Mobile devices

Shared Services Canada is reducing government-issued mobile devices for GC workers. Softphones (software-based voice calling) are the default telephony tool for the Government of Canada. This reduction aligns with the government’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review and Budget 2025.

For GC workers, this means:

• softphones will become the primary communication tool
• a mobile device will be provided if the job function requires one
• if a mobile device was used for multi-factor authentication (MFA), the department will provide an alternative MFA solution (such as a hard token)

For SSC partner departments, your CIO is responsible for:

• ensuring GC worker profiles are identified and used to determine which telephony service an employee needs (for example, a mobile device)
• developing and implementing a plan to reduce mobile devices to meet fiscal year 2026-27 reduction targets
• establishing an alternative MFA solution that does not rely on mobile devices (for example, hard tokens)