NetStar goes west

NetStar plans to offer voice, data and security products and services, including consultancy, project management and support, to customers in WA.

Craig Dower, managing director at NetStar Australia, said the integrator had demonstrated its capabilities in WA previously, rolling out what he claimed was one of the largest local PABX deployments for a “major” government department.

“Establishing an office there reinforces our commitment to delivering proven voice and network solutions across Australia,” Dower said.

NetStar also recently opened an office in Adelaide as a result of “organic growth” in the business, he said.

NetStar has appointed David Somerville to lead the WA operation. Somerville--who has held roles with Nortel, Optus, ICL, Plessey, GEC and most recently Alphawest--has 30 years experience in IT, covering the PABX, data networking and carrier space in particular. NetStar most recently rolled out a Nortel-based IP telephony system for Essendon Keilor College in Melbourne, replacing a 15 year old analog system by connecting each campus wirelessly via radio towers on each site. Telephone calls were routed via an IP data network on each campus, the company said.

Parent company NetStar Group is based in Hong Kong and majority-owned by ING Barings Private Equity Partners, with “significant investments” from Intel, CDP Capital, and Allen & Buckeridge. The company employs about 500 people in the Asia-Pacific.

NetStar Group has technology relationships with Cisco, Nortel, iPass, Packeteer, Checkpoint, Nokia and Network Associates with customers such as the Hong Kong Airport Authority, UBS Warburg, China Construction Bank, China Telecom, ABN-AMRO, Swinburne University and Standards Australia.