Fujitsu Microsoft Solution Centre delivers access to technology and innovation

Sydney, August 02, 2001

Australian industry and government will be able to maintain expertise in emerging solutions and exploit them quickly and effectively for business improvement following the opening today of the A$5 million Fujitsu Microsoft Solution Centre.

Officially opened in Sydney by The Hon. Kim Yeadon, NSW Minister for Information Technology, the Fujitsu Microsoft specialist technology facility is a centre of excellence for the design, testing and development of products and solutions using the latest and most innovative Fujitsu and Microsoft technologies.
Based in Fujitsu?s Sydney headquarters, the Solution Centre is a dedicated facility with a focus on innovation in the development of solutions for business and government based on Microsoft technology in general, and the Microsoft .NET platform in particular.
"Customers will be able to examine a business problem; develop a technology solution; prove its viability; build the pilot; and implement the solution," said Fujitsu?s General Manager, Technology Solutions, Susan Hyland. "Ideas and applications can be tested in a secure environment outside the customer?s own business."

Through the Centre, customers will gain early access to information about product releases, developments and directions, helping them to leverage the new technologies, enter new markets, and exploit new channels.

By ensuring the effective capture and re-use of intellectual property and best practice from Fujitsu Australia, Microsoft and the Fujitsu Group worldwide, the joint initiative will reduce development costs and avoid the need for replicate testing, delivering cost-effective solutions to customers quickly.

"Through this Solution Centre, Microsoft is looking forward to providing end-to-end solutions that will incorporate a broad range of Microsoft technologies", said Paul Houghton, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia. "We are committed to working with our partners and governments in an effort to drive innovation forward in Australia."

The Centre is wholly owned, managed and staffed by Fujitsu Australia with support from Microsoft and other Fujitsu Group companies. The 25 full-time staff includes Fujitsu?s national Microsoft Solutions Group and its development teams, which can draw on additional expertise from Fujitsu?s pool of more than 120 certified Microsoft engineers and developers across Australia and New Zealand. Fujitsu expects to increase the full-time staff of the Centre to 50 within the first year.

The 500 square metre facility features a demonstration area, IT laboratory, executive briefing room, meeting rooms equipped with the latest technology, and office space for customers and partners to work together on solutions.

NSW Government applauds Fujitsu initiative

Speaking at the opening, Mr Yeadon said, "This is a tremendous initiative for Sydney and links with the New South Wales Government's strategy to keep NSW as a hub for ICT innovation. The new Centre will help us grow the State's technology expertise."

"I am particularly pleased that there will be an extensive program of training for workers at the Centre. The NSW Government is encouraging this type of skills development through the ICT Skills Action Plan which was released last year."

Strengthening of Fujitsu/Microsoft alliance

Fujitsu Australia Chief Executive Officer Phil Kerrigan said the new Centre strengthened the alliance between Fujitsu and Microsoft in Australia, with significant benefits for corporations.

"Microsoft technologies have become the global standard for delivering business-critical solutions to medium and large-scale enterprises. Our commitment to Microsoft through initiatives like the Solution Centre enables us to provide innovative solutions to customers faster and at lower cost," Mr Kerrigan said.

"Over the past 18 months, Fujitsu has invested significantly in training and re-skilling staff in the latest Microsoft technologies to enhance our capabilities in this arena. The Centre will provide companies with access to innovation; high quality technical skills; security and delivery as they look for new business opportunities using .NET and other Microsoft technologies."

The Sydney facility is Australia?s flagship Fujitsu Microsoft Solution Centre, with additional facilities planned for Melbourne and Brisbane within the next 18 months.

Business benefits from technology innovation

As the first customer of the Centre, Victoria?s AWB Limited was keen to leverage the extensive resources and technical expertise available to ensure the success of its e-business initiative to improve the quality and breadth of online services available to its 36,000 wheat growers.

"Once we had identified the Microsoft .NET platform as our preferred direction, it was a natural progression to partner with the Fujitsu Microsoft Solution Centre to design, test and implement the new Web site," said AWB?s e-Business Program Director, Kevin Delaney.