Thank you very much.
As I mentioned in my opening statement, we really launched our initiative to modernize and merge the email systems right from the outset. This was, indeed, the first initiative we undertook. In certain respects, this was the easiest of the three initiatives but, despite everything, it is not a simple one to do. Departments are all organized in their own way. We are talking about 63 systems at present.
We began by really focussing on the situation, establishing how the current systems operated, drawing up an inventory and so on and so forth. We consulted the departments to determine their requirements and what they needed in that respect. We also considered the issue of security. We held discussions with our partners, in particular with the CSTC, Public Works Canada and Justice Canada. It was acknowledged that the email systems are vulnerable in the current information technology systems. I believe that this holds true for both the government and the private sector. Agents are often able to infiltrate our systems through the email systems. And these systems are all interconnected. The email systems are connected to the networks which are in turn connected to the data centres, etc. There really is a gap here which makes the system vulnerable. From the outset we understood that we had to adopt an approach offering greater security.
We then turned to industry for their input. We held information briefings with representatives from the technology sector. These initiatives generated a great deal of interest. Approximately 150 people participated in these sessions. Following that, we prepared a request for information for the industry. In zeroing in on our requirements, we wanted to ensure that we were as well-informed as possible about what industry could provide.
In September, after going through this entire process, we implemented our purchasing and procurement process. We will proceed by determining which preselected companies we will work with for a period varying from six weeks to two months. Our objective is to specify the contract requirements. We did not want to specify these requirements ourselves without first having spoken to people who would be able to provide such services.
The process will be over by the end of this week. This is what we call—and I will refer to it in English as I do not know what the term is in French—
“the request for responses for evaluation”.
We have established our requirements with respect to both security and tangible experience. We are expecting that approximately five or ten firms will be able to meet these requirements. We are then going to work with these five or ten companies in order to specify the requirements and then, next January, we will prepare a proper request for proposal. We are expecting a solution to be determined before the spring of 2013. Only the 5 or 10 preselected firms will be authorized to submit proposals.