Credit: Telstra
Services Australia has awarded a $22-million contract to Telstra to bolster its capabilities during the coronavirus pandemic.
The contract aims to provide additional infrastructure for Services Australia's Smart Centres to support the set-up of additional staff drafted in to support people affected by COVID-19 and its repercussions.
According to Services Australia, the deal has also bolstered its site and internet gateway bandwidths to meet the additional demand.
“This expanded contract with Telstra has allowed us to increase our telecommunications capabilities in order to help people get the support they’re entitled to as quickly as possible,” said Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen.
Services Australia also recently granted Forward IT a $8.1 million contract for the provision of more than 3,800 Microsoft Surface Pro devices and Surface laptops to help its remote working efforts during the pandemic.
The contract win comes as Telstra freezes its headcount reduction program for six months during the pandemic, while adding 3,500 contractors to deal with an influx of calls to its customer service team.
However, it also recently closed 23 of its 350 stores around the country, while others adjusted their working hours.
