Revealed: the Microsoft partner behind $2.5bn Rio Tinto contract

Microsoft partner Velrada Capital has been sub-contracted to support Sodexo Remote Sites' Pilbara operations in its $2.5 billion ten-year contract with mining giant Rio Tinto.

Sodexo designs, delivers and manages support services for remote sites, employing 4,000 people across 320 locations.

Perth-based IT consultancy Velrada will provide managed services support, consulting and systems integration in a five-year contract valued at approximately $10 million.

Rio Tinto's assets in Pilbara include ports, towns, aerodromes, operational sites, as well as commercial and residential properties. Sodexo was signed to deliver integrated facilities management including project management and integration, building and grounds maintenance, accommodation and catering, village and town services, cleaning, aerodrome management, transport and property management.

Velrada will provide Sodexo with systems developed on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, including data analytics and big data solutions, customer management and operations solutions.

"The scope of the solutions cover integrated customer portals on mobile and kiosk devices, customer interaction and customer satisfaction systems; scheduling and management systems for maintenance, housekeeping, property maintenance and management systems and integrated and remote service desk and operations management," Velrada executive director Dominic Nolan said.

"Velrada will provide Microsoft cloud-based master data and middleware integration to customer systems, and cloud based reporting, data analysis and key performance monitoring intelligence."

Velrada employs 140 people in Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Singapore. The IT consulting firm was last year won a Microsoft Australia partner award in the category of Excellence in Business Insights and Data. Velrada was also runner-up for the 2016 awards in the "winning together" category with Sodexo.

"The combination of cloud, digital and analytical expertise, as well as Velrada’s ability to provide deep industry and consulting capability was key to this win," Velrada chief executive Robert Evans said.