Stephen Kowal (Atturra)
Atturra, formerly known as FTS Group, is aiming to expand its Microsoft cloud and applications business well beyond its traditional market base in Canberra as it adjusts to life under a new brand and an expanded scope.
The local technology consulting and services business changed its name from FTS Group to Atturra in August following a series of acquisitions that saw it pick up the likes of Mentum Systems, Esam Consulting and Galaxy 42.
The rebrand was aimed at bringing together these companies, along with other FTS Group companies such as Anatas, Veritec, Cubic Consulting, KoBold and Noetic, with future acquisitions also to be folded into the Atturra brand.
FTS Group was formed in 2015 and has since grown rapidly, helped by its multi-year acquisition spree. Atturra claims to have served more than 600 local clients across federal, state and local government, defence, education, wealth and financial services and utilities.
It also maintains strategic partnerships with the likes of Microsoft, Boomi, Software AG and Smartsheet.
According to CEO Stephen Kowal, the company had been mulling a rebrand for at least a few years before making the change this year.
“We had multiple brands, and we were confusing the clients, [sho had to] decipher the different business units that had different specialisations,” Kowal told ARN.
“In terms of timing, in the last three years there’s a been a lot of collaboration across the businesses, and we got to the point where we realised there was more equity in the group than the individual brands.
“We went through a complex engagement process and make sure the businesses were on board. And that’s how we created something new. Post-rebrand the scores were good. The teams had got behind it,” he added.
With the rebrand, and all that goes with such an enormous undertaking, Atturra has since taken another step to help deliver some national cohesion, naming former Optus client delivery director Estelle Ivory as its new general manager for its Microsoft cloud and applications business.
Credit: Atturra Ivory’s new role sees her primarily focused on building the Atturra Microsoft cloud and applications team, capabilities, knowledge and go-to-market offerings in both the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform space.
According to Kowal, another big part of Ivory’s new role will be to help drive Atturra presence in the Microsoft cloud space beyond the bounds of Canberra, where much of its legacy customer base for its Microsoft cloud and applications business resides.
“Estelle’s an important appointment,” Kowal said. “We do a lot of work in the Microsoft stack, but a lot of it is centred around Canberra. We do a bit of Microsoft work outside of Canberra, but as we look to expand, we now have Estelle to drive that Microsoft play beyond Canberra.”
From Kowal’s perspective, a partner that wants to expand in the Microsoft ecosystem not only has to make sure it's on the customers’ radar, it also has to make sure it’s on Microsoft’s radar.
And it is this point, being on Microsoft’s radar, that is likely to see Ivory come into her own at Atturra, the recent recruit having spent more than a decade working with Microsoft before joining Optus in 2018.
While at Microsoft, Ivory worked as both consulting lead – client and data centre, Australia, and consulting practice lead – Dynamics, Asia Pacific Japan.
Now, Ivory has been charged with focusing on strengthening the company’s position in the Canberra market, but also with taking the Atturra Microsoft cloud and applications business unit to “the next level,” which means, in part, extending its presence across the country.
“In terms of the group strategy, there’s no change, but it’s broadening our client base,” Kowal said.
In terms of its government sector engagements, Atturra’s Microsoft cloud and applications business unit is focused heavily on Microsoft Dynamics.
“Estelle Ivory is the ideal person to help lead Atturra’s Microsoft cloud and applications business unit as it moves from strength to strength, delivering a full spectrum of end-to-end IT services and a new standard of excellence to clients,” said Greg Mace, executive general manager, Atturra Microsoft cloud and applications, when Ivory’s appointment was announced in September.
And while everyone knows the company for its Dynamics prowess in Canberra, the same can’t be said for its reputation on a national scale, despite its acquisition strategy handing it teams and clients all over the country.
“Estelle is tasked with getting our presence up with Microsoft in the regions,” Kowal said.
Now, Kowal is focused on filling what he believes is a gap in the local market for a homegrown, sovereign service provider that can handle the end-to-end needs of organisations in the local market.
In fact, Kowal now wants Atturra to hold the same kind of space in Australia that Datacom does in New Zealand.
“There are lots of great Australian companies and tech stacks, but I do see a gap in the end-to-end service provider [space],” he added.
