Logica cranks Canberra as public sector grows

James Riley
Sunday, 02 May 2010 19:47

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

UK-based tech services outfit Logica has more than tripled the size of its Canberra operation as the company targets opportunities among mid-sized federal agencies breaking out of the large-scale, clustered outsourcing contracts that characterised the Howard years.

After watching its Canberra business dwindle to just a handful of staff over recent years, the company has added 26 new positions in the past 12 months and expects to hire as many more by the end of the year.

Logica's public sector team leader Paul Sargeant says the new hires are a direct result of three contract wins over the past year - with CrimTrac, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) - each of which has now transitioned from their former outsourcing provider to the Logica managed services contracts.

The breaking up of large, clustered outsourcing contracts that had been dominated by the tier one providers like EDS and IBM presented good opportunities for the smaller services companies like Logica, Sargeant said, and the Gershon-inspired efficiency drive within agencies made Canberra a key focus for the company.

The company would also target business generated by data centre consolidation plans within the Commonwealth. While Logica is not a data centre owner-operator, Sargeant says the company has a strong work practice in data centre management as part of its managed services business, using the partner providers for data centre real estate.

Logica Asia Pacific chief executive Colin Holgate says the public sector is a market with renewed interest to the company: "Whether it's designing and rolling out innovative IT solutions, virtualisation of data centres or management of complex IT infrastructures, we have the expertise and industry knowledge to help government organisations operate efficiently and securely."

The company now employs 35 staff in Canberra, which could expand to more than 50 by the end of the year. The company has hired public sector IT veteran Wade Randall as its State Delivery Manager, now responsible for the delivery of all IT projects, including managed services, across the ACT.