Help us help ourselves, says Deakin Uni IT boss

Tell us about a recent project that required an external IT provider.

DeakinSync: a context-aware, personalised hub providing an engaging single view and access to core corporate systems and a range of new collaboration tools. Deakin worked closely with software integrator Sixtree and Mulesoft to implement the Mule ESB and start to transition all corporate integrations onto the Mule ESB platform. The cloud collaboration components were adopted from Microsoft.

What was Sixtree’s input?

Sixtree were engaged as a trusted partner to use their integration accelerator program, which rolled out an entire integration capability at Deakin. This included the foundation infrastructure, the integration framework and the integration management framework. Microsoft has been a dedicated partner helping us with the change management initiatives required for full adoption of a new paradigm of tools.

Who are some of your regular partners? 

I’ve mentioned Sixtree, Mulesoft and Microsoft, who were involved in this specific project. Additionally, we have strong partnerships with Telstra, Cisco, Samsung, IBM and Dimension Data, among several others.

What does a reseller/systems integrator have to do to impress you and win your business?

Many integrators want to provide turnkey integrations, however, as we know that each integration will need to be managed over its entire lifespan as end systems are modified, upgraded or replaced we prefer resellers and systems integrators that are willing to build a partnership with the university and can bring and transfer new capabilities to the university that will allow us to become self-sufficient.

Is it all about price?

Of course not. It’s about return of investment of the relationship, in a broad sense.

Can you tell us about the last time an IT service provider impressed you?

We have been lucky, or probably it is not just luck. We have been impressed by the vision, dedication and professionalism of most of our partners.

Can you name one or two mistakes that IT service providers often make? 

Not understanding the environment that we have to operate in, both technically and politically.

How is the cloud affecting your approach to IT investment in hardware and software?

It is certainly changing the balance between in-house and as-a-service, and it is happening at the right time. In the era of digital disruption, the internal resources need to be redirected to the generation of new digital competitive advantage, and so external help with the commodity services is invaluable.

Is your use of external IT companies increasing or decreasing?

There is no clear trend here. However, we need a good number of strategic partners to deliver our ambitious digital strategic plan.