Calgary, Alberta, December 19th, 2013 – The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, was pleased to announce today that the Government of Canada has awarded a contract to Calgary company Wedge Networks for its innovation, WedgeOS, through the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP).
“Our Government continues to focus on helping Canadian businesses expand and succeed,” said Minister Finley. “We are proud to encourage Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit and to invest in innovations that directly benefit Canadian workers and families by creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity.”
WedgeOS is a new software platform that conducts a full inspection of content within Internet traffic in real time. It provides protection for all endpoints within an organization, including servers, computers, laptops and other mobile devices. It can provide accurate and transparent security by scanning all network content and making sure it is free from malware, spam and other security threats. It offers a platform for Internet service providers, government and large enterprise markets that require this type of solution to combat growing security threats that expand far beyond Canada. The value of the contract awarded to Wedge Networks is $507,464.
“A cutting-edge innovation such as this one could bring many benefits to the IT industry, so I am very pleased to announce this contract,” added Minister Finley.
The BCIP was launched in 2010 as a pilot program to connect Canadian companies with federal departments and agencies that have a need for innovative products and services. By selling to the federal government, businesses can demonstrate the value of their products and services, and potentially generate future sales to non-government customers in Canada and around the world.
To build on the early success of this pilot program, Economic Action Plan 2012 allocated additional funding for three years, starting in 2013. As of 2016, $40 million will be permanently dedicated to the BCIP annually. The latest Call for Proposals for the Build in Canada Innovation Program was announced on November 21, 2013 and suppliers have until January 7, 2014, to submit proposals.
For more information about the program or for the complete list of innovations, please visit the BCIP web page.
For more information, media may contact:
Marcel Poulin
Office of the Honourable Diane Finley
819-997-5421
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
For the full news release, please visit the Government of Canada website.
