Integrator brings communications to Thales defence

Systems integrator, BTAS, has signed a significant deal to provide Alcatel-Lucent collaboration equipment and support to defence contractor, Thales Australia.

“It’s a very good-sized deal that’s important for us,” BTAS CEO, Gavin Jones, said. “We’re providing a refresh on Thales’ technology infrastructure on a number of sites, which incorporates voice applications, collaboration and conferencing applications and some integration between all the sites.”

Under the three-year deal, the integrator will update four of Thales’ 35 sites across Australia including Garden Island in Sydney and the World Trade Centre in Melbourne. There is also a two-year extension option. According to Jones, the job presented some significant hurdles.

“It’s challenging, so the deliverables, the project management and methodology is going to be very, very critical,” he said. “It’s high security and the current infrastructure on [Garden Island] is ageing, and it’s built up over a number of different physical environments.”

Jones also said the partnership was part of a larger IT refresh by the customer.

“Thales has been on a two-year refresh strategy to refresh all its technology applications like desktops,” he said. “We’re installing the OmniPCX Enterprise voice platform and My Teamwork, a collaboration and conferencing application.”

Because of the major nature of this project, the BTAS team would be working alongside other partners, Jones said.

“At this point in time, we’re working with local staffing and maintenance personal. We will be working with them on their future expanded applications partners,” he said. “This is putting the core in first and then we’ll be working with them on integration work.

“In this climate, it’s a nice, attractive deal for us. Every contract is important and every customer on a long-term contract is even more important.”