Case Study: Global Affairs Canada achieves secure, real-time coordination for the 2018 G7 with BlackBerry AtHoc

To Securely Coordinate the 2018 G7 Presidency, Global Affairs Canada’s Summits Management Office (SMO) Turned to BlackBerry AtHoc

Global Affairs Canada’s Summits Management Office (SMO) and its Summit Integrated Command Center (SICC) — a roughly 400-person team responsible for coordinating the country’s 2018 G7 Presidency — faced a complex, high-security communications challenge: tracking minute-by-minute VIP movements and coordinating multiple federal partners (RCMP, Armed Forces, Health Canada, etc.) across simultaneous events. Their legacy mix of radios and phone calls introduced delays and fragmentation, so the SICC needed a unified, secure way to integrate partners and speed decision-making.

The team piloted and then deployed BlackBerry AtHoc to provide two‑way, IP‑based messaging, geo‑tagging and prepopulated templates, connecting three operations centers and field liaison officers in real time. The platform enabled rapid rerouting during a nearby terrorist incident, replaced most radio traffic, automated logging for audits, and delivered nationwide visibility and faster, more secure coordination across simultaneous ministerials and the Leaders Summit.

Global Affairs Canada

Michel Bouvier

Chief of Operations