Open Source GCTools Out, Microsoft Sharepoint In

For public servants who took great pride in the GC's embrace of open source software, some heartbreaking news.

Microsoft Sharepoint has been announced as the replacement for all of the current GCTools, including GCcollab, GCpedia, GCconnex, GCdirectory, and GCintranet. The phase out will occur over the next two years, with GCTools to be decomissioned after all public servants have access to the new platform.

Managed by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, "gcxchange" is touted as "a modern platform that will keep you up to date with what’s happening across the Government of Canada (GC) and allow you to collaborate with people beyond your organization... all in one place."

Users are warned that if they wish to transfer any of their saved work from GCTools to gcxchange they will need to do so manually as there will be no automatic transfer of data. Additionally, all future content stored on the new platform will be treated as transitory and will be will be deleted by TBS after a maximum of 2 years.

For more information or to register with gcxchange, please visit gcx-gce.gc.ca [internal link].