A big part of the challenge really revolves around how people become aware of products. That's one of the challenges that isn't often mentioned. American brands, foreign brands, are often consumer brands, so they're very well known. Marketing is on a different level. When you're looking for a computer, for example, you will often think of Dell or HP. You don't necessarily know which brands are more business-focused. I would rephrase the challenge slightly. How can we raise awareness of companies that are truly there to serve business and government so that we can give them equal footing in a competitive environment?
Things and needs change. Knowing what the needs are and being able to influence decision-makers is helpful. In IT, the following situation often occurs. A product is designed by one of the major American players. Then, a call for tenders that includes these new requirements is issued. We're able to do that, but not necessarily as quickly.
So you have to be at the table to know what's coming and be able to bid and meet the requirements. Personal computers have been around for a long time. Can they be managed remotely, or not? What are the devices? It can take months to meet these requirements.
Rather than being surprised by what the requirements are, we need to work in partnership to develop Canadian capabilities. I think this will greatly benefit Canada, while allowing us to be competitive abroad.