Fujitsu to locate new centres in VIC

Stan Beer
Monday, 31 October 2005 11:00

IT Industry - Strategy

ICT solutions vendor, Fujitsu Australia, has flagged its intention to establish two new centres of excellence in Melbourne, as a result of discussions with the Victorian Government in Japan.

The CEO of Fujitsu Australia, Rod Vawdrey, said both facilities were conceived during discussions between Victorian ICT Minister, Marsha Thomson and Fujitsu's corporate vice president and president, Asia & Pacific business group, Dr Kyung-Soo Ahn, during a Victorian ICT visit to Japan in June this year.

"At the time, Dr Ahn committed Fujitsu to establish two centres of excellence in Victoria during 2005/06 - one focused on digital media and the other around applications development. The Digital Media Networks Centre of Excellence will be officially opened by the Minister on 9 November 2005, while the Applications Development Centre of Excellence will be opened in December 2005.

"Both initiatives represent a substantial investment by Fujitsu in developing and growing Victoria's ICT capabilities and will create scores of jobs over the next few years, as well as bringing in export dollars by positioning Victoria as Australia's centre of innovation."

Dr Ahn will fly to Melbourne to attend the opening on 9 November of Fujitsu's Digital Media Network Centre of Excellence.

"Fujitsu Australia has always enjoyed strong support from our Japanese parent and we are pleased to see the development of even closer links between Victoria and Japan, thanks to this initiative by the Victorian Government," said Vawdrey.

"Fujitsu currently employs around 600 people in Victoria and has already made a substantial investment in this state in the form of Internet data centres and local Research and Development facilities focusing on retail applications development, infrastructure services management, systems management, telecommunications and local government support. This investment in Victoria positions Fujitsu to continue providing end-to-end ICT services both locally and internationally.

"In addition to our Application Development Centre of Excellence, the impending launch of our Asia Pacific Digital Media Network Centre represents a further opportunity for Victoria to deliver specialist digital media technologies and services not only to organisations in other Australian states, but throughout the Asia Pacific region," Vawdrey said.