Australian SMB nets $2.6m NOIE deal

Canberra system integrator Exceed has won a three-year tender worth $2.6 million to provide office automation services to the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE).

Colin Roberts, director of Exceed Systems Integration, said the deal reflected Federal Government moves making state IT tenders accessible to SMBs. Exceed has 50 staff.

'The significant thing for us is that the new approach to outsourcing, the selective sourcing approach has meant that smaller companies like ourselves now have an opportunity to bid on work,' he said.

Previously, Exceed -- an endorsed supplier which relies on government business and a smaller amount of work for private companies -- was usually sub-contracted to larger companies.

The company could now win more tenders for itself and thus retain more control in the deal, Roberts said.

'It will make it easy to simplify the agreements and because we're a small company we think it will provide them with a more responsive and a more client-focused services. And that's what some of the bigger companies sometimes miss,' he added.

Exceed would provide desktop hardware and software, LAN and WAN management and support services, he said.

Roberts said another factor that had helped net the deal was a new tender search and notification website, AusTender.

Although Exceed had learnt about the opportunity through its usual channels, the submission had been made electronically via AusTender.

'It saved us time and money and a lot of grief. Usually the [hard copy] printing process takes longer than you think,' he said.

Companies who wanted to work with government needed to ensure they understood the needs of their client. 'Then I think it's quite easy to work with them,' Roberts said.

A statement from the Department of Communications, IT and the Arts (DCITA) said that NOIE currently got its IT services through DCITA and a Group 5 Agreement for IT&T Services. The agreement would expire 30 June 2004.

DCITA also said that the Commonwealth had simplified information and communications technology procurement arrangements mid-2002 and was devising 'a range of assistance' to help SMBs win Federal government contracts.

'Earlier this year, Australian company Volante Systems won a $9.4 million contract to supply IT equipment for Senators' and Members' electorate offices,' the DCITA statement said.