The Australian Defence Ministry has awarded a contract to Dimension Data to provide terrestrial communications support for the Defence Information Environment.

Under the $29m contract, the company will provide a wide range of information and communications technology (ICT) services including network hardware maintenance support.

Australian Defence Support Parliamentary Secretary Mike Kelly said the two-year contract will cover a range of ICT services obtained through existing contracts with various suppliers that will expire between July 2010 and November 2010.

Through the Strategic Reform Program, Defence’s objective is to have fewer contracts but more strategic commercial relationships with the Australian ICT industry, Kelly said.