Funding helps businesses get guidance on tech use

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This article was published 27/06/2023 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s chamber network is distributing $1.2 million of provincial money for local businesses to get third-party guidance on technology use.

The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce announced its initiative, called the Digital Services Program, on Monday.

“Technology is changing rapidly, and the things that are on the news, or the way people are talking about technology, can sometimes be a little overwhelming,” said Kay Gardner, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce’s Digital Manitoba Initiative program director.

The initiative helps facilitate technology upgrades, she added.

Last year, the Manitoba Chambers spread $1.4 million in funding to local businesses through a similar program that Ottawa funded.

The money covered 121 services, including audits of companies’ technology use, Gardner said.

“We got a lot of positive feedback,” she added, noting the funding didn’t reach everybody who wanted it.

This year’s $1.2 million comes from the provincial government’s COVID-19 long-term recovery fund, a $50-million fund the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce administers.

As of Monday, Manitoba-registered small and medium-sized businesses can apply for a business technology assessment, a cybersecurity audit or digital legal services.

Assessments range from $4,500 to $9,000, Gardner said. Program users get the assessments for free.

“This sort of third-party audit helps companies to kind of feel comfortable in what someone else is seeing in their business,” Gardner said. “(It) gives them some confidence to move forward, increasing digital capacity (and) feel like they’re making good investments.”

Around 100 companies should be covered by this year’s funding, Gardner said. The program ends when the money is spent.

All companies providing audits and other services must be registered in Manitoba, Gardner added. The process for choosing vendors began Monday.

Crossroads Insurance underwent a business technology assessment in the program’s prior phase.

“Being brokers, we don’t know what we don’t know… as far as technology goes,” said Kelsey Carriere, Crossroads Insurance’s operations manager.

Over the course of five weeks, Winnipeg-based technology consultant ourCIO delved into Crossroads Insurance’s technology systems. The type of software regularly used, the technology policies in place, the phone system, how employees access files — no detail seemed too small, Carriere said.

“We were surprised how detailed it was,” she added.

The result was a 22-page report which included recommendations like upgrading internet connection and implementing a formal cyber security policy, Carriere said.

Internet upgrades are top of the to-do list, she said.

“(The audit was) definitely helpful, really valuable,” Carriere said. “(It) gave us a better idea of where we were at with technology.”

Crossroads Insurance must pay for any technological upgrades it pursues.

In a news release, Economic Development Minister Jeff Wharton credited the digital services program for empowering companies to undergo digital transformations.

“When businesses invest in innovation and technology, it creates an environment where younger generations want to live, work and stay,” a quote attributed to Wharton reads.

The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, which oversees 64 local chambers, has used 95 per cent of the COVID-19 long-term recovery fund on initiatives so far, Carriere said.

Businesses can apply to the digital services program at digitalmanitobainitiative.com.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com