Blue Connections reaches 3000 LinkedIn followers
We are pretty pumped to share the news that Blue Connections IT has reached another milestone and hit the 3000+ follower mark on our LinkedIn company page. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who follows us, likes our posts, and shares our content. We really appreciate your support and enjoy engaging with you.
Please don’t stop following us, as it then makes the post really awkward.
Blue Connections IT wins the Sophos ANZ Partner of the Year Award 2024!
Sophos announced the winners of the Sophos ANZ Partner Awards 2024 at the Sophos APJ Partner 100 event in Thailand. The Sophos ANZ Partner Awards 2024 awarded Blue Connections IT for their highest year-to-year sales growth, most significant contribution to new customer sales of Sophos next generation products as well as their commitment to the Sophos brand and marketing strategy.
Cassandra Eastham speaks at DisruptHR Sydney
Last month our Chief People and Culture Officer Cassandra Eastham, CPHR, MAICD was a guest speaker at DisruptHR Sydney. Her topic on How to Foster Inspiration in the Workplace Through Gender Equality and Carbon Neutrality encapsulates how organisations should think about empowerment and sustainability in the workplace!
“ESG serves as the pollinator within our ecosystem, integrating sustainability, social responsibility, diversity and inclusion as one unified submission.”
Be sure to watch her speech here.
Anglicare Victoria Giving Day 2024 with Dell Technologies
Thanks to the incredible support from our valued customers, the entire Blue Connections IT team, and our trusted vendor partner, Dell Technologies, Anglicare Victoria received a generous donation of 400 hampers. These hampers were filled with 4,400 essential food items, along with special gifts like teddy bears and pencil cases.
Everyone enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to lend a hand, pitching in to pack these much-needed supplies. The packed hampers have already been swiftly distributed to families facing hardships across Victoria, underscoring the critical need for assistance in our communities.
This experience not only filled us with immense pride for our ability to offer support but also served as a poignant reminder of our own blessings and the importance of helping others in times of need. We commend the courage it takes to recognise when help is required and to reach out for it.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dell Technologies for their unwavering partnership and support in facilitating our third Anglicare Victoria giving day. Additionally, we express appreciation to our Dell Technologies aligned distribution partners and aligned vendors – Schneider Electric, Dicker Data, Ingram Micro – and our dedicated merchandise supplier, Arid Zone | Promotional Merchandise, for their exceptional efforts in assisting us.
We take great pride in our collective efforts to help “Take hunger off the table” and make a meaningful difference in our community. Watch the video here.
Sustainability Leaders Summit with HP
Last month Blue Connections IT and HP attended and sponsored the Sustainability Leaders Summit, bringing together more than 300 of the nation’s leading corporate sustainability executives to delve deeply into the challenges and opportunities behind the ultimate goal of transforming business for the better.
The Summit featured an ambitious, outcomes-focused agenda with over forty frontline perspectives from the highest levels of sustainability practice in Australia. From the macro and micro issues that challenge businesses in their transition to sustainability, to the opportunities that are there for businesses that can take a forward and leadership position.
Blue Connections IT continues to provide innovative HP technology, services, and solutions to help customers solve digital transformation in a sustainable way. Both organisations aim to drive meaningful and significant change to the people, planet, and community of our world.
View the photos here.
Your carbon footprint: Do you know where you stand?
To understand your progress, you must know your starting point. Assessment is a crucial first step on any sustainability journey.
Thank you to David Sutton from Lenovo for presenting on what Lenovo is doing help customers assess and meet their sustainability goals now and into the future.
Fantastic to also have the latest Lenovo sustainable technology on display in our Blue Connections IT experience centre as well as our sustainable wine partner – The Hidden Sea. View the photos here.
We’ve been recognised on Cloudtango’s MSP Select 2024
Congratulations to the Blue Connections IT team for being recognised as one of the top Managed Service Providers in Australia in Cloudtango’s MSP Select 2024
Every year, Cloudtango honours the most successful managed service providers (MSPs) in Australia. In this tenth edition, MSP Select continues to highlight technical excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction provided by the industry across Australia, in what has become a reliable reference due to its independent, unbiased approach, as well as in-depth analysis. For 2024, technical analysis focused on cybersecurity, support, infrastructure, and cloud services, while underlining positive trends in business growth, customer satisfaction, technical certifications, and continual service improvement. “Exceptional customer service isn’t just about metrics; it’s about surpassing expectations, embodying innovation, and inspiring confidence,” said Jordi Vilanova, Managing Director at Cloudtango. “We chose Blue Connections IT because it consistently achieves exceptional results, setting a benchmark for excellence in the industry.”
MSP Select reflects an excellent track record delivering innovative IT solutions, cybersecurity solutions, and cloud services. By being selected, Blue Connections IT demonstrated outstanding capabilities while exceeding customer expectations. Learn more here
Our Finalists for the 2024 Women Leading Tech Awards
Congratulations to Cassandra Eastham, CPHR, MAICD Eastham, head of people and culture at Blue Connections IT and Erica Smith, head of marketing and vendor alliance at Blue Connections IT, who have been named as finalists in the 2024 Women Leading Tech Awards. These nominations stand as a testament to their dedication and leadership in driving innovation, fostering change, and breaking through barriers, inspiring others to follow suit. We proudly congratulate Cassandra and Erica on these accomplishments.
Sophos and Veeam go together like pizza and gelati!
A day well spent with our customers to learn how Sophos and Veeam Software are working together to protect your environment and critical IT systems, as well as getting up to speed on the effects of Generative AI on the cybersecurity landscape.
And the day got even better with all you can eat pizza and gelati.
Massive thank you to our amazing speakers Aaron Jacobs, Antony Marijanovic and Ben Verschaeren and the wider Sophos and Veeam team for all their support.
View the photos here.
We’ve achieved carbon neutral certification for the second consecutive year!
We’re pretty excited to announce that Blue Connections IT has once again achieved carbon neutral certification for its business operations. For the financial year ending June 30, 2023, Blue Connections IT has met the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, marking our second consecutive year of certification and reinforcing our commitment to operating more sustainability. To attain carbon neutral certification from Climate Active, our business operations were subject to comprehensive assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by Pangolin Associates Pty Ltd, a Climate Active registered consultancy. The assessment determined Blue Connections IT had experienced a 19.2 per cent decrease in overall Year-on-Year (YoY) emissions compared to the previous financial year (2021-22). To learn more, read the full media release here or visit our ESG page.
We’re one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™ for Women in 2023
Blue Connections IT is thrilled to be named one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™ for Women in 2023 by Great Place To Work® Australia New Zealand Pty Ltd Place To Work®, the global authority on workplace culture. This reflects Blue Connections IT continued commitment to cultivating a supportive and engaging environment that empowers women in both its business and the industry. Read the latest blog article on the work Blue Connections IT is completing to create a company culture and workplace environment that’s rewarding, satisfying, and a place where its people can grow. Learn more here
Blue Connections IT wins Yealink Platinum Partner of the Year 2023!
Congratulations to Blue Connections IT for being awarded Yealink Platinum Partner of the Year 2023.
Bernie walking the walk
We like to create informative and insightful videos that include our team members. We also like to have a bit of fun – who knew that walking on camera would be so difficult.
Watch the video here.
Premiere screening of Napoleon with Lenovo and AMD
What an EPYC night watching Napoleon on the big screen. Thanks to our wonderful BC customers for supporting the Lenovo and AMD partnership.
View the photos here.
Winners at ARN Innovation Awards 2023
Blue Connections IT is thrilled to have won the Partner Innovation – Think Differently category at the 2023 ARN – Channel News Innovation Awards. Blue Connections IT was named as the winner for our continuous journey towards building a more sustainable future. From our carbon-neutral certification to our fleet of electric cars, we have significantly reduced our environmental footprint and are encouraging our employees, partners, and customers to do the same.
Congratulations to Erica Smith, head of marketing and vendor alliance at Blue Connections IT who was named the winner of the Personal Innovation – Marketing Excellence (Partner) category at the 2023 ARN Innovation Awards. Erica was selected by an executive panel of industry judges who acknowledged that her marketing passion is fuelled by aiming to constantly think beyond what is possible for vendors and customers. Over the past 12 months, Erica has spearheaded Blue Connections IT’s commitment to achieving carbon neutral certification for its business operations and continuously ensures the organisation’s marketing efforts are aligned with its broader business goals and sustainability commitments. We proudly congratulate Erica on this wonderful achievement.
Read more about the 2023 Innovation Awards in ARN.
Oaks Day 2023 with Blue Connections IT
This year we celebrated Oaks Day a little bit different – we brought the races to our head office for all to enjoy.
We dressed to impress and celebrated in style with a gourmet lunch, bubbles flowing, bogus bookies, fashions on the field and some competitive horse racing.
View the photos here.
Drive to Success with HP & AMD
With the launch of AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors & HP’s G10 notebook platform, we created the perfect opportunity to not only highlight Blue Connections IT, HP & AMD’s partnership but also our joint focus on sustainability & performance.
And there was no better way for our customers to experience the partnership, than a performance drive followed by a delicious lunch using locally sourced ingredients at Jackalope. Watch the video here.
The Blue Connections IT team unites in support of charity organisation, Backpacks 4 VIC Kids
Blue Connections IT, together with the assistance of our key vendors and distributors, rolled up their sleeves to provide 205 completed backpacks to Backpacks 4 VIC Kids. The eager team all purchased a pair of children’s pyjamas, donated their time to assist packing other essential items into the backpacks and then detailed the inclusions with a personalised message for each child.
B4VK provides crisis packs and gift packs to vulnerable children, aged from birth to seventeen years. Their purpose is to aid displaced children by providing the essentials needed most urgently, long before any arrangements have been made to further support them. Often children are placed quickly into foster or kinship care, for example, without much more than what they are wearing at the time. B4VK provides displaced children with a few essential items to help resource them, restoring dignity, self-worth, and to show them someone cares. Watch the video here.
Blue Connections IT and Erica Smith are ARN Channel News Innovation Awards finalists!
Blue Connections IT is proud to be named as finalist in the 2023 ARN – Channel News Innovation Awards in the Partner Innovation – Think Differently category, demonstrating our continued focus on being an innovative, outside-of-the-box specialist.
We are also thrilled to see Erica Smith, marketing and vendor alliance manager at Blue Connections IT, be nominated as a finalist in the 2023 ARN Innovation Awards for her continued work in the marketing space. Erica was named a finalist in the Personal Innovation – Marketing Excellence category, which highlights standout individuals who contribute to customer, company, and channel success.
Read the article here.
Blue Connections IT named as Dell Technologies Q2 ESG Spotlight Partner
We are thrilled to announce that Blue Connections IT has been selected as one of the seven global Dell Technologies Q2 ESG Spotlight Partners.
To be recognised globally for our ESG initiatives is an amazing achievement.
“Dare to Compare” with AMD
Yesterday Blue Connections IT and AMD hosted our customers to a “dare to compare” food and beverage tasting experience. Whilst comparing whiskey, wine, cheese and chocolate, we also compared AMD to its competitors with an informative presentation covering the latest innovations in Ai, sustainability & performance. View the photos here.
Blue Connections IT wins Dell Technologies ESG award!
We are excited to announce that Blue Connections IT has been named Dell Technologies Environmental, Social & Governance award winners for 2023!
It is a privilege to partner with Dell Technologies as a leading vendor aligned with our ESG pillars in driving societal and environmental impact for our customers and communities.
Dell Technologies Forum – Melbourne 2023
Blue Connections IT goes green at the Melbourne Dell Technologies Forum.
We were able to get all the gossip on the latest Dell Technology by sponsoring the water coolers and handing out reusable drink bottles.
Thanks to all that stopped by for a chat and thanks to the team at Dicker Data for co-sponsoring our stand. View the photos here.
Partnering For Purpose with Cisco
Thank you to the team at Ingram Micro and Cisco for the opportunity for Blue Connections IT to participate in the first “Partnering For Purpose” global initiative in Australia. We are delighted to share that we were able to complete 8 certifications triggering a $1600 AUD donation to Planet Ark Environmental Foundation. Learn more here.
BlueSky sessions with VMware
It might not have been a BlueSky, but our BC sun visors made everything Blue.
Many of our clients are invested in VMware Virtualisation for their IT platform and are finding it both technically difficult and cost prohibitive to transition into existing public cloud platforms.
So today we held 3 interactive sessions (and of course we had a food truck) on how to leverage BlueSky (by Blue Connections IT) hosted solutions. Blue Connections IT can provide a seamless pathway into to cloud enabling features, performance, availability, and security that would traditionally be out of reach. View the photos here.
Sustainability Lunch with Dell Technologies
Q. What does Blue Connections IT, Dell Technologies and Farmer’s Daughters have in common?
A. They all have a sustainability vision for the future (and full bellies after a delicious lunch)
Today we revisited Farmer’s Daughters for a delicious paddock to plate dining experience coupled with an informative presentation from Ben Weiberg on Dell Technologies vision to drive greater impact for business, people and the planet. View the photos here.
We’ve reached 2500 followers!
We are excited to share that Blue Connections IT has reached another milestone and hit the 2500+ follower mark on our LinkedIn company page
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who follows us, likes our posts, and shares our content. We really appreciate your support and enjoy engaging with you.
It’s drinking the water!
Reach out to your Blue Connections IT Account Executive or click here to get your hands on one of these carefully marketed drinking birds and a 20-minute presentation on BlueSky powered by Lenovo infrastructure.
“Cheese and Chat” with Veeam
Yesterday our customers were filled with knowledge and cheese in our latest Veeam and Blue Connections IT – “Cheese and Chat” online experience.
David Hills presented on how Veeam supports partners on a Managed BaaS offering, to provide a fully managed turnkey solution complying with the Veeam 3-2-1 Rule, including Immutable cloud backup. Bernard Tyers presented on how Blue Connections IT uses Veeam as our preferred backup partner to provide MBaaS using BlueSky’s private cloud. Using BlueSky and Veeam, Blue Connections will provide Managed BaaS for customers’ on-premise environments, providing a fully monitored and maintained backup solution.
Singapore with HPE Aruba Networking
Last week Blue Connections IT hosted our key customers for a 3-day HPE Aruba Networking Customer Innovation Center (CIC) study tour in Singapore. The jam-packed agenda was specifically tailored to the unique requirements of each of the attending customers growing business needs. In between the busy schedule there was also an opportunity to visit an Aruba showcase site and experience traditional Singaporean cuisine. Thank you so much to the amazing team at Aruba for making this happen. A massive shout out to Elissa McCormick for her exceptional agenda and speaker selection and to Sydney Ediriweera and Sophie SR Liu for being the perfect hosts. View the photos here.
Kerry Argiriou wins at WIICTA!
Well done Kerry Argiriou for winning the ARN – Channel News WIICTA award for Graduate Partner and congratulations to our two other category finalists Anne Drebing and Cassandra Eastham, CPHR, MAICD. For Blue Connections IT to have three females representing the company as finalists is an amazing achievement! View the photos here.
Blue Connections IT achieves carbon neutral certification!
Blue Connections IT has achieved carbon neutral certification for its business operations for the financial year ending June 30, 2022 as assessed by Pangolin Associates Pty Ltd Associates and certified by Climate Active against the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard. The organisation is proud to have achieved this certification, which is an important step in its sustainability journey and is committed to continuing to enhance its business practices with its low carbon offset of 1,560 tons of carbon dioxide produced in the financial year ending June 30, 2022, evidence of some of the tangible actions the organisation has already taken. To learn more, read the full media release here or visit our ESG page.
Backpack Giving Day 2023 for Anglicare Victoria
Blue Connections IT and Dell Technologies hold second annual Backpack Giving Day for Anglicare Victoria
Anglicare Victoria was the recipient of 400 backpacks thanks to our amazing customers, Blue Connections IT staff and our vendor partner Dell Technologies. Everyone jumped at the opportunity to join in, with sleeves rolled up, ready to assist with packing the backpacks, to give those kids in need something special, from people who care. The home transition backpacks will be used to support children and young people in areas like foster care and residential care. Anglicare will also provide the education backpacks to kids in their programs like TEACHaR, helping kids to feel a sense of achievement and belonging in education settings. View the video here.
Blue Connections IT wins 7-Eleven’s service provider of the year award for 2023!
What a wonderful achievement for Blue Connections IT to win the service provider of the year award for 2023 at the 7-Eleven Australia Our Partners Our Futures event. This award recognises Blue Connections IT commitment to support 7-Eleven.
Our long-standing partnership has gone from strength to strength, and we would like to thank the entire 7-Eleven team for the recognition. A special mention to our Microsoft & Cloud Services team, End User Services team and our Enterprise Service Desk for being instrumental to our recent success.
Go kart racing with HP
HP are a truly competitive force when it comes to leading the way with technology, but as it turns out – our Blue Connections IT customers are really competitive too – at go kart racing!
ARN Women in ICT Awards 2023
Blue Connections IT are proud to be finalists in three categories at the ARN Women in ICT Awards 2023.
Cassandra Eastham, CPHR, MAICD – D&I Champion – Individual Kerry Argiriou – Graduate (Partner) and Anne Drebing Achievement (Partner).
Blue Connections IT prides itself on championing female leadership and career advancement, so we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to honour our female talent.
Good luck to all the finalists!
Blue Connections IT wins Eaton approved partner of the year!
Blue Connections IT wins Eaton approved partner of the year.
Congratulations on the win and the nice addition to our trophy cabinet.
Congratulations to our new CTO, Paul Wilson!
Blue Connections IT is excited to announce the appointment of Paul Wilson to the role of chief technology officer (CTO) as part of the business’s strategic growth roadmap. Paul joined Blue Connections IT in 2014 as a solution architect before moving into a management role in the organisation’s network and security division. As CTO Paul is responsible for the growth of Blue Connections IT’s four key technical divisions and ensuring that the business continues to deliver niche and specialised IT solutions to its growing client base.
Great Place to Work® Hawaiian themed lunch
We just got Certified™ by Great Place to Work®! What a great way to celebrate with a Hawaiian themed EOM lunch. Couldn’t be prouder of our team – we put our people first.
View the photos here.
Blue Connections is a great place to work!
It’s official! Thanks to our people, we’re proud to have earned Great Place to Work® Certification™.
Our company culture is our top priority!
Inhouse golf coaching with Lenovo
Today we held our first customer day in our Lenovo workstation powered golf simulator.
Following a presentation from Lenovo, we were joined by pro golfer Kim Collett for a coaching session to provide tips, tricks and advice on how to improve our game. Reach out to your account rep for more information on our Lenovo workstation powered in-house golf simulator. View the photos here.
Premiere screening of Avatar: The Way of Water
Thank you to our wonderful customers for joining the Blue Connections IT team for the premiere screening of Avatar. It was wonderful to see some of our managed services team on the big screen – be sure to watch the video to find our more on our award-winning enterprise service desk, managed service desk, device lifecycle management and staff augmentation capabilities. View the photos here.
Anglicare Victoria Christmas Toy Appeal
Today the BC team came together to cello wrap our employee donated gifts to the Anglicare Victoria Toy Appeal.
Blue Connections IT are so proud to support this amazing organisation. View the photos here.
Erica Smith wins HP’s award for Marketing Excellence!
Congratulations to Erica Smith for winning the Marketing Excellence Award at the HP Annual Partner Awards 2022. Some well-deserved recognition, on a national level, for Erica’s amazing creativity and effort.
Learn more about the full list of winners here.
T-20 Cricket Finals with IBM
Our Blue Connections customers had a thrilling evening at the MCG watching T-20 Cricket Finals with the team from IBM.
The evening was to celebrate Blue Connections achieving a specialist partner status with IBM Storage by delivering more secure and sustainable solutions to our customers.
Thank you Rohan, Pradeep and John. View the photos here.
The ESD team celebrate their win!
Gotta love winners cake – Congratulations to our legendary Blue Connections IT Enterprise Service Desk (ESD). View the photos here.
Blue Connections stubby holders have arrived!
Our new BC stubby holders have arrived – and it looks like they’re perfect for a Melbourne summer or winter. If you would like to get your hands on one of these beauties – reach out to your BC rep and we will arrange for you.
Blue Connections wins the Lenovo IDG Australian Reseller of the Year!
We’re so proud to share the news that Blue Connections IT was awarded the IDG Australian Reseller of the Year at the recent Lenovo Partner Gala Awards!
Such an amazing team effort.
Customer, HP & BC collaboration at its best –
Amazing Race style!
Within our teams, we collaborated and solved unique challenges whilst racing around the CBD. Followed by a presentation from the HP collaboration specialist – James Gooding on HP’s Presence range of huddle and small meeting space solutions.
Well done team silver – official bragging rights!
View the photos here.
Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) win for customer service
Congratulations to our legendary Blue Connections IT Enterprise Service Desk (ESD).
“ The Awards celebrate and reward the work that teams and people do across our nation every day to place their customers at the heart of their decision making and actions and we congratulate you for winning the Service Champion for the Customer Service Team of the Year – Medium. ” CSIA Customer Service Institute of Australia
Indoor skydiving with Dell Technologies
We have finally come down from our high!
Last month our customers joined Blue Connections and Dell Technologies for an exhilarating indoor skydiving experience while learning how Dell Technologies’ flexible, scalable IT solutions can help you fly through your business demands and workloads. Thank you once again AJ Missaghi for sharing your insights – brilliant presentation. View the photos here.
Driving sustainability with HP
HP has named Blue Connections IT an Amplify Impact 3-Star Catalyst Partner for driving sustainability! From training our employees to leading our sales with sustainability, we are helping customers make an impact, too. #HPAmplifyImpact
Lunch with Dell Technologies
The Farmer’s Daughters was the perfect location for Nick and Jiby to deliver an amazing customer presentation on the latest in DT. There was strong focus on DT efforts and performance in adhering to environmental, social and governance standards plus an informative product update on the latest technology.
View the photos here.
Aruba ClearPass and Central Sessions
Today we brought the Big Dogz to Blue Connections – we had the amazing Sydney Ediriweera and Ariya Parsamanesh from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company running 3 informative customer sessions on Aruba ClearPass and Central. Coupled with live ClearPass demos from Tim Welsby and Salih Aycicek. Topped off with perfect weather and Big Dogz gourmet catering. Winning!
View the photos here.
Security and Shiraz with Sophos
Earlier this week we held our first hybrid customer event with our vendor partner Sophos – “Security and Shiraz”. Customers had the option to attend in person or virtually for a security focused wine tasting with Max Petronio from Petronio Wines and a security update from Ben Verschaeren and Bryan Ballard from Sophos.
View the photos here.
Lunch with Lenovo at La Luna Bistro
La Luna Bistro was the perfect setting for our customers to come together to discuss the challenges of adapting to a hybrid working environment. An in-depth presentation from Joe Ciardi from Lenovo was perfectly complimented with a delicious feed from renowned chef Adrian Richardson.
View the photos here.
Blue Connections IT are finalists in the upcoming ARN Innovation Awards!
We are over the moon with excitement to announce that Blue Connections are finalists in the upcoming ARN Innovation Awards!
A huge congratulations goes to Erica Smith, Jane Murphy, Mathew Marasco and Nick Crofts for all their hard work and well-deserved recognition for our Tech Innovation – Digital Transformation finalist selection.
Check out the full list of finalists here
Well done Snehaa!
Congratulation to Snehaa Chandran on achieving on achieving her Aruba Certified Switching Associate (ACSA) certification.
In the words of Paul Wilson: “Snehaa has passed the ACSA cert (Aruba’s equivalent of Cisco’s CCNA) which is an amazing achievement for herself, I’m very proud of her for passing this difficult certification.“
8×8 and Poly sessions at our Scoresby office
Not only did the Melbourne sun come out today, but our customers did too. We were able to showcase 8×8 enterprise grade Experience Communications as a Service (XCaaS) and the latest range of Poly video and voice solutions.
Thank you once again for your support. View the photos here.
We are proud supporters of Backpacks 4 VIC Kids
Today (29th June 2022), Blue Connections IT delivered 40 filled backpacks to give to children entering out-of-home care and emergency accommodation.
Blue Connections are proud to be a long-term supporter of Backpacks 4 VIC Kids. Please reach out to the BC team if you would like more information on how to support this wonderful charity.
View the photos here.
Blue Conn Sales Kick Off in Tasmania
After a 2-year delay, our sales team finally made it to our Blue Conn Sales Kick Off in Tasmania.
“We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we respect, trust and care for each other.” View the photos here.
2022 Australian Service Excellence Awards (ASEA)
We are beyond excited to receive the news that the Blue Connections Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) has been named as a finalist in the CSIA Australian Service Excellence Awards for Customer Service Team of the Year – Medium. Massive shout out to Mathew Marasco and Amanda Williams for leading such an amazing customer centric team and for the support of our wonderful customers. www.csia.com.au/2022-asea-finalists
Blue Connections IT achieves VMware Cloud Verified status
Based upon our deployment of VMware technology, we are proud to have achieved VMware Cloud Verified status.
Cloud Service Providers who display the Cloud Verified badge offer services based on the most complete VMware-based cloud infrastructure technology available, providing compatibility, choice, and control of VMware Cloud Infrastructure at data center locations where this service is offered.
Erica Smith wins at WIICTA!
Well done Erica Smith for winning the ARN – Channel News WIICTA award for Innovation – (Partner National) and congratulations to our two other category finalists Jane Murphy and Kiara Barbis.
View the photos here.
We’ve reached 2000 LinkedIn followers!
We are excited to share that Blue Connections has hit the 2,000+ follower mark on our LinkedIn company page
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who follows us, likes our posts, and shares our content. We really appreciate your support and enjoy engaging with you.
Cheeseboard to the Keyboard with Lenovo
Due to popular demand, our online Blue Connections IT and Lenovo “Cheeseboard to the Keyboard” sessions are back.
From the comfort of our own homes, we had a great evening consuming a delicious wine and cheese selection that was perfectly complemented by a product update on the latest Lenovo technology.
Thank you to Maria Crews and Nicholas Burgess from 14 Days of Cheese for their expert knowledge and amazing logistical skills of making this event happen and to the Lenovo duo of Joe Ciardi and Takuro Mizuno – we were able to “drill” down on the latest in Lenovo technology. View the photos here.
Top Gun: Maverick with Lenovo
I feel the need – the need for speed – and that’s what you get with Lenovo technology.
What a great night being able to attend the highly anticipated premiere screening of Top Gun: Maverick – and yes – that is a cinema of guests all wearing aviator sunglasses. View the photos here.
Opening of our new Enterprise Service Desk office space
Earlier this week Blue Connections celebrated the opening of our new Enterprise Service Desk office space. Thanks to rapid customer adoption and acquisition, the team quickly outgrew their original area and needed to utilise additional floor space at the Blue Connections head office in Scoresby.
Stop by for a tour when you are next in the area. View the photos here.
ARN Women in ICT Awards 2022
Blue Connections IT are proud to be finalists in three categories at the ARN Women in ICT Awards 2022.
Erica Smith Innovation – Partner (National), Kiara Barbis Graduate (Partner) and Jane Murphy Achievement (Partner).
Blue Connections prides itself on championing female leadership and career advancement so we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to honour our female talent.
Good luck to all the finalists!
Blue Connections IT and Dell Technologies held their inaugural ‘Back Pack Giving Day’ for Anglicare Victoria
Anglicare Victoria was the recipient of over 200 backpacks thanks to our amazing customers, Blue Connections staff and our vendor partner Dell Technologies. Everyone jumped at the opportunity to join in, with sleeves rolled up, ready to assist with packing the backpacks, to give those kids in need something special, from people who care. The home transition backpacks will be used to support children and young people in areas like foster care and residential care. Anglicare will also provide the education backpacks to kids in their programs like TEACHaR, helping kids to feel a sense of achievement and belonging in education settings. Watch the video here.
SmartHub Event with Lenovo
Connected technologies have been essential in enabling our new work-from-anywhere world. But not everyone is out of the office.
Today we were able to learn more about adapting to a work-from-anywhere world thanks to Lenovo Smart Hubs and Microsoft Teams – all done whilst enjoying delicious food and some golf simulator fun. View the photos here.
Smash Splash with Lenovo
Thanks to Lenovo our customers were able to smash and splash away their stresses and discover how their business can smash away the competition with Lenovo’s extensive range of devices. Watch the video here.
‘The Batman’ with AMD
“Those Who Know Performance Know AMD Ryzen”
And the best way to showcase to our sales team is by presenting the latest in AMD technology on the big screen followed by the premiere of The Batman. Thank you Francis Mammone, Egor Pyrkov and Matt Carr for a great night and an informative session that clearly demonstrated the pure speed of laptops powered by AMD Ryzen™ processors. View the photos here.
12 Days of Christmas
This year we celebrated Christmas a little bit different to what we have done in previous years. We welcomed our customers and staff to join us at our head office to reconnect in our “12 Days of Christmas” campaign. Thank you all for your continued support and a big thank you to Violet Café – Coffee Cart Hire for Events in Melbourne and Regional Victoria, All Day Donuts, The Taco Truck, Bigger than Texas BBQ , 14 Days of Cheese, Yarra Valley Cherries, Cherry Hill Orchards & Lions Clubs International Christmas puddings and cakes. View the photos here.
Aruba Mid-Market Partner of the Year Award
Well done to all the team at Blue Connections IT for winning the Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company FY21 Mid-Market Partner of the Year Award (Southern).
‘Beef up your Threat Protection’ with iLand Cloud
Many thanks to Dave Young and Dave Hamilton from iland Cloud for presenting to our Blue Connections IT customers on how to “BEEF up their Threat Management”. Followed by a Red Gum BBQ pack to cook at home. MMMMM
James Bond: No Time to Die with Lenovo
And we are finally back… in person.
Well done Stephen Pisani, Lorena Deriu Sal Ciardulli and Liz Crooks from the legendary Lenovo team for enabling our customers to reconnect at the premiere of James Bond – No Time to Die. View the photos here.
Threat protection the easy way
Informative session from Sophos to our local government customers on how to best protect against cyber attacks without causing time and resource drain on your IT department. Thank you Ben Verschaeren and Robert Collins for taking the time to share your insights. If you would like any further information on how Blue Connections IT can assist, please reach out to Bill Mackay.
Blue Connections IT goes green with HP
Our customers were able to receive their own piece of greenery followed by an online presentation from Mark Fenson on how to grow your business with HP’s sustainability vision and technology of the future. View the photos here.
Gnocchi & Profiteroles with Dell Technologies
Today the Blue Connections IT & Dell Technologies sales and tech teams were able to come together with an online cooking class from the team at 14 Days of Cheese. Once we finished cooking our gnocchi and profiteroles, we were able to relax and enjoy an informative roadmap session from the team at Dell Technologies. Thanks again to Jiby Varghese Thomas Ira Manalac Paul Mineo and Stuart Anderson for taking the time to present to the Blue Conn team and a massive thanks to Maria Crews and the chefs at 14 Days of Cheese for confirming we are not meant to be left alone in the kitchen. View the photos here.
Lockdown Lunacy and Trivia
The Blue Connections sales and accounts team were able to have some lockdown fun with an online trivia night. Thanks to the team at Applause Entertainment, we were able to celebrate with a B & C themed dress up up, B and C Beverages & Cuisine and a B & C theme zoom background. well done to the Bulldogs supporter, Cardi B, and Bumble Bee for the win. View the photos here.
Warm up from Winter with Fortinet
Thanks for joining Blue Connections and Fortinet to see why cheese, whisky and chocolate go together like Glenn Maiden, Andrew Stark and Paul Wilson at our online event discussing the impact and implications of today’s cyber-attacks.
Workplace transformation with Microsoft and Asahi
What a way for our customers to finish off the EOFY with the Blue Connections, Microsoft, Asahi Beverages and 14 Days of Cheese teams collaborating to experience cheese, beer, and cider pairing, whilst delving into how Microsoft Surface solutions can benefit your business in the workplace transformation journey.
We were delighted to have Asahi’s Digital Capability Lead Victoria Ortega join Chris Plumridge from Microsoft and Yuvesh Sharma from Blue Connections to share how we collaborated with Asahi to seamlessly implement their ANZ fleet of devices for their future of work project.
Cheese Evening with the Lenovo Team
Last night our sales team was able to connect in person with the Lenovo team. A few cheesy stories were shared as we created our ultimate take home cheeseboard selections. View the photos here.
Well done Bernie!
Well done Bernard Tyers on achieving the Dell Technologies PowerStore specialist certification. Earners of this badge are able to implement and administer PowerStore storage arrays in open systems environments. The certification focuses on configuration, administration, migration, upgrades and basic troubleshooting.
Set your mind at cheese with Aruba
We were able to set our mind at cheese thanks to the team at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. Darren Smith provided our customers an engaging and thought provoking session on how to get the Aruba Edge, whilst we devoured a delicious cheese selection from 14 Days of Cheese.
View the photos here.
Thanks Fortinet!
Thanks to the team at Fortinet for our Regional Partner of the Year award celebration. It was wonderful to catch up and enjoy some FortiGate cake. – yes that’s a real FortiGate cake.
View the photos here.
Blue Connections awarded Fortinet’s Australian Regional Partner of the Year
Congratulations to Blue Connections IT for winning the Fortinet Australian Regional Partner of the Year Award 2020. Well done team. Read more here.
Gadens leads the way to give its people, clients and visitors the ideal modern workplace
We are beyond excited to share this amazing video on how Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company and Blue Connections IT assisted Gadens with their network and Wi-Fi infrastructure.
Watch the video here.
Lenovo and Blue Connections Customer Golf Day
For the first time in 12 months we were able to host an in person customer event. Thank you to the Lenovo team for their support and vision. Congrats to all the winners, but I think we were all winners by just being able to collaborate in person.
View photos of the day here.
Lenovo and Blue Connections Bobbleheads
Just holding a sales team meeting 2021 style.
Guess which team member submitted a photo from 20 years ago.
Congratulations Joe!
We are excited to announce that our very own Joe Williams has achieved his Veeam Certified Engineer (VMCE) Certification. The VMCE certification includes a technical deep-dive that provides extensive information on Veeam solutions. The certification is documented proof that an engineer possesses the necessary level of expertise to correctly deploy, configure, and administer Veeam Availability Suite. Well done Joe.
“Pinot and Picasso” with HP
Thank you to Mark Fenson and Matthew O’Dwyer for the opportunity to showcase our customers the latest in HP technology and to engage in an online art experience.
Click here to take a look at the gallery of masterpieces that were created by IT professionals.
“Cheeseboard to the Keyboard” with Lenovo
Just what us Melburnians needed – “Lenovo and Blue Connections IT – Cheeseboard to the Keyboard”
Thank you to Maria Crews at 14 Days of Cheese for the most amazing home delivered cheese selection to devour whilst listening to Joe Ciardi present an informative update on the latest Lenovo technology.
View photos of the event here.
We have struck GOLD – Microsoft GOLD
We are delighted to share the exciting news that Blue Connections are now gold certified in 5 competencies.
Well done team.
Lenovo 2020 PCSD Australian Innovation Partner of the Year!
Congratulations to the Blue Connections IT team for winning Lenovo’s 2020 PCSD Australian Innovation Partner of the Year award.
Dell Technologies Growth Partner of the Year!
Let’s Bring It – Blue Connections IT wins Dell Technologies Growth Partner of the Year – Workforce Transformation award at the Dell ANZ Partner Summit.
Sophos Platinum Partner
After completing the technical certifications, rigorous sales enablement training and achieving platinum partner revenue thresholds, we are delighted to announce Blue Connections IT is now a Sophos Platinum Partner.
View our dedicated page here.
We are proud supporters of Backpacks 4 VIC Kids
The team at Blue Conn are proud as punch to once again support Backpacks 4 Vic Kids. This time we were able to assist with a special delivery of 2 pallets to the Kennerley Children’s Home in Tasmania filled with much needed backpacks for children entering foster care.
“There are no words to thank you for your generous gift to children entering foster care. Our hallways were jam packed with two pallet loads of love in the form of backpacks for children and young people entering Foster care. Thanks Backpacks 4 VIC Kids – so pleased to have such great neighbours.”
Please reach out to Blue Connections if you would like further information regarding the various ways in which you can help support this amazing charity.
Showcasing our impressive warehouse
The Blue Connections IT building front façade tends to steal the photography limelight, so we thought we share a picture of our 1500 sqm warehouse and quarantine area.
Separation Panels from Humanscale
As the cases of COVID-19 are slowing in Australia, businesses are beginning to prepare to return to work in a COVID-19 safe environment. Blue Connections IT are proud to introduce Humanscale’s new Separation Panels, providing a safer environment for employees, stakeholders and customers when they return to the office. Available in two materials (easy to clean) and six mounting options.
Reach out to learn how the Humanscale WellGuard Separation Panels can work with your current or future workplace configurations or further information is available here.
Congratulations on 20 plus years’ service
At Blue Connections, we have always known that our employees are our greatest asset, and we are delighted to recognise that in 2020 we will have 6 team members achieve 20 plus years’ service.
On behalf of the entire team at Blue Connections, it is with great pride and admiration that we congratulate Gordon Brownell, Jane Murphy, Shanan Egerton, Dmitry Lin, Anthony Dunn and Anthony Carfora on this service anniversary milestone.
Our original Blue Connections branding may have changed, but it so wonderful to recognise our employees that have made us the passionate organisation we are today and we look forward, with great expectancy to many more good years to come.
Sophos Gold Partner
After completing the technical certifications, rigorous sales enablement training and achieving gold partner revenue thresholds, we are delighted to announce Blue Connections IT is now a Sophos Gold Partner.
View our dedicated page here.
Operational & Shipping UPDATE
In light of recent government announcements regarding Stage 1 shutdowns, we have received numerous enquiries regarding clarification on our business operations. Click here for an update.
Dell Technologies Platinum Partner
The team at Blue Connections are proud to announce that we have achieved Platinum Solution Provider tiering in the Dell Technologies Partner Program.
View our dedicated page here.
Knox BIZ Business Life Article
Check out the article on Blue Connections IT and our new premises, as seen in Knox BIZ Business Life.
View the article here.
Our Service Desk deploy a new Contact Center platform
We are all smiles on our Blue Connections Service Desk thanks to installing Mitel MiContact Center Business Release 9.1 for the MiVoice Business Platform.
Our very own Networking, Security and Unified Comms team worked closely with the Service Desk team in the successful deployment of a state of the art Contact Center platform to enhance business growth and productivity.
We have been able to enhance our service desk representatives productivity and operational efficiency with highly sophisticated contact centre technology that integrates with existing communication infrastructure. Features include connecting customers to the right person, to managing our workforce and easily monitoring quality of service via the Ignite web interface.
Escape Room Experience with Veeam
Blue Connections IT and Veeam were able to help our customers solve the Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan puzzle in an escape room experience.
Veeam Availability Orchestrator ensures IT service continuity and resilience at any scale with extensible orchestration of recovery plans giving your IT team a level of preparedness and response execution for any app, any data, at any time.
View photos of the evening here.
Congratulations Paul on your achievement!
We are excited to announce that whilst attending the Palo Alto Networks SE Summit 2020, our very own Paul Wilson completed his Palo Alto Networks Certified Security Engineer (PCNSE) exam.
This is Palo Alto Networks highest attainable examination and indicates that those who have passed it possess the in-depth knowledge to design, install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot most implementations based on the Palo Alto Networks platform.
Thanks to Energy Power Systems
The team at Blue Connections would like to thank Energy Power Systems for making a generous donation of mobile phones to be used by those that have been affected by the recent bush fires.
The Blue Connections decommissioning team was able to wipe and restore the phones to their factory settings and then deliver with cables and chargers via Superior Energy Services to those that needed them most. Thank you to all involved.
Bushfire Food Truck Fundraiser
Thank you to all our amazing employees, family, friends, suppliers and customers for supporting our Blue Connections Bushfire Food Truck Fundraiser. Blue Connections management was able to match the donations received on the day making the total raised $9000.
We are excited to announce that 3 worthy charities have been selected for the $9K donation.
$3K – Australian Red Cross fundraise.redcross.org.au
$3K – Wildlife Victoria www.wildlifevictoria.org.au
$3K – Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund www.gerf.org.au
View photos of the day here.
Gin Tasting Evening with Lenovo
An ideal setting to taste a gin,
Sending thanks to Lenovo for the win.
Thank you for the Christmas cheer,
We look forward to working with you next year!
View photos of the evening here.
Thank you Cheryl and congratulations
After 16 years, Cheryl Langford, the face and voice of the Blue Connections reception desk is retiring. Cheryl’s friendly smile will be sorely missed by all our customers and vendors, but most importantly by her Blue Conn team mates.
Our move into Caribbean Park
Blue Connections IT are delighted to share the journey of our successful move into Caribbean Park.
View the video here.
Christmas Drinks & Fine Food at Sette Bello Restaurant
The perfect Melbourne evening to share fine food, awesome entertainment and Christmas cheer with our wonderful customers.
View photos of the evening here.
The Annual HP Awards Ball
Congratulations to the Blue Connections team for winning HP Value Partner of the Year.
See more here.
Blue Connections IT & NEXTDC Partnerships at the Core
“We live and breathe a channel-first ethos at NEXTDC, which essentially means we place our strategic channel partnerships at the heart of our business. NEXTDC may provide the infrastructure platform that powers the digital era, but it’s our ICT partners like Blue Connections who provide the critical services and expertise that allows customers to innovate and thrive.” Michael Johnson
Find out more here.
Blue Connections’ new home
Picture perfect!
Our new building at 1B Dalmore Drive, Scoresby VIC 3179. View the full size image here.
VMware Customer SDDC Workshop
A Bigger than Texas thank you to our customers who attended our VMware SDDC workshop.
Elver Sena Sosa definitely challenged and delivered the reasons why VMware SDDC is the most efficient & effective path to a true hybrid cloud. No Slides, No marchitecture, just bare-metal whiteboard ‘Chalk n Talk’. View photos of the day here.
HP & Blue Connections Technology Day
Thank you to Mark Fenson and the HP team for taking the time to present to our customers on the latest HP technology solutions. View photos of the day here.
The gelato’s on us at the Dell Technologies Forum
We think it’s pretty sweet that we get to talk tech and sponsor the gelato stand at the Dell Technologies Forum in Sydney. Be sure to visit us for some delicious gelato.
Game Show Extravaganza Trivia night with Lenovo
As always, our Trivia night with Lenovo was a extremely popular. View photos of the fun-filled evening here.
Blue Connections Open Day 2019
The grand opening of our new building in the Caribbean Business Park was a huge success. View photos of the Open Day here.
Congratulations Ashley!
Congratulations to our very own Ashley Alexander Joseph on completing his Fortinet NSE 7 certification. Ashley is one of very few in Australia to have completed this highly regarded Fortinet technical certification.
Casino Royale Launch Party
The Blue Connections team officially celebrated the move to the new building in style, with our Casino Royale launch party. View the photos here.
Blue Connections are pleased to announce we have been re-selected as a Procurement Australia IT Products & Services panelist, under Contract # 2106/0712 Information Technology Products & Services contract effective 1st July 2019.