Bendigo Community Telco

Local telecommunications provider Bendigo Community Telco has been awarded the contract to manage Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's national Wide Area Network (WAN), which connects all the Bank's branches throughout Australia. "This is additional business and increased support from one of our important local businesses," said Bendigo Community Telco CEO, Phil Lazenby.

Bendigo Community Telco successfully tendered for the WAN contract against several national carriers, covering over 454 Bendigo and Adelaide Bank branch sites nationally.

"This is a significant project for Bendigo Community Telco, and one that will keep our business growing despite current economic conditions," Mr Lazenby said. "It will require additional infrastructure to be built and managed locally; the creation of a new Network Operations Centre will also create five specialised technical jobs in the immediate term, with more expected to follow."

Technical capability was not the only factor that ensured Bendigo Community Telco's success in this open tender. The Telco's commitment to the local community, shared by the Bank, was also a contributing factor.

"When the Bank weighed up the total economic outcomes, we decided that Bendigo Community Telco offered not only the best level of technical service and support, but that our local community would also significantly benefit," said Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's Chief Information Officer, Andrew Watts. "We considered the broader strategic benefits that Bendigo Community Telco brings to our local market, and we are confident that they will be able to deliver on this project on many levels."

Bendigo Community Telco currently manages the network controlling the Bank's ATMs, and will begin setting up the Network Operations Centre in partnership with the Bank immediately. Bendigo Community Telco will also work closely with the Bank's IT department to ensure their ongoing needs are successfully addressed.

Bendigo Community Telco has a strong track record of introducing new infrastructure and opportunities to the local market. After successfully raising the capital to form the company initially, it has continued to expand facilities which support the Bendigo economy.

A survey conducted in 2007 by La Trobe University Bendigo found that Bendigo Community Telco's contribution to the Bendigo region was significant, boosting regional output by $74.3 million (the equivalent of 242 jobs), retaining capital flows in the region, generating highly skilled jobs for the area, and repricing the marketplace due to increased competition. With the increased scale of Bendigo Community Telco since the University's original survey, the contribution to the local economy would have grown considerably more.

"This contract to manage Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's WAN network is another in a series of successful, large scale projects Bendigo Community Telco has undertaken," said Phil Lazenby. "Infrastructure like the Business Continuity Centre, which provides secure, external data backup for many local companies, not only supports local businesses in their day-to-day operation, but also provides jobs and other local opportunities which would otherwise not have existed. The new Network Operations Centre will provide similar opportunities."

The project is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year, and is another important endorsement of Bendigo Community Telco by one of our larger local businesses.

The Bendigo Sustainability Group launched its inaugural calendar on World Environment Day, 5 June 2009. The calendar provides information, ideas, actions and resources to assist people in the Bendigo region to live and work more sustainably. To support this endeavour, Bendigo Community Telco has provided the links below so you can download the GoGreen Challenge mentioned on the December page of the calendar.

The event drew an estimated 10,000 people to the Showgrounds.

Screaming Jets lead singer Dave Gleeson, said "This is an event of the people, by the people, for the people."

"This is a wonderful, joyous occasion," said Angry Anderson of Rose Tattoo, encouraging the crowd to continue the healing process, "If this country has a direction, you are that direction".

Local performer Kate DeAraugo was lauded by her fellow performers for her role in arranging the event.

A minute of silence for the lives lost on Black Saturday was followed by an emotion-charged rendition of Amazing Grace by Venetta Fields and the symbolic release of yellow balloons into the Bendigo sky.

Bendigo Community Telco is a proud sponsor of this event and we would like to show our appreciation to Kate and all the performers, and everyone that was involved in organising and supporting the event.