Datacom wins $5m deal with corruption-busting ICAC

Datacom Australia has won a contract worth almost $5 million with NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The "ICT infrastructure upgrade project" is currently in progress after Datacom Australia won a competitive tender put out by ICAC. The work commenced in April and is expected to complete this month, although the $4.96 million contract runs until the end of June.

According to ICAC's annual report, the project involves a comprehensive range of IT works including "the commissioning of new network, servers and data storage infrastructure, a new phone system with call recording facility, desktops, printers, scanners, and copier and network management tools".

"To take full advantage of emerging technologies, the servers have been virtualised, creating a private cloud. The scope also includes the establishment of a warm disaster recovery site with near real-time data replication," said the report.

The value of the contract could increase in the future as ICAC had not yet decided whether Datacom Australia should implement an upgrade of Microsoft Office. The cost of that work is not included in the $4.96 million figure.

Datacom Australia declined to comment when contacted by CRN.

ICAC, established by the NSW government in 1989, had been in the headlines regularly this year with investigations forcing the resignation of NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and 11 other state and federal Liberal politicians. A separate enquiry has also resulted in criminal charges against former NSW Labor legislators Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald.

The lucrative ICAC contract is a boost for Datacom Australia, which had a "depressed" 2013-14 financial year by the company's own admittance. Datacom Australia also left the chief executive position vacant for nine months before appointing former IBM executive Theresa Eyssens in September.

The chief executive of the New Zealand-based parent group Jonathan Ladd did hint in September that the Australian arm was turning its fortunes around through public sector work: "We have increased our business in both the state and local government sectors in Australia."

Datacom employs 3700 staff globally, with more than 1200 in Australia. The company upped its profit by $13.5 million for the 2014 financial year, mostly on the back of growth in its home country of New Zealand.