NT Department of Education to launch ICT support portal

The Northern Territory Department of Education (DoE) is rolling out a ICT support portal called iCentre, which will provide staff with information including the status of IT networks, bandwidth, applications and servers at the click of a button.

iCentre is designed to bring together data from separate DoE systems currently used to manage ICT into one portal.

According to NT DoE CIO Satpinder Daroch, the portal will enhance DoE’s capabilities to deliver ICT support to its users, which include 40,000 staff and students in 245 schools across the NT.

For example, iCentre will simplify problem reporting and improve the department’s accessibility to ICT support services.

“It will also provide better quality information and easy-to-use self-help and reporting tools for all NT DoE staff,” he said in a statement.

“By improving management and support of ICT in the NT schools’ environment, iCentre ensures end-users have the best day-to-day computing experience to develop knowledge through every available medium of exchange, from text to images, video, data, maps, collaboration and other tools used to facilitate learning.”

The iCentre was developed by DoE, IT partner NEC Australia and Web design company Captovate.

In October 2013, the NT government signed a $34.6 million contract with NEC to support the DoE’s IT and communications systems over the next five years.

NEC Australia is providing service desk and infrastructure support for the DoE and all NT schools. The schools and the department have locations distributed across the NT, with a large percentage of the schools in remote areas that require servicing by having people fly in.

The contract also includes the delivery of technology architecture and integration services, projects, service desk and technology management tools, on-site support, and IP telephony and communication systems management.

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