Victoria has claimed another win in its battle to become Australian's dominant ICT state with the announcement that two companies new to the local market will headquarter their businesses there.
The businesses, New Zealand-based ICT company Xero Limited, and start up Online Service Corporation (OSC), will take up residence in the state creating approximately 100 additional ICT jobs.
Victorian ICT Minister, John Lenders, welcomed the OSC headquarters to the state, to be run by nSynergy Group chief executive, Karl Redenbach, and resell Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite through Telstra's T-Suite infrastructure.
“OSC will be one of the first Australian companies to bring Microsoft’s cloud-based Online Services solutions to the Australian market,” Lenders said in a statement.
"Online Services Corporation is well-placed to continue Victoria’s dominance of the ICT market.”
According to Lenders the OSC will also be taking Victoria’s ICT industry global with the company's newly established offices in the United States, UK and China, providing potential export opportunities.
Redenbach claimed Melbourne was the “logical” place to launch the OSC as the “strong” Victorian ICT industry would help extend the company’s global reach.
Additionally, Xero Limited, which provides a platform for online accounting and business services to small to medium sized enterprises, estimates it will create 50 new jobs in the state over the next five years.
Xero chief executive officer, Rod Drury, said the new Australian headquarters in Melbourne would help the company service existing business and grow new business in Australia.
“Victoria gives Xero important advantages such as having a convenient headquarters to reach our expanding banking, finance and small business customer base as well as access to world-leading players,” Drury said in a statement.
Lenders said Victoria has had at least 2000 ICT jobs created to date this year.
As reported by lt;igt;Computerworld Australialt;/igt;, between 425 and 700 jobs will be up for grabs in Melbourne when the NBN Co’s Network Operations Centre (NOC) becomes fully functional in early 2011. Digital post-production company, Cutting Edge, also announced its expansion to Melbourne creating 65 new jobs in Victoria.
The Victorian Government also recently announced its $110 million ICT action plan with the aim of creating ICT jobs and to reinforce its status as the IT hub of Australia.