We're in this together
Small and medium-sized Ballarat ICT businesses are teaming to win hi-tech contracts nationwide and overseas.
Experts say their proximity to other ICT businesses at the University of Ballarat, Technology Park and a long-standing regional ICT strategy has given locals a competitive edge.
“The interdependent cluster of businesses at the technology park is working very well now,” Lateral Plains director George Fong said.
“Lots of tech park residents are both providers and clients to each other.
“We’ll ask them to do work for us and they’ll ask us to help them.”
While collaboration felt forced initially, a culture of co-operation – alongside the competition – has developed, Mr Fong said.
At any one time Lateral Plains has eight to nine local companies that it considers friends and works with on a regular basis, he said.
All Ballarat-based, they include software company Aviarc Australia, start-up web developer Virtual Bean and the Centre for eCommerce and Communications, among others.
“Working together, we’re picking up contracts that each of us on our own would not win,” Mr Fong said.
Lateral Plains builds and hosts servers, filters and forwards emails and creates webpages, among other services.
“We concentrate on regional ICT provision,” Mr Fong said.
“We aim squarely at the smallish business market across Australia and New Zealand.”
Helen Thompson, director at fellow technology park tenant, Centre for eCommerce and Communications, said interaction on the park had changed enormously in the past 10 years.
“If a contract includes an element you don’t specialise in, you can look to those around you.” She said.
“It’s a much faster process because you know what they can do.”
Ms Thompson said the ability to collaborate with other ICT companies at the park was “almost like having another department” or business unit on board.
“It allows you to focus more deeply in the areas where you can add the most value,” she said.
CeCC specialises in innovation around online technologies.
“Partnerships are really important for us to ensure that what we are developing is accessible,” she said.
For instance, using quality graphic designers is important because online, the look, in terms of use and accessibility, matters.
CeCC in partnership with Lateral Plains recently won a Moorabool Shire Council tender to help the region promote local ICT access.
Under the contract, the two companies also help the council maximise its opportunities under the national broadband rollout.
Ms Thompson said working with Lateral Plains meant someone else was worrying about the pipes and ensuring good connectivity and reliability.
“It really boosts the level of what we can provide and frees us to get on with the things we are better at,” she said.
According to resident businesses the close quarters on the park, where lots of small organisations are working alongside each other, also helps businesses win work.
People pass on tips and other information that can lead to new opportunities.
Almost 1500 people work at the technology park with IBM expected to add hundreds more workers to its onsite workforce over the next three years.
Herald Sun, Wednesday, July 1, 2009
