Optima wins ACT education deal

Box builder, Optima Technology Solutions has won a $15 million contract to supply the ACT Department of Education and Training with hardware and services.

Over the next four years Optima plans to supply the ACT Department of Education and Training with PCs, notebooks and other peripherals for 3500 full-time teaching staff and 95 primary and secondary schools and colleges.

Leonie Visser, national education manager, Optima said up to $8 million worth of equipment will be supplied by the manufacturer for the ‘Computers for Teaching’ program. Also, around $7 million may be spent on supplying schools with computer hardware.

Optima will also provide installation, rubbish removal and support services which will be delivered in line with Optima’s superior service level agreement.

Optima secured the contract following a request for tender issued in December 2005 by the ACT Department of Education and Training, said Visser.

“We were chosen ahead of the departments previous suppliers Acer and TodayTech. We currently hold contracts in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and we will also be going up against IBM for an NT education tender,” she said.

According to Visser, project management services were already underway, with the delivery of computer systems to commence shortly.

To support the contract, Optima will open a satellite office in Canberra and plans to advertise for local staff over the coming weeks.