Keeping the lights on

Fujitsu New Zealand has won a major outsourcing contract to provide helpdesk and computer infrastructure management and support services for Transpower, New Zealand's power grid asset owner and system operator.

The three-year contract involves support and system administration for about 1000 users throughout New Zealand, combining centralised helpdesk and enterprise system administration together with field resources based mainly in Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. Fujitsu will provide a range of end user and network services from its range of InfraCare IT Infrastructure Services.

"Timing for the Transpower system is crucial," commented Fujitsu New Zealand's Strategic Account Manager, Andrew Burn. "The Transpower motto is 'keeping the lights on', so the system is real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with grid fixes having to be operational within milliseconds," he said.

The contract combines three, separate outsourcing contracts, across a number of suppliers, to create a new single contract which includes WAN management, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) support, national helpdesk and computer infrastructure management and support.

Transpower's IT&T Operations Manager, Ian Harrop, said Fujitsu won the contract because of its strengths in the scope of the call centre services it could provide and its understanding of Transpower's IT&T support services.

"Fujitsu provided a flexible resource model which would easily adjust to meet Transpower's changing requirements," Mr Harrop said. "Fujitsu was also able to offer a call centre model which demonstrated a clear understanding of Transpower's business and a unified operation for around the clock service."