Let me say that SMEs are a key component of all of government IT business. They provide a wide variety of services. We use a number of procurement vehicles to engage SMEs, not just within the telecommunications domain to support departments and agencies, but within all the domains of IT. We use a task-based informatics professional services vehicle to acquire professional services, primarily SMEs, to assist departments and agencies implementing, for example, some of their telecommunications components. They are a key component of all the IT services across the Government of Canada. We continue to do business with SMEs through those procurement vehicles. Those procurement vehicles will continue to be used with GENS to support departments in their specific implementation and in supporting them in their specific requirements.
On November 26th, 2009. See this statement in context.