November 14, 2011 | Quebec

No matter what the industry may be, IT professionals are the lifeblood of modern business. These highly skilled employees manage to keep the day-to-day operations of a business running smoothly, and with the growing omnipresence of the internet, the job is more important than ever. IT professionals are even helping ordinary citizens gain a better understanding of how their government works.

The City of Montreal has launched a new IT program designed to make some of the extensive data included in its computer systems widely available to the public through the internet. The open data project hopes to increase public participation in local politics and improve the interaction between differing agencies in the local government.

Montreal is the eighth city in the country to undertake such a project, though the process is expected to grow, with International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada claiming that it is the beginning of "smart government," in IT World Canada.

With projects like this becoming more commonplace, students enrolled in computer courses may find a wealth of opportunity in their future. To get started on a path to a career in IT, sign up for network training at CDI College by filling out the form to the right.