redirected to other more job-enriching areas more resources can be
directed at improving client service and other higher value-added
activities skill levels and contributions of workers can be increased
through on-going training and development and better utilization of
human resources

    What's more, as organizations prosper as a result of better use of
resources and the increased competitiveness afforded them by EC,
career opportunities for skilled employees flourish~increasing job
security, improving job content and accelerating career mobility.

    When applied in the public sector, the result is greater
value-added in government to Ontario taxpayers and the economy as a
whole, increased skill levels on the part of public employees and
increased productivity and service through the provincial government
and its agencies.

The need for an Electronic Commerce Institute of Ontario

    The EDI Council of Canada, which is located in Etobicoke, is
shifting its activities toward fostering global electronic commerce
linkages for Canadian enterprises and overseeing the establishment and
operation of regional EDI Institutes, including Ontario~s EC
Institute. For Ontario to remain a trading province, it must remain on
the leading edge of trading and commercial practices.

The relationship between the Computing Sector Resource Facility and the EC
Institute:

    The computing sector resource facility focuses on the development
of Ontario~s 6,000 computing sector firms by focusing on supporting
and escalating the competencies in management, marketing expertise and
export readiness of these entrepreneurial firms.

    The Electronic Commerce Institute will focus on developing the
supply of EC-related products and services by these firms and
building the use (and therefore the domestic market) for these
products and services.


(A Computing STRATEGY for Ontario)