Unisys scores $50m DIAC extension

in brief The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has extended its contracts with Unisys for desktop services and biometric identity management.

Unisys' desktop services contract has been prolonged by two years to June 2013 for an additional value of around $50 million. Its contract to provide identity authentication has been extended for 12 months until August 2010, leading to $2.9 million in extra revenue.

The desktop outsourcing contract, which began in 2007, covers desktop and applications support as well as secure email and internet services for over 7000 DIAC employees across the country and staff in 60 overseas locations.

Unisys said it has handled around 175,000 calls a year since the contract started. It has also been virtualising DIAC's infrastructure under the contract, replacing 107 servers with eight new ones to reduce the power consumption and physical area of the datacentre.

The biometrics contract, which started in 2006, has Unisys providing systems that allow immigration officials to check identities via facial images and fingerprints.