GTEC welcomes Saskatchewan as the 2009 Showcase Province

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, Ontario – Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - GTEC announced that the 2009 Showcase Province will be Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is a leading province in innovation and technology, with a strong partnership of private sector firms, public and Crown entities working together to expand technology and business opportunities in the province.

"The Government of Saskatchewan views technology as one of the keys to building our province and sustaining our economic momentum," Minister responsible for the Information Technology Office, Dan D'Autremont said. "Whether it's enhancing our research and development tax credit or developing more efficient government services through the adoption of technology, our goal is to make it easier for our private sector to develop the innovations that are helping to grow our province's economy."

The Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) will lead the delegation. Saskatchewan will also exhibit some of the innovative ways it is using technology to improve services to its citizens and grow the economy, including:

• How its unique public-private trade organization (Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership) is helping companies to export Saskatchewan-developed technology around the world.
• The expansion of high-speed Internet coverage to every corner of the province.
• How centralization of IT services is creating opportunities to develop less expensive and more effective technology-based services for citizens.
• How major advancements in the use of geomatics and geomapping is helping the private and public sectors to make better decisions.

"Whether it's enhancing our research and development tax credit or developing a more efficient government oil and gas system, our goal is to facilitate the ideas and innovation that our private sector is using to build Saskatchewan and exporting around the world," D'Autremont said.

"GTEC is not just about the federal government, and neither is government service delivery. The truth is that communities and services are becoming increasingly interwoven and governments need to collaborate across jurisdictions to deliver services better," said Kevin d'Entremont, Executive Director of GTEC. "There are lessons to be learned from the provincial model for service delivery, and I am pleased that Saskatchewan's presence will highlight both private and public sector innovation."

The GTEC 2009 focus is "Service Mashups". GTEC's Government 2.0 (G2.0) Conference will bring leaders together to "mash-up" public sector programs and services to uncover the underlying issues that enable or prevent governments from innovating service delivery. Rather than offering a series of presentations, GTEC's conference will challenge community leaders to collaborate on a vision of government 2.0 services based on actual benefits and limitations of their policy and operating environments.

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About GTEC 2009 For 16 years, GTEC is recognized as Canada's most significant forum on the use of technology to improve government services and operations. The event features an annual Distinction Awards program and gala, a comprehensive Professional Development Forum, and the GTEC Exhibition. The conference program and extensive trade show are attended annually by an estimated 7,000 professionals. For more information please visit www.gtec.ca