IBM scores AU$495 million Immigration deal
![zd-defaultauthor-steven-deare.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/2322cb402b002eb47c71aa970e38c8e86c31cffd/2014/12/04/ef8b225e-7b71-11e4-9a74-d4ae52e95e57/zd-defaultauthor-steven-deare.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) has awarded a consortium led by IBM an AU$495 million contract to help implement its Systems for People change program.
The four year program, announced in the federal budget, follows the department's independent reviews of the poor record-keeping which led to the wrongful detention of Cornelia Rau and Vivian Alvarez.
"The department has a huge number of databases, both in Australia and overseas, which record all the contacts made with any individual client," said Immigration parliamentary secretary Andrew Robb in a statement.
"This change program will enable access to this contact data, as required, and give staff a single, comprehensive view of all dealings with any client."
Major projects in the program will include a document verification service, new visa processing systems, and biometrics.
DIMA said the IBM-led consortium had won an "extremely competitive" tender process.