Digital ID and biometrics among three Australia IT test project components awarded AU$20M

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is due to pay out AU$20 million (approximately US$14.8 million) to fund test activities for some of its ongoing IT projects, including those involving digital identity and biometrics, InnovationAus reveals.

According to the report, the money will be distributed to three companies executing different aspects of IT projects for the country.

“Testing resources engaged through Modis Staffing are providing services to programs and areas including Permissions, Citizenship and Visa, Health and Digital Correspondence, Cargo and Trade, Identity and Biometrics, Corporate and Case and Shared Services arrangements with AusCheck, National Criminal Intelligence System and Austrade,” a Home Affairs Department spokesperson told InnovationAus.com.

Per the report, the additional funding comes as a result of an increase in cost for services expected to be delivered by the contracting firms.

InnovationAus mentions that part of the money will go to Modis Staffing, one of the concerned firms which won an initial contract worth $8 million for the rendering of ‘IT professional services,’ but which was later adjusted to $12 million. A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said the increase is due to increased demand and emerging initiatives, such as for re-opening international borders.

The two other contracts for the testing of IT managed services, the report notes, are Australian firms Aris Zinc and FinXL Professional Services, respectively providers of IT and recruitment services, who have $4 million each from the Home Affairs package.

The testing will be carried out by approximately 50 full-time staff from Modis Staffing, 30 from Aris Zinc and 14 from FinXL.

The report notes that many these IT development contracts have been outsourced to different companies such as Accenture, which has been paid about $60 million to work on the permissions capability used by people travelling to the country, along with other projects.

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  government purchasing  |  identity management