Capgemini handed key $11M data deal from IP Australia

Capgemini Australia is set to tackle a multimillion-dollar business intelligence and analytics project that sits at the core of IP Australia’s efforts to become a data leader.

IP Australia, the Federal Government agency tasked with administering intellectual property (IP) rights and legislation relating to patents, trademarks, designs and plant breeder's rights, awarded Capgemini a three-year, $10.9 million deal to undertake the project.

The contract, which was the result of an open tender process, sees the global systems integrator implement, manage and support the Government agency’s business intelligence and analytics platform.

Specifically, Capgemini is set to develop a cloud-based data management, analysis and reporting platform using leading edge technologies and data management concepts.

The integrator will also provision and manage the infrastructure through Amazon Web Services (AWS), while providing operations and support after the capability is initially implemented.

Moreover, the company will handle the ingestion and enrichment of a wide variety of data and information to make the new capability useful across different users of IP Australia’s data.

IP Australia, which sits within the Federal Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, is undertaking the project in a bid to maximise the value and accessibility of its data by providing a unified data management platform, linked to a dynamic analytics capability.

As part of administering the country’s IP system, IP Australia gathers and maintains extensive data holdings, dating back over a hundred years.

However, the way IP Australia currently manages its data and analytics activity is based on legacy systems and approaches, which have largely been overtaken in recent years by new technology and approaches.

As such, the new project is designed to transform the agency’s data management and analytics capabilities.

According to an IP Australia spokesperson, the project has adopted agile methodology with the first phase focused on providing the foundational capabilities along with the first version of TM-Link, a database being developed by Swinburne University of Technology in collaboration with IP Australia.

“TM-Link is the first time there will be a single, internationally linked trade mark database which is expected to be of high value for researchers and analysts interested in intellectual property,” the spokesperson told ARN.

“As well as hosting TM-Link, [business intelligence and analytics] will provide an analytics lab where IP offices in other countries, e.g. the US Patents and Trademarks Office, can access this new data set with a range of tools, collaborate with other users and publish their results to a common environment.

“BI&A will bring data users closer together in a virtual environment to support the development of an internationally sustainable intellectual property system,” the spokesperson said.

According to IP Australia, the key features of the modified agile methodology are the establishment of a close, working and strategic relationship between Capgemini and the agency, and Capgemini’s remit to act as a professional adviser in its provision of business intelligence and analytics.

The new project is also expected to contribute to the Australian Government’s Open Data Policy by improving IP Australia’s ability to provide better open data and support access and use of government data.

Capgemini is one of the four global systems integrators, along with Accenture, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and IBM, engaged by Australia’s Department of Human Services on the leviathan welfare payments system overhaul, which is tipped to top at least $1 billion over its life.