news Optus Business has announced a three-year deal to supply end-to-end telecommunications and managed IT services for Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).
Under the agreement, which is worth $115 million, Optus is to support integration of the telecommunications services of the DIGP – a new department formed from the integration of the former Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
John Paitaridis, Managing Director of Optus Business said: “We are committed to a strategic partnership with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. This agreement demonstrates our track record in delivering secure, integrated and scalable managed ICT services that will underpin DIBP’s mission-critical operations.”
The deal will see Optus support “almost 15,000 IP handsets, over 1,000 Wireless Access Points and nearly 1,000 LAN switches”, as well as CCTV and radio – with added support from “a fully integrated and managed help desk”. Optus’ “high-performance” multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) carriage network, satellite communications and mobile data to approximately 200 sites throughout Australia will underpin the whole scheme, the company said.
“Optus will be providing design and implementation support as the [DIBP optimises its] telecommunications infrastructure, data centres, telephony platforms and [its] ICT needs moving forward,” said Paitaridis.
Randall Brugeaud, Chief Information Officer, Department of Immigration and Border Protection commented: “This agreement with Optus provides dynamic, secure infrastructure to seamlessly integrate our telecommunications environment and support our future vision for the organisation. We are looking forward to working with Optus as we pursue our strategic objectives to promote responsive migration, advance trade and revenue, and lead border innovation.”
A statement from Optus did not make it clear if the deal would include servicing Australia’s offshore immigration detention centres. However, according to The Register, the firm has clarified that it “provides connectivity to the centres, however we do not provide services within the centres”.
Notably, Optus Business already provides ICT services to a number of federal government agencies including the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Agriculture.