CJD Equipment taps Macquarie Telecom for security and network uplift

Macquarie Telecom has delivered cybersecurity and networking services to construction equipment distributor CJD Equipment, replacing former partner Telstra.

Headquartered in Perth, CJD supplies Australia’s construction and mining sectors with excavators, wheel loaders, haulers and highway trucks.  

The company employs more than 600 people and operates 23 branches and dealerships nationwide.

As CJD opened new branches in Geelong and Canberra in 2023, migrating its accounting and inventory system to the cloud became a priority.

Macquarie deployed its AI-driven SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) technology and SD-WAN to facilitate this transition.

“We carefully choose our partners, and Macquarie Telecom stood out as a company that aligns with our values,” CJD managing director Alan Barnett said.

"When our previous provider restructured and removed our business relationship manager, Macquarie Telecom emerged as a reliable and principled partner.”

“This industry is going to look very different in 10 years and we’ve got a partner in Macquarie that can guide us, take us to the cloud, keep our operations and customer relationships secure, and ensure we can match up to the technological changes our customers and equipment manufacturing partners are making.”

The SASE technology proactively monitors and provides insights on every device and network in CJD’s business, immediately flagging issues to be solved by CJD’s and Macquarie’s teams.

The AI capabilities mean it constantly evolves its understanding of the company’s baseline security to only flag abnormal behaviour and not become burdensome.

Meanwhile, SD-WAN technology has doubled connectivity speeds at all CJD branches.

It also has backup 4G/5G connections in the event of a major telecom network outage, meaning phones, EFTPOS machines and more can continue to work.

As CJD has opened new branches, particularly in regional areas, the SD-WAN has proved vital as it can be operational within 24 hours.

“We don’t have growth restraints, even though we’re dealing with more data, more sites, more connected machines and more field services where people operating machinery all over Australia can connect to us,” Barnett added.

Macquarie will assist CJD with its digital transformation as it continues to migrate data and applications to the cloud.

“It’s incredible to see a CEO as engaged in their company’s digital infrastructure as Alan; he understands that it’s key to the company’s focus on great customer relationships and service,” Macquarie's Western Australia state manager Aaron Tighe said.

“There’s a passion there that has helped the company develop long-term success in Australia’s construction industry, and it’s the same passion driving Macquarie Telecom to uplift organisations that are underserved and overcharged.”