Victoria, We Have Liftoff: Cloud Technology Now Accessible to the BC Public Sector

A recent announcement by the British Columbia Office of the Chief Information Officer means that Cloud technology is now more accessible than ever to the B.C Public Sector. Learn how you can launch your public sector organization and its processes into the Cloud to drive benefits such as increased efficiency and productivity.

Enacted in 2004, the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act – or FOIPPA – regulates how the personal information of British Columbians is handled by the province’s public sector. Not only does this legislation require that public bodies take steps to protect any personal information in its control or custody, it also sets out requirements for the routing and storage of this information. More specifically, Section 30.1 states that public bodies need to ensure that personal information is only stored in and accessed from Canada.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the ability of many cloud providers to guarantee the sovereign residency of data, this provision has been a significant impediment to the adoption of cloud technology by public sector bodies in British Columbia. However, a recent announcement by the province’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has changed all this, bringing the regulation in line with the state of today’s technology.

What Changed With the OCIO’s Announcement?

In a January 2018 statement, the OCIO specified that after consulting with a number of stakeholders, including Microsoft and the British Columbia Privacy Commissioner, it had updated its Privacy Impact Assessment. This update approved a number of Microsoft cloud technologies that meet the province’s data residency requirements.

So what does this mean for British Columbia’s public sector?

Key Cloud Technology Considerations for the British Columbia Public Sector

With the clarification provided by the announcement, public sector bodies in British Columbia can now confidently unlock the benefits of cloud technology. Realized in public sectors across Canada, these benefits include increased efficiency and productivity, improved data recovery and security, easier updates and greater stability, and of course, lower costs.

However, while a move to the Cloud comes with many benefits, it also comes with a number of considerations:

• What are the business and technical requirements of a cloud migration?
• What is necessary in terms of licensing and infrastructure?
• What about the required Privacy Impact Assessment and Security Threat Assessment?
• Is my technology and the team Cloud ready? Has a Readiness Assessment been completed?

Understanding what has been approved and is permitted, as well as what is the best fit for your organization, is critical to your success and for ensuring compliance moving forward.

Confused? Don’t Worry. Our BC Public Sector Cloud Mapping & Transformation Workshop Can Help

Want your public sector organization to realize the benefits of the Cloud, but are overwhelmed by the complexity of the migration requirements and process? No sweat, that’s where we can help. We’ve designed a special workshop to help public sector organizations assess, explore, map and resolve the impact of moving unique workloads to the Cloud and understand how it will benefit them for years to come.

Our BC Public Sector Cloud Mapping & Transformation Workshop includes:

1. An analysis and alignment, in adherence with the BC Privacy Act & PIA guidelines, to where Cloud technologies, infrastructure and services can most improve your organization.
2. A defined business requirement and technical requirement document for moving to the Cloud.
3. A recommendation and optional Proof of Concept (POC) for moving specific workloads (e.g. Microsoft 365 Exchange) to the Cloud.
4. A dedicated senior Cloud expert and resource to confidently move forward to the Cloud.

Working with Steeves and Associates on your cloud mapping and transformation process will provide you with the transferable knowledge that will help your internal team become more comfortable and confident with the Cloud and cloud technologies.

Building a Case for a SharePoint Hybrid [On-Demand Webinar]

Watch the On-Demand Webinar now to discover how a hybrid deployment of SharePoint can provide your organization with the security, control and cost benefits you need to make the move now.

Hosted by Dave Steeves (Steeves and Associates), Michal Pisarek (Bonzai Intranet) and Gilbert Okello (Steeves and Associates) you’ll gain a comprehensive view of the SharePoint hybrid pros/cons, industry data and case study in the practice of hybrid environments.

Click HERE to watch on-demand now! >>

Steeves and Associates – Trusted Cloud Partner for the Public Sector

As Microsoft’s first Canadian Cloud partner, we have decades of experience in helping organizations move their workloads to the Cloud. We have extensive experience working with clients and vendors to drive technology and technology use cases forward. What’s more, we’ve driven the creation of cloud infrastructure in Canada, encouraging the deployment of Microsoft Data Centres in Toronto and Quebec City (opened in 2016).

We are also trusted as a  “Go-to-Partner” for municipalities and government organizations and are a long-standing member and partner of BCNet and MISA BC. You’ve probably seen us a more than a few MISA BC conferences!

We have worked with BC public sector institutions to move organizational productivity, efficiency and technology forward since 1992. And in 2009, we brought our cloud expertise to the public sector; working with a number of large BC Public Sector institutions to construct use cases, move workloads, and propel organizational productivity forward with the Microsoft Cloud.

Book your BC Public Sector Cloud Mapping & Transformation Workshop

Interested in learning more about how your public sector organization can take advantage of the latest cloud technology and infrastructure? At Steeves and Associates, we can help you get the trusted resources you need to deliver on-time and on-budget, and provide support and answers to your questions when you need it. Download our BC Public Sector Cloud Mapping & Transformation Workshop Brochure now! >> http://www.steeves.net/media/Steeves-and-Associates-BC-Public-Sector-Handout-April-2018.pdf

Don’t hesitate to contact us about our BC Public Sector Cloud Mapping & Transformation Workshop. Learn more or book by phone (1-888-952-8800) or email (sales@steeves.net).

Steeves and Associates

Steeves and Associates is the first Microsoft Cloud Partner in Canada and the premier Partner of choice for medium-to-large size organizations. As the Hybrid Data Center, Cloud Productivity and Identity Specialists we are a leader, early adopter and implementer of Microsoft technologies with a reputation for innovation, quality, and in-depth expertise.

Known as the “Trusted Go-to-Partner” by both clients and vendors, Steeves and Associates delivers a senior team of enterprise consultants who average 25 years’ of experience integrating, implementing and migrating Microsoft solutions into a myriad of complex enterprise environments. Considered to be amongst the best in the industry, you are in working with the right resources to get your questions answered when you need it most with Steeves and Associates.