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Cenitex chooses VMware to help drive new Digital Foundation transformation for Victorian Government

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Cenitex chooses VMware to help drive new Digital Foundation transformation for Victorian Government

Integrated VMware cloud solution gives Cenitex the capability to deliver faster, easier access to information, tools and services to 35,000 Victorian public servants 

SYDNEY, Australia – April 16, 2019:  VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), a leading innovator in enterprise software, and Cenitex, the Victorian Government's shared services ICT agency, today announced they are working together to deliver new cloud-based solutions to better support over 35,000 public servants across over 21 government departments and portfolio agencies.

Under Program Fortify,  Cenitex is adopting VMware's cloud technology to improve the resilience, reliability and security of its core infrastructure. By automating workflows and processes in the VMware environment, Cenitex will enhance the customer experience of departments and agencies by making it easier to consume and manage services. Cenitex will also improve the desktop experience for public servants through a new Digital Workplace service that will deliver fast and reliable access to information, applications and cloud services from anywhere on any device.

Cenitex said it needed to modernise its business and digital infrastructure to meet the rapidly changing needs of customers and handle the increasing demand for digital government services. With legacy infrastructure including centralised data centres, on-site storage and little capability for remote access, the agency needed to transform its existing ICT infrastructure to adapt to changing customer needs and the increasing use of the internet to provide services to Victorian citizens. 
A VMware customer for 10 years, Cenitex initially developed Program Fortify as a transformational program to deliver more resilient, cost effective services to customers. Since then, the Cenitex-VMware co-operation has developed into an fully integrated hybrid cloud solution. Cenitex is implementing a VMware solution that extends technology all the way from the software-defined data centre to applications and services that support Victorian citizens. 

The solution comprises a range of technologies that leverage each other to deliver more efficient operational and end-user benefits.  These technologies include: 

  • VMware vSphere
  • VMware NSX (for VDI and SDDC environments)
  • VMware vSAN
  • VMware Cloud on AWS
  • VMware vCloud Suite (including VMware vRealize Operations for SDDC and VDI environments, vRealize Automation, vRealize Business)
  • VMware Horizon
  • VMware Workspace ONE

Software-Defined Data Centre (SDDC)

Cenitex’s Program Fortify began with a focus on the SDDC, using VMware Validated Design for SDDC to provide a holistic approach to its design. This allowed the team to optimise for expansion and integration by incorporating a range of products for a broad set of use cases. 

vSphere allows Cenitex to connect and secure applications in a common operating environment across the hybrid cloud. It provides a fully virtualized infrastructure and enables a shift to software-defined services, as well as a higher consolidation of virtual machines and automation throughout the platform. 

vSAN flash-optimised storage is a core building block for Cenitex’s cloud environment, providing the secure foundation to run mission-critical applications.  

The organisation also operates a software-defined network running on VMware’s NSX, which enables Cenitex to have a fully virtualised networking solution with intrinsic security. This takes advantage of the unique attributes built into the virtualisation platform to provide complete visibility of users and activity on the network, without having to bolt a security layer on top. Where previously traditional firewalls took weeks to provision, they are now intrinsic in the network, helping Cenitex to meet customer’s expectations around security compliance and time-to-market. 

The SDDC gives Cenitex the capability to expand into the cloud easily and service customers quickly with a standardised environment and self-service features for the purchase and management of services.

VMware Cloud on AWS

VMware Cloud on AWS will allow Cenitex to reduce its physical data centre footprint, with improved scalability and continuous expansion capabilities into the cloud. By implementing VMware’s vRealize Automation, Cenitex will speed up ticket time and reallocate resourcing to solve the IT problems of public servants across the state, significantly reducing time-consuming manual processes. VMware Cloud on AWS also creates the opportunity for Cenitex to offer disaster recovery capability in the cloud for critical customer applications.  

End-User Computing

Program Fortify will transform the end-user experience for Cenitex’s customers using VMware Horizon and Workspace ONE. Horizon lets Cenitex deliver virtual or remote desktops and apps through a single VDI, securely and on demand. Cenitex is using VMware Workspace One technology to build its new Digital Workplace, which is aligned to the Victorian Government's digital workplace strategy. Due for consumption in July 2019, the new Digital Workplace will give Cenitex customers the ability to access information, applications and cloud services from anywhere with any device. The end-user experience will be reliable and resilient, allowing customers to work in a seamless and secure manner. Cenitex will be able to easily see device health and location, encrypt and restrict access to data, and protect sensitive information without compromising performance.

Due for completion at the end of 2019, Program Fortify will see Cenitex running a comprehensive VMware technology solution, end-to-end throughout the organisation. Rather than sitting as individual products, each of the technologies is fully integrated to leverage the others, delivering a comprehensive digital foundation to help meet customer demand and business expectations for agility, scalability and speed. 

“Our customers want us to be responsive, resilient and cost effective to meet their changing needs. They expect technological innovation that will provide them with reliable, accessible services well into the future,” says Michael Vanderheide, CEO, Cenitex. “The work with VMware has helped us reach a critical turning point in our digital transformation journey.  We can now provide mission-critical services more efficiently to our government customers which service the people of Victoria. At the completion of this project, we will be delivering a truly digital government experience that positions us as an agency leading the way not just in Australia, but globally.”
“VMware has been our preferred technology strategic advisor from day one for virtual platforms. We have VMware staff onsite working with our teams to help us achieve our ultimate goal of improving the customer experience,” says Nav Pillai, General Manager, Design & Development, Cenitex. “In today’s environment, government agencies are increasingly digitised and need an IT service that will help them navigate through this with ease. Our customers are providing a community service and we want to enhance this through an innovation mindset, which we will be able to do in partnership with VMware.”

“The sophistication customers expect from today’s technology services is continually increasing, which can easily lead to complex IT environments,” says Alister Dias, Vice President and Managing Director, VMware Australia and New Zealand. “Cenitex’s unique role in government means it’s critical to provide a flexible, secure service which can keep up with the pace of change. We are pleased to be working with Cenitex on its transformation journey to deliver a premium experience for customers and the community while providing a digital foundation which will allow the organisation to unlock the value from all of today’s technology.” 

 

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VMware, vSphere, NSX, vSAN, VMware Cloud, vCloud, vCloud Suite, vRealize, vRealize Operations, vRealize Automation, vRealize Business, Horizon and Workspace ONE are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites.