Analyzing Canada’s big tech industry – Key insights

Canada will remain a pillar of innovation as a result of the investments we make now and in the future. Technology is a global leader for Canada.

In an effort to control the increasing influence of Big Tech on society and the market, the EU introduced the DMA – (Digital Markets Act), which it calls the “gatekeepers of the digital economy.” Apple, Amazon, Google/Alphabet, Microsoft, and Facebook/Meta are among the biggest companies in the world in terms of market capitalization.

As a result of the DMA, Big Tech companies’ behavior will be controlled before it worsens, focusing specifically on fostering fair and competitive market conditions. With its size and influence over the digital ecosystems and infrastructure that underpin our lives, Big Tech must ensure digital startups and innovators are not stifled by their dominance over digital ecosystems and infrastructures, from Facebook’s social networks to Amazon and Apple’s e-commerce platforms to Google’s search engine. A similar concern about Big Tech has prompted other nations and jurisdictions to rethink and rewrite their competition laws and regulations.

Canadians, however, do not have that privilege. In the G7, Canada stands out for not passing new regulations and rules to deal with Big Tech. In November 2021, the U.K.’s Competition & Markets Authority published the Compendium of Approaches to Improving Competition in Digital Markets which highlights how this had never even been considered.

Building strategic skills for technology careers

As a result of a recent pandemic and the impending recession, technical workers share many concerns with the rest of the workforce. Despite the unrest, IT professionals are not depressed. 38% of IT professionals report being extremely satisfied with their careers, which is unchanged from the prior year. The majority of respondents believe that their job is an optimistic one. The majority of IT professionals express optimism in small businesses (with fewer than 100 employees) compared with 83% in mid-size companies (with 100-499 employees) and 87% in large enterprises (more than 500 employees).

Larger businesses may be more optimistic because of the greater variety of options. Since most businesses use IT for daily operations, it is no surprise that most IT professionals prioritize tactical issues. Servers must remain accessible, and help desk tickets must be resolved. For IT professionals, there are several strategic options beyond this conventional one, including competency assessments across the organization, improving the culture of technology adoption, and facilitating departmental discussions on technology adoption and future trends.

IT professionals are only just starting to notice this high-demand environment, even though it is widespread now. When enterprise IT first began, most organizations didn’t require technical skill. Due to technology becoming more ubiquitous, IT functions became mainly seen as cost centers, and IT professionals typically faced resource constraints and career advancement barriers. The current business climate is causing companies to invest in technology and view IT strategically. Therefore, many job opportunities are available, leading to a high demand for talents.

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The Metaverse

Many Canadians may have been laid off by Meta recently in order for them to concentrate on the metaverse. While there is promising potential for the metaverse in the public sector, there has yet to be a convincing, comprehensive vision of how the metaverse will benefit it. The technology landscape will continue to evolve before CIOs and decision-makers in government IT can react.

Throughout the epidemic in Canada, government officials used virtual collaboration platforms and tools to enhance communications, collaboration, and data management. As the public sector moves forward, we advise them to remain innovative and to keep developing their digital collaboration capabilities.

Getting ready for the future requires two crucial steps:

• To prepare for useful use cases as they appear in the churn, we are experimenting with the administration of 3D models of popular locations in the public domain.

• Communication and collaboration system strategies and modernization of the communications and collaboration infrastructure are necessary to enable more efficient hybrid work and stronger community participation. The benefits of virtual data rooms, for example, might be developed into more advanced information management strategies.

As the metaverse continues to evolve, the following core principle will remain: to enhance collaboration and communication, the underlying data must be orchestrated and managed better.

Generative AI

The process of generating content or deciphering intricate signal data is a form of semi-supervised machine learning called “generative AI.” Using a large amount of unstructured data, like what people would produce, it is possible to train the models and produce new works and discoveries. Governments can also use this technology to increase cybersecurity analytics and defense functions, as well as produce photos.

The commercialization pillar supports three national institutions for artificial intelligence and worldwide information clusters in Canada to promote Made-in-Canada AI technologies for business, governmental, and non-profit innovation. Standard Council of Canada’s AI standards represent the second pillar of this pan-Canadian strategy. To advance talent and research in Canada, the federal government is partnering with CIFAR and DRAC to develop the last pillar.

Industry-Led Data Models

Sharing digital services can only be fully realized if Canadian public sector data models are standardized. Digital identification, which requires the exchange of data among all levels of government, as well as the development and maintenance of reusable, shareable digital services, is also crucial.

Having developed a data strategy for the federal public service, the Government of Canada presented an important report to the Clerk of the Privy Council. It offered a wide range of ideas to produce, safeguard, and share data as a strategic asset, with the aim of “enabling social innovation and supporting economic activity.

Conclusion

In order to foster fair competition and prevent tech giant dominance, tighter regulation and control is required, as demonstrated by Canada’s large technology industry. Further, given Canada’s desire to attract top talent from all over the world, overseas students may consider study in Canada there due to the opportunities available in the technology sector. Furthermore, the Canadian government actively seeks skilled tech employees through initiatives such as the Express Entry Draw, which makes it a desirable destination for anyone seeking a career in the tech industry. Keeping up with advances in the field and the regulatory framework can help students and professionals prepare for new opportunities in Canada’s big tech industry.