NetStar Australia wins City of Melbourne contract to deploy state-of-the-art IP network across five sites

NetStar will design, procure and integrate the new converged network, as well as provide ongoing support services to City of Melbourne Council through its Global Network Centre for the next three years. The five sites will be fully deployed by June 2006.

NetStar's solution to the CH2 design team's requirements involves the laying of a single network cable to each user in the new CH2 building, delivering a cost saving in wiring and network management to the Council.

In excess of 2,000 converged network ports and more than 1,000 large screen IP handsets will be installed across the Council's four CBD sites. Three IPFX integrated call centres are also being implemented as part of the total solution.

NetStar will design, procure and integrate the new system. The network is based on Cisco hardware and includes multiple Cisco Call Managers, Catalyst 6500 and 4500 modular switches with 3560 edge switches will provide Quality of Service and Power over Ethernet to every desktop.

“The network design delivers availability and resilience, minimising the possibility that a single failure in equipment, power, fibre or cable would cause disruption to a data or voice service for any user,” said Alex Hill, New Business Manager, NetStar Australia.

Tight communication between individual devices allows fine control of power levels between switches and telephones, and ensures that security profiles are carried through from switch ports even when users move devices around the network. Overall security is improved through common embedded security features which exist in the operating software of all the active devices installed.

Around 550 staff in Council House 2, the main administrative site adjacent to the 136-year-old Town Hall, will work in a state-of-the-art environment. As well as the VOIP network, the building features passive and active solar design and requires no air conditioning. Earlier this year, the building was awarded a six Green Star certification from the Green Building Council of Australia whose criteria include water and energy efficiency and the quality of the indoor environment.

ABOUT NETSTARLOGICALIS

NetstarLogicalis is part of the Logicalis Group, which is a division of Datatec Limited (DTC), a $4.2 billion multi-national Group listed on the AIM market of the LSE and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. NetstarLogicalis offers a complete range of end-to-end solutions for converged data, security and Data Centre infrastructure. NetstarLogicalis’ state-of-the-art network management facilities help customers reduce the cost of managing their infrastructure. Our goal is to help customers better run their business, leveraging our proven networking and Data Centre expertise and experience.

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