NSW RTA in $1.5m Optima claim

The New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority has claimed it is owed $1.5 million by failed Australian PC maker Optima on a $5 million deal inked in 2006.

The RTA has a two year, $5 million PC supply and service arrangement with the company, signed in 2006 for the supply of some 5,000 PC. The claim makes the authority the largest creditor that is owed money by Optima, according to documents released by its administrators, Moore Stephens.

In July Optima appointed administrators to its manufacturing and retail arms after finding itself unable to pay its debts.

Today neither RTA chief information officer Greg Carvouni nor other authority staff were immediately available to comment on the claim.

The second largest value creditor claim on the list is $700,000, owed to a division of Optima itself, Optima ICM, which Moore Stephens have said is not under administration.

Others with large claims include specialist buying group Leading Group Limited, which has claimed $500,000.

Xbox contract manufacturer Winstron Corporation is also believed to be owed around US$500,000 according to Optima's books, however the company had not submitted a claim to the administrators.

Others that are listed as being owed several hundred thousand dollars each include Intel, Microsoft, Ingram Micro, TPV Electronics and Taiwanese PC casing maker Chenbro Micom. However it is believed the firms have not yet made formal claims on the failed company.

Ingram Micro has also claimed it is owed another $500,000 from Optima's retail business 3CSHOP International, while the documents also reveal Optima's other retail business Digital City owes Australian IT distributor Multimedia Technology some $327,000.