Canada’s climate action plan wants you

January 31, 2018, by Mary Allen

The Canadian government is inviting applications for funding through the new Partnership stream in its Low Carbon Economy Fund Challenge. Aimed at SMEs, smaller municipalities, non-profits and aboriginal communities, this new stream will support organizations that can demonstrate carbon emissions reduction – an odds-on opportunity for the IT industry.

Powered by IoT and advanced analytics, and driven by the need for improved sustainability outcomes, Green IT is experiencing a renaissance. Initiatives such as low and zero carbon data centre, improved PUE using advanced facilities components, DCIM and other energy-saving solutions - as well as software that addresses energy issues in the "other 98" may each have a good story to tell. And with support for these kinds projects, it many be possible to scale energy-saving efforts to help Canada meet its climate goals. If your organization can make a difference, click here for more info on application to the LCEF Challenge.

The human side of data

January 31, 2018 by Michael O'Neil

VitalHub offers SaaS, on-premise EHR, and mobile applications focused primarily on the needs of mental health and addiction treatment organizations, a segment that has historically experienced IT staff shortages. VitalHub's TREAT solution collects relevant data in standard formats and delivers it in customer-centric workflows, aiming to support both collaboration between clinicians on patient treatment and administrators’ assessment of cross-functional processes. But for the system to deliver on this promise, TREAT had to be built with self-service capabilities that would empower caregiver and administrative stakeholders, healthcare professionals who are more typically immersed in care delivery than in app and data management.

For insight into VitalHub's work with Information Builders to create data accessibility that director of solutions architecture at VitalHub Jonathan Steljes described as "“more dashboards and infographics, things that are actually telling a story,” access the case study article here.

A standards anatomy: building tech norms in government Pt 1

January 18, 2018 by Mary Allen

Tech standards are widely touted as a panacea for a multitude of sins. Their application will solve interoperability challenges for technology consumers, particularly in emerging areas, such as IoT; adherence to standards will help users battle security demons; and inventors will find in standards the guidance and frameworks that they need to ensure a place for their product/service in an increasingly global supply chain.

But when faced with a dizzying array of sometimes competing standards, tech users are faced with important questions around what, who, why and how do these guidelines emerge, and which is the right one for their particular application? To learn more about the evolution of standards - as illustrated in work carried out by the OMG - and their importance in the management of government solutions - as demonstrated by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's OneGC Digital Exchange Platform, click here.

Save the date! For The Great Canadian Data Centre Symposium 2019

brought to you by InsightaaS and McMaster University's CIRC

"There are two kinds of conferences," noted an attendee to the inaugural GCDC Symposium: "those where you go to be seen, and those where you really learn something. The GCDC is the latter."

Building on the conference's growing reputation for thought leadership on techniques and tactics, innovation and best practices in the data centre industry, InsightaaS and the CIRC have announced dates for GCDCS19 - June 19-20. Collaboration between academic, practitioner and supplier communities is a unique feature of the GCDCS, which has been expanded through the addition of an Academic Congress and Canadian Data Centre Excellence Awards dinner at this year's two-day event.

To register, or for more information on sponsorship and speaking opportunities, contact Michael O'Neil michael.oneil@insightaas.com