Tassie Govt signs AU$5m VoIP deal with MyNetFone
The Tasmanian Government has engaged MyNetFone to provide it with Voice over IP (VoIP) services for the next three years, at a cost of AU$5 million.
The government is able to extend the contract to 10 years, which MyNetFone expect will make the deal worth AU$20 million in total.
MyNetFone will invest in additional infrastructure in Tasmania to support the services, including a redundant voice switching network and IP connections to the mainland for connectivity to the Australian Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The MyNetFone Enterprise Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking system will enable IP communications to employees in all government offices and those working remotely.
The company said that its new infrastructure — to be deployed through its subsidiary Symbio Networks using its proprietary local number porting system, operations support systems/business support systems (OSS/BSS), call routing and management software — will also help it handle additional opportunities in the market.
"MyNetFone is a young, energetic, innovative company, which has proven it is capable to develop services that meet the government's requirements," TMD general manager, Piero Peroni said. TMD is a division within the Department of Premier and Cabinet, which develops and provides whole-of-government communications products.
Tasmania started investigating a refresh of its telecommunications vendors back in 2010, asking the market how it should best purchase fixed voice services (VoIP and analog) over one wide area network, mobile calls and data, devices (including desk phones and mobiles), contact centres, unified communications services, billing and installation services.
The government hoped to replace Telstra's CustomNet Spectrum platform, which had been operating for over 20 years, as its fixed-line contract with the company was coming to an end. That deal has, in the past, cost around AU$30 million over three years. The government had also recognised that there was scope to adopt IP-based telephony services across the government. The government went to tender in September last year.