Right now, as I indicated earlier, there are over 300 data centres across the country that store data and computing equipment for departments. That's not reliable, nor is it economical.
In some data centres there is an excess of computing capacity that's actually barely used. At the same time, other data centres are straining to meet the demand. The silo nature of our current system prevents data centres from maximizing current capacity, and each data centre has different reliability and security standards on top of that.
As you pointed out, the Auditor General raised concerns about aging IT and said that many IT systems are supported by old infrastructure and are at risk of breaking down, which is why we're acting.
Older data centres are also less energy efficient than newer ones, as they have out-of-date heating and cooling systems that cost more than they need to, frankly, and are wasteful in terms of energy use. Shared Services Canada will save taxpayer dollars by reducing the overall number of Government of Canada data centres and making sure they're robust, secure, and energy efficient.
Over the medium term, this means reducing the number of data centres from over 300 to less than 20. Obviously, not only is this good for the taxpayer, but it's good for the public service, and it's also good for the environment.
A whole-of-government approach will be taken to consolidate and manage data centres. Data centres are considered mission-critical infrastructure and will be managed responsibly. The streamlining of data centres will be done in a gradual and prudent way. Consolidation is expected to be staged while moving to modern, secure, and scalable facilities.