CASE STUDY
IT Agency delivers specialised IT Services and Support to ensure Disaster Relief Australia enjoys an optimal IT performance.
In this predominantly remote and mobile working environment, keeping DRA’s team connected, protected and fully supported requires a collaborative effort.
Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) is a veteran-led not for profit organisation that unites the skills and experience of military veterans and other volunteers.
As we’re all aware, there are many types of natural and man-made disasters that impact Australian communities. But with DRA on hand, the community receives organised disaster recovery support to help rebuild lives and communities with efficiency and empathy.
The organisation’s success in the field depends on its ability to recruit, train, equip, and deploy teams quickly to locations across the country. In particular, its ability to support veteran-led teams who coordinate and execute disaster relief and recovery initiatives in areas that are temporarily without a communications infrastructure.
To ensure both office-based and remote teams are always connected, protected and supported to assist post-disaster, DRA maintains an internal IT team that delivers Tier-1 and Tier-2 services and support. For more complex challenges that are beyond the capability or capacity of the internal teams, they rely on the always on expertise of the IT Agency.
As Disaster Relief Australia scales and grows, IT Agency keeps technology in lockstep.
Michael Hoffmann is Director of Technology at Disaster Relief Australia. He explains: “Disaster Relief Australia was established in 2016. Around two years ago we began to scale up and build a strong presence in the Australian not-for-profit sector.
“We secured significant Federal Government funding to build our capability and capacity to help disaster-hit communities. However, a condition of this funding is ensuring we have robust technology in place. This includes a cyber security framework that meets the requirements of Essential 8 Level 2, and an IT strategy that aligns with ITIL principles to maintain consistent, efficient, and secure IT service management.”
“To give us an additional layer of expertise to elevate our IT services and support, we’ve developed a long-term relationship with Ron, Richard and the team at the IT Agency.”
IT Agency delivers expertise on demand. With effective solutions to complex challenges.
Michael has a dedicated internal team of five IT specialists who manage and support their internal systems, including day-to-day operations, help desk support, and the setup and configuration of collaboration platforms.
“My internal team handles most of our Tier-1 and Tier-2 needs along with the development of platforms that integrate into our operations. We’re currently building a Hypernetes environment in Azure cloud with AI capabilities. Even though we’re doing this inhouse, I’ll bring in IT Agency to provide consultancy and support around the project,” explains Michael.
It’s the depth and breadth of the IT Agency’s managed services, consultancy and support that makes it such an important partner for Michael and his team.
“There are always advanced technical issues and complex challenges that my team won’t be able to handle,” he continues. “Currently, these include coordinating large-scale procurement and modern device management services, delivering virtual desktop environments to DRA’s remote volunteer workforce, managing complicated domain registrations and renewals to prevent misuse or competitive acquisitions, and overseeing email security systems.
“Having IT Agency on-hand to deliver expertise around our more peripheral specialised and high-level needs, my team can focus on our core operations while the IT Agency provides seamless solutions, proactive support, and innovative technology to ensure our systems remain secure, optimised, and ready to scale.”
For a not-for-profit like DRA, optimising IT spend is essential.
Disaster Relief Australia is growing into new regions in Australia. Recently the IT Agency assisted Michael in setting up new offices in Brisbane with 25 workstations, docking stations, headsets, laptops, and a video conferencing platform.
“In these rollouts, the IT Agency coordinates the IT purchases, ensuring we get the best pricing on bundle purchases, and have all the correct licensing in place. I rely on Ron and Richard to remotely set up our virtual private networks, physically install network switches and routers, and manage any unexpected challenges as they crop up through the roll-out,” he says.
For an organisation the size of DRA, with such a large mobile and remote workforce, licensing is a huge challenge. IT Agency coordinates and optimises all software licenses, ensuring compliance and cost efficiency. This is one of the main ways that IT Agency optimises DRA’s IT spend – with ongoing evaluation of tools and licenses. IT Agency also remove unnecessary licenses to ensure there’s no wastage.
“With the IT Agency on hand we ensure each new environment is robust, secure, and ready to support our mission of disaster relief and community recovery. Just as important, they optimise our budgets in all areas to ensure we optimise our IT spend across all procurement.”
Microsoft SharePoint connects the organisation
Microsoft SharePoint is the cornerstone of Disaster Relief Australia’s operational efficiency. Built by IT Agency’s development partner, Think Automation, it provides a centralised platform that connects more than 5,000 remote volunteers and 200 office-based team members.
As the organisation grows and evolves organically, SharePoint enables seamless collaboration, ensuring disaster relief efforts are coordinated effectively across the dispersed workforce.
As effective as SharePoint is in enabling secure collaboration, document management, and workflow automation, the main challenge Michael and his team have in times of disaster response is connecting the teams in the field with the coordination and support staff in the back office.
Ensuring always-on connectivity in a cloud-based environment
Connectivity relies on a range of advanced communication tools to ensure seamless connectivity in disaster-affected areas where traditional infrastructure may be damaged or destroyed. This includes the use of phones, tablets, satellite tracking devices, and a Starlink satellite internet system.
Michael explains: “We’ve always been a cloud-based organisation – it’s the way we’ve grown and evolved. The main challenge IT Agency helps us meet is deploying the laptops, mobile phone, devices, and applications our teams need to perform their tasks, with everything kept up-to-date and secure, in a predominantly mobile and working environment.
“We need to be ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. So, Ron, Richard and the team ensure we’re always ready to go with connected, protected and supported IT operations teams.”
IT Agency specialises in delivering Modern Device Management, Mobile Device and Application Management, and Windows 365 so DRA’s team can be productive and collaborative in a secure and compliant environment.
Using Microsoft Intune, IT Agency sets robust policies to control and secure devices across various platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Compliance policies then ensure all devices meet stringent security standards, providing peace of mind for Michael and his team.
Cloud-managed endpoint protection
Endpoint Protection is delivered via CrowdStrike and its flagship product, Falcon. Unlike traditional endpoint security solutions, CrowdStrike is entirely cloud-managed, requiring no on-premises infrastructure. It provides security for all DRAs endpoints, combining multiple advanced features to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats.
Importantly, Falcon is a ‘lightweight agent’ which means it operates without impacting the device’s performance – an essential feature when you’re operating in a disaster recovery environment.
IT Agency also connects DRA to specialised partners for ongoing penetration testing and monitors its email systems to ensure ongoing protection.
Managing risk and protecting DRA’s brand integrity through Domain Name Registrations and Renewals
Domain Name Registrations and Renewals may not sound like an essential service, but DRA relies on effective registrations and renewals to support and protect the DRA brand, reputation, and online presence. Preventing misuse or competitive acquisitions ensures malicious actors cannot exploit similar domains for scams, misinformation, or fundraising fraud. All these things could undermine public trust, donor confidence, and operational credibility during critical times.
It's a long-term partnership that remains in sync with DRAs changing needs.
“We’ve had a consistently great experience working with the IT Agency. What sets them apart is their proactive approach, exceptional effort, and consistent timeliness.
“They haven’t locked us into a contract. Instead, they deliver specialised expertise and support on demand in a seamless relationship that consistently delivers value and results. And their pricing is unparalleled, making them very affordable for a not-for-profit organisation, like ours.
“But on a personal level, Ron, Richard and the team at the IT Agency are the friendliest, most kind, collaborative and trustworthy people I’ve dealt with in the IT industry. Always on hand to deliver the specialised IT services and support we need; they’re the most capable and impactful IT team have ever dealt with.”
Michael Hoffmann, Director of Technology, Disaster Relief Australia.
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