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Technology Trends/Cloud Workspace (view source)

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Cloud computing in general, as well as its more specific offerings such as the Cloud Workspace, are also the reason for the appearance of a new computing model called Zero Client<ref>Essential Guide (February 2011). zero client [https://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/definition/zero-client Essential Guide]. Retrieved from WhatIs.com</ref> that has emerged in recent years. With data storage and information processing happening in the cloud, the local computing devices required significantly less processing power and storage capacity. Instead, they only require a connection to the Ethernet and/or Wi-Fi, as well as the ability to plug in input devices such as mouse, keyboard and a screen. In essence, the Zero Client consist of miniature boxes that enable cloud users to communicate to the cloud applications.

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Another emerging industry trend related to Cloud Workspace is Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).<ref>Wikipedia.org (2020, January 2). Bring your own device. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_your_own_device Wikipedia.org]. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org</ref> Computing device affordability has increased in recent years, with many employees already possessing one or more personal devices capable of performing their work duties. There are different potential financial benefits to the employer when adopting this concept, and some studies indicate that employee productivity can increase. However, there are also many concerns, mostly regarding the security and potential data breaches. As personal devices are often shared with partners and family, data privacy is a major concern, as is the security of data should a personal devices be sold or given away, with the employer having no control or oversight over whether an employee has removed all previous corporate information from that device.

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Another emerging industry trend related to Cloud Workspace is Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)<ref>Wikipedia.org (2020, January 2). Bring your own device. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_your_own_device Wikipedia.org]. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org</ref>. Computing device affordability has increased in recent years, with many employees already possessing one or more personal devices capable of performing their work duties. There are different potential financial benefits to the employer when adopting this concept, and some studies indicate that employee productivity can increase. However, there are also many concerns, mostly regarding the security and potential data breaches. As personal devices are often shared with partners and family, data privacy is a major concern, as is the security of data should a personal devices be sold or given away, with the employer having no control or oversight over whether an employee has removed all previous corporate information from that device.

<h2>Canadian Government Use</h2>

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Blueprint 2020, launched in 2013, set out a vision for a world-class public service equipped to serve Canada and Canadians now and into the future. Focused on themes of agility, collaboration and the smart use of technology, Blueprint 2020 aims to make the Government of Canada a modern workplace that makes smart use of technology so that it can meet citizens’ continuing demands for more IT enabled services and for these services to be available through new channels such as social media.

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The concept of Cloud Workspace is compatible with the goals of Blueprint 2020. For employees, Cloud Workspace empower them to choose where and how to work to be most productive, while providing flexibility and greater variety of spaces and fostering. It also offers the potential for increased personal productivity by providing better technology and work processes. For the Government of Canada, Cloud Workspace assists with meeting the strategic goals of providing better service to Canadians, contributing to sustainability goals through data-informed decision making on better ways to work, design, use and manage the workplace, allowing the Government to attract retain the best talents, optimizing efficiency of facilities and creates less waste, and fulfilling its commitment to the digital office.<ref>Government of Canada (June 17, 2019) . Government of Canada Cloud Adoption Strategy: 2018 update from : Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. [https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/modern-emerging-technologies/cloud-services/government-canada-cloud-adoption-strategy.html Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat]. Retrieved from Government of Canada</ref>

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The concept of Cloud Workspace is compatible with the goals of Blueprint 2020. For employees, Cloud Workspace empower them to choose where and how to work to be most productive, while providing flexibility and greater variety of spaces and fostering. It also offers the potential for increased personal productivity by providing better technology and work processes. For the Government of Canada, Cloud Workspace assists with meeting the strategic goals of providing better service to Canadians, contributing to sustainability goals through data-informed decision making on better ways to work, design, use and manage the workplace, allowing the Government to attract retain the best talents, optimizing efficiency of facilities and creates less waste, and fulfilling its commitment to the digital office<ref>Government of Canada (June 17, 2019) . Government of Canada Cloud Adoption Strategy: 2018 update from : Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. [https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/modern-emerging-technologies/cloud-services/government-canada-cloud-adoption-strategy.html Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat]. Retrieved from Government of Canada</ref>.

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In April 2019, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister responsible for Shared Services Canada, announced a new agreement to acquire Microsoft Office 365 licenses for all federal government departments.<ref>Shared Services Canada (2020) [http://myssc-monspc.ssc-spc.gc.ca/en/news/connexion/microsoft-office365-20190416 Shared Services Canada]. Retrieved from Government of Canada</ref> The acquisition of such a major cloud system represents a major shift from doing work on local workstations towards working in the cloud.

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In April 2019, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister responsible for Shared Services Canada, announced a new agreement to acquire Microsoft Office 365 licenses for all federal government departments<ref>Shared Services Canada (2020) [http://myssc-monspc.ssc-spc.gc.ca/en/news/connexion/microsoft-office365-20190416 Shared Services Canada]. Retrieved from Government of Canada</ref>. The acquisition of such a major cloud system represents a major shift from doing work on local workstations towards working in the cloud.

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The major driver for the Cloud Workspace adoption in the Canadian Government is the Treasury Board of Canada directive on Government of Canada Cloud Adoption.<ref>Government of Canada (June 17, 2019) .Government of Canada Cloud Adoption Strategy: 2018 update from :Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. [https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/modern-emerging-technologies/cloud-services/government-canada-cloud-adoption-strategy.html Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat]. Retrieved from Government of Canada</ref> Those guidelines are the key factor for adoption of various cloud services for the Government of Canada, including the Cloud Workspace. With its clear direction of the “cloud-first” adoption strategy, in which cloud is the preferred option for delivering IT services in the Government of Canada, the path has been set for exploring the Cloud Workspace capabilities.

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The major driver for the Cloud Workspace adoption in the Canadian Government is the Treasury Board of Canada directive on Government of Canada Cloud Adoption<ref>Government of Canada (June 17, 2019) .Government of Canada Cloud Adoption Strategy: 2018 update from :Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. [https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/modern-emerging-technologies/cloud-services/government-canada-cloud-adoption-strategy.html Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat]. Retrieved from Government of Canada</ref>. Those guidelines are the key factor for adoption of various cloud services for the Government of Canada, including the Cloud Workspace. With its clear direction of the “cloud-first” adoption strategy, in which cloud is the preferred option for delivering IT services in the Government of Canada, the path has been set for exploring the Cloud Workspace capabilities.

<h2>Implications for Government Agencies</h2>

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<h3>Challenges</h3>

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Switching from in-house built, hosted and stored solutions to cloud-based products and offerings represents a major shift in the way work is undertaken in any organization. With the continually increasing complexity of IT systems, the benefits of bringing a new and promising concept into the enterprise can easily be overshadowed by unexpected challenges.<ref>Citrix (April 30, 2019) . Top 3 Challenges to Overcome When Moving to a Cloud-first Model. [https://www.citrix.com/blogs/2018/07/02/top-3-challenges-to-overcome-when-moving-to-a-cloud-first-mode Citrix]. Retrieved from Citrix</ref>for the cloud adopters is seen in the requirements needed to fully integrate the new approach:

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Switching from in-house built, hosted and stored solutions to cloud-based products and offerings represents a major shift in the way work is undertaken in any organization. With the continually increasing complexity of IT systems, the benefits of bringing a new and promising concept into the enterprise can easily be overshadowed by unexpected challenges<ref>Citrix (April 30, 2019) . Top 3 Challenges to Overcome When Moving to a Cloud-first Model. [https://www.citrix.com/blogs/2018/07/02/top-3-challenges-to-overcome-when-moving-to-a-cloud-first-mode Citrix]. Retrieved from Citrix</ref> for the cloud adopters is seen in the requirements needed to fully integrate the new approach:

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Cloud Workspace poses other significant organizational challenges. Although it offers greater flexibility for the communication and work with clients, external stakeholders and citizens, uptake of the technology can severe connections between employees within the organization making communication and workflow less effective. With the ability of anytime, anywhere and any device usage, Cloud Workspace is also a potential security nightmare, owing its effectiveness to the security of local wifi networks and devices often outside of organizational control. There is also the potential, as employer increasingly rely on employee-owned devices, for employees to be burdened by the cost of such devices and their security.

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Cloud Workspace poses other significant organizational challenges. Although it offers greater flexibility for the communication and work with clients, external stakeholders and citizens, uptake of the technology can severe connections between employees within the organization making communication and workflow less effective. With the ability of anytime, anywhere and any device usage, Cloud Workspace is also a potential security nightmare, owing its effectiveness to the security of local wifi networks and devices often outside of organizational control. There is also the potential, as employer increasingly rely on employee-owned devices, for employees to be burdened by the cost of such devices and their security.

Additionally, SaaS platforms such as Office 365, are constantly being updated by the vendors. These updates often occur at a faster rate than the IT organization can react and ensure changes are appropriate for the network. While users generally benefit from rapid updates, infrastructure and operation team leaders find it challenging to support their users, appropriately test, and can’t control whether to accept the changes.

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While remote access to work tools and the work environment by employees won travel status or working off-site is already available, the Government of Canada is increasingly adopting working from home as a valid option for its employees. Enabling employees to access and use the same workspace, no matter where they are located and potentially no matter what device they use, may produce major benefits and efficiencies for both employees and the organization.

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While this concept comes with new opportunities, it also brings new constraints, challenges, security and privacy questions that need to be considered carefully prior to full adoption by the Government of Canada. A successful digital workplace program must align with digital transformational goals, requiring thoughtful establishment of effective governance practices of the new applications and the data they create. Moreover, it must be responsive to the employee experience, as any digital transformation will ultimately fail without a willing, informed, well-equipped and engaged workforce.<ref>CIO (August 11, 2016) .The Top Challenges Of Cloud Adoption And Optimization You Must Plan For. [https://www.cio.com/article/3106771/the-top-challenges-of-cloud-adoption-and-optimization-you-must-plan-for.html CIO]. Retrieved from CIO</ref>

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While this concept comes with new opportunities, it also brings new constraints, challenges, security and privacy questions that need to be considered carefully prior to full adoption by the Government of Canada. A successful digital workplace program must align with digital transformational goals, requiring thoughtful establishment of effective governance practices of the new applications and the data they create. Moreover, it must be responsive to the employee experience, as any digital transformation will ultimately fail without a willing, informed, well-equipped and engaged workforce<ref>CIO (August 11, 2016) .The Top Challenges Of Cloud Adoption And Optimization You Must Plan For. [https://www.cio.com/article/3106771/the-top-challenges-of-cloud-adoption-and-optimization-you-must-plan-for.html CIO]. Retrieved from CIO</ref>.

SSC leaders responsible for transforming IT operations to support digital workplace applications should consider creating a SaaS digital workspace applications product team focused on SaaS applications, such as Office 365 or G Suite to build expertise in-house. Additionally, SSC should consider staffing the digital workplace SaaS applications support team with a combination of technical and nontechnical personnel, as changes in how employees work (traditional to digital) will need to be managed via communications and formal change management processes targeting employee work and culture behaviour.

Felix.legros

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