Infrastructure: A Foundation for e-Government
 
What is it?
 
Infrastructure is a foundation. As Canadians, we count on our common infrastructure of power stations, airports, roads and sewers to provide the foundation for orderly daily living and business. Similarly, a common I&IT infrastructure for the government will provide the framework to:

• manage government information more effectively
• enhance our capacity to use information and information technology across the enterprise
• provide quality service to the public
• strengthen efficiency and accountability
• deliver government priorities in innovative and cost-effective ways
  

Why is it needed?
 
Over the years, our ministries have adopted technologies that met their unique business needs. As a result, we now have a variety of systems that cannot communicate with one another. This makes it difficult to coordinate functions or share information across the government.
 
Since it is costly and inefficient to run multiple IT infrastructures, we are investing in a common infrastructure that will enable us to:

• integrate and organize programs from the customer's perspective
• deliver reliable, consistent and accessible services across ministries and communities
• increase opportunities for authorized data sharing
• establish secure links with the private sector and other levels of government
  

Where is it going?
 
The Ontario government has set out a plan to implement its I&IT infrastructure. The common I&IT infrastructure will support the I&IT activities of the entire Government of Ontario. Its implementation will transform the way the government does business and enable the delivery of services that will give Ontarians a choice of consistent and reliable ways to access government services and products.
 
Visit Enterprise Architecture for more information.