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Kiwi institution picks up major Australian Govt. contract
Wed, 10th Jan 2018
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Earlier today, Datacom announced a new partnership with the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs.

The three-year contract will see Datacom provide client inquiry services are a part of the Department's wider initiative to modernise is visa and citizenship services.

Datacom Group's CEO Jonathan Ladd says the Department has a need for long-term, cost-effective client inquiry services which will reduce the wait time and improve access to information for the 1.5 million client inquiry calls that are received each year.

He says winning the contract demonstrates Datacom's leadership and innovation in the provision of customer care services in Australia.

“Datacom Connect will establish a contact centre service that provides an efficient optimised client experience, providing information and assistance to people enquiring about coming to Australia, whilst the Department will retain all decision-making powers,” Ladd continues.

Managing director of Datacom Connect, a division which delivers business process and outsources contact centre solutions, Kirsty Hunter, adds “This contract builds on Datacom Connect's successful customer care operations for other significant government clients.

“Our focus in the first year will be to consolidate three globally distributed contact centres into one location, to create Australian jobs and optimise efficiencies.

Around 250 Datacom employees dedicated to delivering services for the Department of Home Affairs will be based at Datacom's customer care operations and training facility and IT Hub in Adelaide.

Meanwhile, recruitment activities are underway for a range of roles to support the new contract, including customer service agents and specialist training and leadership roles.

The transition of services from the Department's current service centres in Sydney, the United Kingdom and Canada will occur progressively with full implementation expected by mid-2018.

Hunter concludes, “We have already seen how the application of contemporary technologies has supported the migration to digital engagement with customers, through the successful introduction of the virtual assistant ‘Alex' at IP Australia.

“We are excited about what we can create and develop with the Department of Home Affairs."