Shared Services Canada (SSC)

Shared Services Canada (SSC) is the Government of Canada’s enterprise IT-infrastructure agency, responsible for providing consolidated email, data-centre and network services to federal departments and agencies. 

Operating as a centralised service provider, SSC’s mandate is to modernise and standardise IT infrastructure across the government — reducing duplication, enhancing security, and supporting digital transformation of public services. Key to its positioning is SSC’s role in consolidating legacy data-centres into modern enterprise data-centres (EDCs), delivering hosting, connectivity and cloud enablement services across Canada. 

⚙️ Facility Highlights

• SSC manages multiple Enterprise Data Centres (EDCs) built for federal-wide service delivery (e.g., facilities in Borden, Barrie, Gatineau and Montréal). 
• These EDCs meet high standards: e.g., EDC Borden achieved Tier III Gold certification from the Uptime Institute for operations and maintenance. 
• The data-centres incorporate energy-efficient design features: use of outdoor cooling wheels, rain-water capture, and LEED® Silver minimum rating. 
• SSC’s architecture supports hybrid hosting (on-premises + cloud) and enables regulated workloads (Protected B / Medium Integrity/Availability and higher) via its Reference Architecture Document (RAD). 

🔐 Security & Compliance

• SSC’s mandate includes delivering secure and reliable IT services to government institutions; this covers network, data, hosting and security operations. 
• Its data-centre architecture incorporates multiple paths, redundant mechanical/electrical systems, and tightly controlled access (staff clearance, sensors, remote monitoring) to minimise human-error risk.
• SSC publishes its departmental plans outlining oversight, funding, human resource planning and governance – signalling a high level of transparency and adherence to federal standards.

🌐 Connectivity & Carrier Access

• SSC provides connectivity services across Canada: wired and wireless in-building networks, wide area networks (WAN), secure remote access and cloud interconnectivity. 
• It operates a GC Backbone network that links government sites, data-centres, cloud, and the Internet—including satellite connectivity and local internet access services when needed.
• The hosting services offered by SSC include both government-managed data-centres and privately-managed cloud environments, facilitating hybrid deployments and enabling inter-department interconnections. 

💼 Who It Serves

• Federal departments and agencies of the Government of Canada, especially those mandated to use SSC’s email, network and data-centre services. 
• Government entities looking to standardise, modernise and consolidate their IT infrastructure — moving from legacy silos to shared, enterprise-managed services.
• Workloads requiring high availability, regulated security (public sector, defence, scientific research), hybrid hosting and inter-department connectivity.
• Organisations that benefit from large-scale, nationally distributed IT infrastructure underpinning public-service delivery across Canada.