NSW.net has 5,500 licences for the MessageLabs managed anti-spam and antivirus service up for grabs -- councils and libraries are encouraged to apply.
NSW.net is using the offer to entice councils and libraries across NSW to use the NSW.net infrastructure, which was first established in 1997 under the state government's connect.NSW initiative. NSW.net has been run by the State Library of NSW since 2003.
Joyce Azzopardi, NSW.net's manager, told ZDNet Australia that the offer differentiates NSW.net from other Internet services on offer to libraries and councils.
"In public libraries the aim is to give free access to the Internet or government services ... but there are a lot of libraries that don't use NSW.net, so we're offering this as a value-added service to make NSW.net more attractive," said Azzopardi.
Of the state's 150-odd metropolitan and regional councils, 24 have so far taken up the offer.
Azzopardi said councils will need to act swiftly if they want to take up the offer.
"If [councils or libraries] apply and if I can fit them in, I will. It's on an opt-in basis -- we can't afford to offer it to everyone.
"Delivering community connectivity that's safe from malware is vital. Much of the services' success has been based delivering an Internet service that's free from viruses and spam," added Azzopardi.
