IT services provider Logicalis Australia has secured a deal with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) to deploy a Cisco-based modern workplace solution.
The solution involved Cisco wireless access, switching, routing, firewalls and other product offerings to help the non-profit enhance its employee experience, as well as encourage a culture of collaboration and innovation.
AFCA was formed in 2017 as the dispute resolution scheme for financial services, handling complaints on credit, finance and loans, insurance, banking deposits and payments, investments and financial advice and superannuation. It was formed after the merger of the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Credit and Investments Ombudsman and the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal.
After a period of growth following the merger that led to outgrowing its Sydney and Melbourne, the organization sought to revamp its workplace with the goal of driving collaboration, innovation, and productivity through the creation of a flexible and agile environment.
“We wanted to break away from traditional workspaces, where people had assigned desks and went to the same place every day,” AFCA chief information officer Patrick Williamson said.
“Instead, we wanted to create neighborhoods that would let people easily move around, work with project teams, and locate themselves according to their tasks for the day, not the location they were used to. It was important for our culture to bring everyone together in a more comprehensive way.”
A Logicalis spokesperson told CRN the company was chosen from a shortlist of four invited respondents, and had also been working with AFCA for several years prior to this engagement.
“[Cisco] offered the most complete network and security solution to enable AFCA’s new site in Melbourne, as well as the future site now also deployed in Sydney,” the spokesperson said.
As part of the deal, AFCA also sought to upgrade the aging technology and refresh the network architecture, with security at the core. Logicalis was also chosen as the sole provider for improved visibility and control.
The Cisco products used were its Catalyst Core Switches, Catalyst Edge Switches, FirePower Next Gen Firewalls, Wireless Access Points, Identity Services Engine, DNA Center and Appliance, Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus (TACACS+) and AMP Threat Defense Malware Protection.
AFCA IT operations manager James Tod said, “The Logicalis solution was built on Cisco, and it covered everything from the front door to the back door including wireless access, switching, routing, firewalls, and everything in between. We now can manage and control our environment easily, and it all integrates seamlessly.”
“Logicalis knew that this project would only be deemed successful if the staff fully adopted and embraced the technology and new ways of working. Logicalis worked closely with AFCA to make sure we got every element of the change management right.”
Logicalis added AFCA’s alignment to a modern workplace has been shown to have a positive impact on morale, productivity and talent retention, creating clear business benefits with improved customer service and increased innovation.
Commenting on working with customers like AFCA, Logicalis Australia national sales manager Lisa Fortey said, “We are helping customers to shape the ways they enable their employees to work, focused on human-centric employee experiences powered by digital workplace technology.”
“Businesses need to follow AFCA’s lead and make use of modern technologies to create flexible, adaptable, and secure workplaces that provide employees with the right environment to thrive.”
Logicalis Australia is a long-time Cisco Gold Partner and bills itself as one of the leading Cisco integrators in the country. One of its recent Cisco customer wins was with healthcare provider StarHealth, deploying Meraki networking tech.