Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the committee members for allowing ITAC to come and meet with you today. We think this issue is very important, so we're very pleased to have the opportunity. We expect to take about 10 to 15 minutes for the three of us to make our presentations, and we'll try to cut that down to meet the timeframe.
Just to give you an idea of what ITAC is, and I know there is a presentation being circulated and you will be able to read it, we are a national association of only ICT companies--information, communication, and technology companies. There are over 350 members. Seventy per cent of our membership are small and medium-sized businesses, and over 70% are Canadian-owned.
It may be of interest to know--it's a startling fact when you think about it--that there are some 600,000 people employed in ICT companies in Canada. That is 20% more than in the auto sector in its heyday. There are an additional 500,000 ICT specialists who work in companies like banks, and even in the government and the rest of the economy.
We represent 5% of Canada's GDP, and 38% of Canadian R and D is done by our industry.
We cover computer hardware, software, microelectronics, services, systems integration, staff augmentation, consulting, and digital commerce.
ITAC's philosophy is that there is room for all businesses to do business with government, and we do advocate on behalf of all sizes of business--medium, small, and large.
We believe that government should be smart buyers and should buy value, results, and outcomes. We want them to leverage the private sector best practices, and we feel that at this time government should invest in ICT to stimulate the economy quickly. That will create jobs that are sustainable post-recession, and these efficiency gains will help to reduce operating costs and fiscal deficits.
Generally, that's who ITAC is. I'd be happy to answer further questions, but I'm going to allow the time now to go to Hicham Adra, who will speak to you about shared services.