Lexicon
ASR: Administrative Services Review
Government initiative, leading up to the creation of (SSC).
ACAN: Advance Contract Award Notice
A public notice of a contract to be awarded to a supplier, allowing for other suppliers to signal interest in submitting a bid.
BB: BlackBerry
End‑user device, secure smartphone.
BYOD: Bring Your Own Device
Employee brings personal device to work.
BCP: Business Continuity Plan
Emergency plans/alternate work location.
CCSS: Canada's Cyber Security Strategy
Governmental 10 year plan (Public Safety Canada lead).
CPU: Central Processing Unit
Core element of a computer.
CISO: Chief Information and Security Officer
Human resources position.
CIO: Chief Information Officer
Human resources position.
CIOC: Chief Information Officer Council
Forum for chief information officers and partners.
CTA: Client Technical Authority
Human resources position.
CPE: Client-provided Equipment / Customer‑provided Equipment
End‑user device.
COTS: Commercial-off-the-Shelf
Software or hardware products that are ready made and available for sale to the general public.
CSEC: Communications Security Establishment Canada
Federal department and key partner in cyber and information technology security.
CM: Configuration Management
Process to manage system changes.
CMDB: Configuration Management Database
Database to manage system changes.
CSA: Custom Support Agreement
An approach to information security where a single hardware or software installation provides multiple security functions.
CRM: Customer Relations Management
An approach to manage interaction with current and potential customers or clients.
DC: Data Centre
Areas used to house telecommunications networks, data processing systems, centralized data storage and data centre equipment such as mainframes, servers and networks switches.
DCC: Data Centre Consolidation
Core SSC mandate.
DCN: Data Centre Network
A communication network that interconnects all data centre resources.
DCO: Data Centre Operation
Refers to the workflow and processes that are performed within a data centre.
DCSL: Data Centre St. Laurent
Legacy data centre: an older facility that hosts individual partners or clusters of partner infrastructure and application workloads. Not to be confused with enterprise data centres, which are larger, state‑of‑the‑art and purpose-built facilities intended to serve the Government of Canada.
DCSSI: Data Centre Server and Storage Infrastructure
Core physical or hardware‑based resources and components that comprise a data centre.
DBA: Database Administration
Activities performed by a database administrator to ensure that a database is always available as needed.
DSO: Departmental Security Officer
Human resources position
DaaS: Desktop as a Service
Workplace technology device.
DPI: Developing Professionalism in Informatics
Forum for information technology professionals.
DRP: Disaster Recovery Plan
Procedures for the recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure and systems after a natural or human‑induced disaster.
DCE: Distributed Computing Environment
A way to manage capacity.
DDOS: Distributed Denial of Service
Type of hack/cyber threat.
DNS: Domain Name System
Worldwide Internet directory.
ETA: Electronic Travel Authorization
Human resources / administrative function.
ETI: Email Transformation Initiative
Core SSC mandate, modernizing Government of Canada email.
EUD: End‑User Device (see Workplace Technology Device)
A personal computer, consumer device or removable storage media that can store information.
EA: Enterprise Architecture
A whole-of-government approach.
EITSM: Enterprise Information Technology Service Management
Means of extending information technology service management across entire organizations or departments.
ELA: Enterprise Licence Agreement
Allows for the purchase software for an entire company or department at a discounted rate.
ESA: Enterprise Security Architecture
Plan for ensuring the overall security of an organization using the available security technologies.
FTE: Full-Time Equivalent
Human resources term for full-time employee.
GDNS: Global Defence Network Services
Provides a standardized Internet Protocol network infrastructure to all bases to extend Internet Protocol based security and surveillance technology.
GCS: Government Cabling Services
Installs or removes cables that provide data network or telephony services for government departments.
GCS: Government Cellular Services
Government contract for the provision of cellular services and products.
GETS: Government Electronic Tendering Service
Government of Canada's tendering system that allows suppliers to search for bid opportunities online.
GENS: Government Enterprise Network Service
Consolidated telecommunications services over government networks.
GC CIRT: Government of Canada Computer Incident Response Team
The team at SSC whose role is to coordinate the identification, mitigation, recovery and post‑analysis of information technology incidents within the Government of Canada.
GC ITIP: Government of Canada Information Technology Infrastructure Program
SSC's rebranded Transformation Plan.
GCNet: Government of Canada Network
Network Internet infrastructure for the Government of Canada.
GCSI: Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure
Secure communications network.
GC WAN: Government of Canada Wide Area Network
Connects computer systems over a large area through the use of telecommunications technologies for the Government of Canada.
GTEC: Government Technology Exhibition and Conference
Government of Canada information technology event featuring key vendor stakeholders.
HPC: High Performance Computing
Practice of aggregating computing power to deliver much higher performance than possible from a typical desktop computer.
HCCS: Hosted Contact Centre Services
Call Centre Modernization Project.
ICAM: Identity, Credential and Access Management
Tools, policies and systems that allow an organization to manage, monitor and secure access to protected resources.
IM: Information Management
Acquisition of information, the custodianship and distribution of that information, and its disposition through archiving or deletion.
IM/IT: Information Management and Information Technology
See Information Management and Information Technology.
IT: Information Technology
Use of systems (especially computers and telecommunications) for storing, retrieving, and sending information.
ITAC: Information Technology Association of Canada
Key stakeholder that champions the development of a robust and sustainable digital economy in Canada.
ITIR: Information Technology Infrastructure Roundtable
Forum for industry discussions.
ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network
Set of communication standards for digital telephone connection and the transmission of voice and data over a digital line.
IVR: Interactive Voice Response
Technology that allows a computer to interact with humans through the use of voice.
ICM: Internal Credential Management
Common Government of Canada Public Key Infrastructure credential management service for internal government business.
ICMS: Internal Credential Management System
A system to validate the identity of internal privileged users.
IIS: Internet Interconnection Services
A connection service between various Internet service providers, including private and public service providers.
IPV6: Internet Protocol Version Six
Communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet.
ITQ: Invitation to Qualify
Suppliers invited to pre-qualify to become “qualified respondents” for any later phases of the procurement process.
ITAM: Information Technology Asset Management
Business practices to optimize spending and support life cycle management and strategic decision‑making.
ITBTAC: Information Technology Business Transformation Advisory Committee
Governance body for the Government of Canada.
ITIL: Information Technology Infrastructure Library
Practices to align information technology services with business needs, and information technology standards.
IT SIRT: Information Technology Security Incident Recovery Team
Provides a comprehensive and vital incident recovery function to all departments across the Government of Canada.
ITSM: Information Technology Service Management
Activities performed by an organization to design, plan, deliver, operate and control information technology services offered to customers.
KTLO: Keeping the Lights On
Refers to maintaining legacy equipment.
KPI: Key Performance Indicator
Performance measurement.
LERC: Law Enforcement Records Check
A per‑applicant comprehensive analysis of available information from Canadian police databases.
LAS: Local Access Service
A series of contracts that provides legacy CENTREX voice and contact centre services to partners throughout Canada.
LAN: Local Area Network
Network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building.
LIAS: Local Internet Access Service
Local Internet service provided by SSC to customers by installing third‑party, unfiltered Internet connections in specific locations.
MTRS: Maximum Time to Restore Service
Service level agreement on the maximum time taken to restore an information technology service or other configuration item after a failure.
MTTR: Mean Time to Repair
Service level agreement the average time taken to repair an information technology service or other configuration item after a failure.
MTTRS: Mean Time to Restore Service
Service level agreement on the average time taken to restore an information technology service or other configuration item after a failure.
MOU: Memorandum of Understanding
A formal document that expresses a convergence of will between parties, indicating an intended common line of action.
MC: Memorandum to Cabinet (plural: memoranda)
Cabinet document used when a Minister is seeking Cabinet decision on a proposal.
MAN: Metropolitan Area Network
A network that interconnects users with computer resources in a geographic area larger than local area network but smaller than wide area network.
MS: Microsoft
Multinational technology company and key information technology vendor.
NSE: National Security Exception
Allows SSC to exclude a procurement from some or all of the obligations of the relevant trade agreement(s), where Canada considers it necessary to do so in order to protect its national security interests.
NSP: National Security Policy
The National Security Policy focuses on addressing three core national security interests, namely protecting Canada and Canadians at home and abroad, ensuring Canada is not a base for threats to its allies, and contributing to international security.
NSD: National Service Delivery
The operation and life cycle management of enabling technology supporting partners' departmental and business priorities.
NAP: Network Access Point
Is a device, such as a wireless router, that allows wireless devices to connect to a network.
NESS: Network Equipment Support Services
Network equipment procurement. Network equipment (e.g., routers, proxy servers, firewalls) is procured for Government of Canada networks through a variety of means, including contracts and standing offers such as Network Equipment Support Services.
NIDS: Network Intrusion Detection System
An information technology system that monitors and analyzes network traffic for the purpose of finding, and providing realtime or near‑realtime warning of, attempts to access system resources in an unauthorized manner.
NOS: Network Operating System
An operating system that makes a collection of independent computers act as one computer system.
NOC: Network Operations Centre
An organization responsible for the operation and maintenance of a network.
NGSRA: Next Generation Secure Remote Access
The remote connectivity solution, next generation-secure remote access, provides a reliable and secure connection when connecting from an external network.
OPI: Office of Primary Interest
The individual or organization named to exercise primary management or leadership responsibility in the execution of an assigned task.
OS: Operating System
Software that controls the execution of programs and that may provide services such as resource allocation, scheduling, input/output control, and data management.
O&M: Operations and Maintenance
Operations and maintenance appropriations traditionally finance items whose benefits are derived for a limited period of time (e.g., expenses rather than investments, like office supplies vs a server).
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer
Company that produces items, usually hardware or component parts, to be marketed under another company's brand.
OGD: Other Government Departments (avoid use)
Organizations led by a Minister in the Government of Canada.
PGF: Procurement Governance Framework
Implements streamlined governance, including the following key components, governance committee oversight, approval authorities, management reports, and risk-based approach to briefing notes and memoranda.
PB: Petabyte
Measurement of digital information (one million gigabyte).
PIA: Privacy Impact Assessment
An assessment that is used to identify the potential privacy risks of new or redesigned federal government programs or services and that also helps eliminate or reduce those risks to an acceptable level.
PBX: Private Branch Exchange
A small exchange on a subscriber's premises, for internal telephone connections, with extensions over the public telephone system through lines to the local exchange.
PVR: Procurement and Vendor Relationships
Corporate Services directorate.
PAA: Program Alignment Architecture
An inventory of all the programs and activities undertaken by a department or agency.
PI: Program Integrity
Program Integrity is earmarked sunset funding allocated to departments to maintain operations—SSC has a Program Integrity office providing weekly updates to the President on the progress of the list of activities identified as receiving Program Integrity funding (many of which are tied to procurements, namely networking equipment).
PKI: Public Key Infrastructure
A cryptographic key and certificate delivery system that makes possible secure electronic transactions and exchanges of sensitive information using a system of trusted third parties called, “certificate authorities”.
PSTN: Public‑Switched Telephone Network
The network of local and long distance switching centres interconnected through transmission facilities and providing circuit‑switched connections that can access and be accessed by telephone subscribers through the local loop.
P3/PPP: Public-Private Partnership
A co‑operative venture for the provision of infrastructure or services, built on the expertise of each partner that best meets clearly defined public needs, through the most appropriate allocation of resources, risks, and rewards.
QA: Quality Assurance
A planned and systematic pattern of all actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a system and all physical products conform to established technical requirements.
QOS: Quality of Service
The information relating to data transfer characteristics used by various communication protocols to achieve various levels of performance for network users.
RDIMS: Records, Document and Information Management System
It is designed to provide a model for the implementation of information management programs and tools. The product and the concepts work together to provide the federal government with the ability to collect and store information, and to exchange information between government offices and with SSC's customers and partners.
RFC: Request for Change
A formal request for a Change to be implemented. A Request for Change, specifying the details of the proposed change, must be submitted to Change Management for every non‑standard change.
RFI: Request for Information
The electronic tendering of a requirement by a Contract Authority for when the organization has little experience in a particular field or when the contract authority decides to reduce the list of vendors that may be invited to submit a full Request for Proposal (RFP) when faced with an unusually large number of vendors and proposals.
RFP: Request for Proposal
A bid solicitation document used for requirements exceeding authorized limits when it is expected that negotiations with one or more bidders may be required with respect to any aspect of the requirements or, in addition to price, other factors will be considered in the selection of the contractor, or only one source is being solicited.
RVD: Request for Volume Discount
The Request for Volume Discount process is a competitive solicitation that is used for requirements that exceed the call‑up limitations set out in the Microcomputer National Master Standing Offer. A Request for Volume Discount solicitation is sent by SSC's Procurement and Vendor Relationships team to all offerors that hold a Standing Offer in the relevant system category and allows them to confirm their best offer.
RRR: Review and Refine Requirements
Review and Refine Requirements is characterized by an interactive, highly collaborative and iterative process of working with vendors to convert the current thinking go-to-market strategy and the solution‑based requirements into the solicitation documentation for all the requests (RFC, RFI, RFP and RVD).
SCNet: Secure Channel Network
Secure Channel is a portfolio of services that forms the foundation of the Government of Canada's Government On-Line initiative. Secure Channel Network is replacing the Government Enterprise Network as the federal government's Internet provider.
SRA: Secure Remote Access
The use of secure technologies (such as encryption) to access a computer system or network from a distance.
SA&A: Security Assessment and Authorization
The purpose of the security assessment component of Security Assessment and Authorization is to verify that the security requirements established for a particular system or service are met and that the controls and safeguards work as intended. The purpose of the authorization component of Security Assessment and Authorization is to signify that management has accepted the residual risk of operating the system or service and authorized the system or service to operate on the basis of the evidence.
SOC: Security Operations Centre
A security operations centre is a centralized unit that deals with security issues on an organizational and technical level.
SDM: Service Delivery Manager
Primary focus is on existing services and new service requests.
SLA: Service Level Agreement
A comprehensive Service Level Agreement is an essential requirement for the provision or receipt of any important service. It quite simply defines the parameters for the delivery of that service for the benefit of both parties.
SLE: Service Level Expectation
A Service Level Expectation defines the service response that a SSC customer should expect to receive upon making a request.
SMANS: Shared Metropolitan Area Network Service
Legacy fibre‑optic‑based network service connecting buildings throughout the National Capital Region. The core has been renamed to the Government of Canada Backbone service.
STMS: Shared Telecom Management System
An SSC application, used predominately by Accounts Payable, to track and validate majority of telecommunications invoices.
SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
The objective of the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is to transfer mail reliably and efficiently. An important feature of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is its capability to transport mail across multiple networks.
SPOC: Single Point of Contact
Providing a single consistent way to communicate with an organization or business unit, (e.g., information technology service desk).
SPOF: Single Point of Failure
Any configuration item that can cause an incident when it fails, and for which a countermeasure has not been implemented.
SOP: Standard Operating Procedure
A standard operating procedure is a set of step‑by‑step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out complex routine operations. Standard operating procedure aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with industry regulations.
SO: Standing Offer
An offer from a potential supplier to provide goods and/or services at pre‑arranged prices, under set terms and conditions, when and if required.
SOW: Statement of Work
It stipulates the deliverables or services required to fulfill a contract, and it defines the task to be accomplished or services to be delivered in clear, concise and meaningful terms.
SME: Subject Matter Expert
An individual who has recognized expertise in a particular field or subject.
SCI: Supply Chain Integrity
The role of Supply Chain Integrity is to ensure that the goods and services Shared Services Canda buys from suppliers are as safe from cyber-security threats as possible.
SoC: System on a Chip
Combines the required electronic circuits of various computer components onto a single, integrated chip. It is a complete electronic substrate system that may contain analog, digital, mixed‑signal or radio frequency functions.
SUD: Systems under Development
A program of reviewing the development of major systems in the government by auditing these systems on a continuing basis at different points during the development process.
UTM: Unified Threat Management
An approach to information security where a single hardware or software installation provides multiple security functions. Unified Threat Management simplifies information security management by providing a single management and reporting point for the security administrator, rather than managing multiple products from different vendors.
UPS: Uninterruptible Power Supply
An uninterruptible power supply is a power supply system that provides emergency power instantaneously in case of power interruptions.
UAT: User Acceptance Test
The final phase of testing that is intended to provide user confidence in the system and its functions, facilitating business approval and support for go‑live decisions. The systems should be error free at this point as business primes are engaged to execute this portion of the test.
VC: Videoconferencing
Teleconferencing that provides transmission of still or moving images of participants, in addition to voice, text and graphics.
VCC: Virtual Call Centre
Call centre in which the organization's representatives are geographically dispersed rather than situated at work stations in a building operated by the organization. Virtual call centre employees may be situated in groups in a number of small centres.
VDI: Virtual Device Interface
An American National Standards Institute standard format for creating device drivers. Virtual Device Interface was incorporated into Common Gateway Interface.
VM: Virtual Machine
A virtual data processing system that appears to be at the exclusive disposal of a particular user, but whose functions are accomplished by sharing the resources of a real data processing system.
VN: Virtual Network
An experimental high‑speed network that can send packets simultaneously to a large number of Internet sites, suitable for audio and visual transmission.
VPN: Virtual Private Network
A private data network that makes use of the public telecommunications infrastructure.
VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol
The transmission of voice and of related data, such as metadata, on a network through the use of the Internet Protocol.
WAN: Wide Area Network
A network that provides communication services to a geographic area larger than that served by a local area network or a metropolitan area network.
Wi-Fi: Wireless Fidelity
An open‑standard technology that enables wireless connectivity between laptops and local area networks.
WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network
A local area network that allows for portable computing without cable, and transmits data over radio and infrared links.
WLM: Workload Migration
Is the process of moving partners' applications, data, networks, and required security from at-risk and/or old legacy data centres to a cloud‑based solution or to an enterprise data centre.
WTD: Workplace Technology Device
Consolidate the procurement of workplace technology devices, including hardware and software, to leverage economies of scale and reduce duplication.