Booz tips glass to IT
The local arm of consultancy giant Booz Allen Hamilton is boosting its local resources focused on IT work, on the back of recent high-profile public sector wins.
The group yesterday announced it had appointed former Westpac and National Australia Bank technology executive Branko Panich to lead its IT practice across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. "This is the first of a number of appointments expected over coming months, as Booz Allen extend their capabilities in this area," the group wrote in an e-mailed statement.
"Mr Panich plans to focus on helping clients upgrade their strategic plans and manage their IT transformation programs, with an emphasis on business alignment, portfolio management, effective transformational change, IT architecture, cost-effective technology delivery and operational efficiency."
A Booz spokesperson told ZDNet Australia the group's local IT practice had been in place for some time, with a number of senior consultants focusing in the area.
She declined to reveal the division's headcount, saying it was difficult to pin down a number because Booz's consultants didn't focus exclusively on IT as some did at rival firms. They worked across a number of different areas such as the commercial, transport and defence sectors, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also declined to reveal Booz's private sector client roster for IT services.
However, she pointed out the consultancy had picked up several high-profile wins in the public sector over the last 12 months. The group was hired by the Australian Customs Service to review the agency's disastrous implementation of its Integrated Cargo System application in 2005.
In addition, the Federal Department of Human Services last year awarded Booz the coveted role of lead advisor to the government office charged with implementing the controversial AU$1.1 billion health and welfare Access Card.
The value of that contract was initially reported at AU$4 million over three months, but the government has disclosed almost AU$20 million of contracts with Booz relating to the Access Card role over the past eight months.