Connecting Hear & Say with scalable ICT to support growth

With a vision of a world where everyone can communicate, connect, and live their best lives, Hear and Say has grown rapidly, expanding across multiple locations in Queensland and supporting a large team of employees and volunteers.

As Hear and Say continues to grow and scale its operations, the organisation’s ICT platform is evolving to meet the increasing demands of its expanding services and infrastructure. With seven centres across Queensland—including new sites in Toowoomba and Mount Gravatt—and a growing team of over 100 staff, the ICT platform is undergoing a transformation to ensure it remains aligned with the organisation’s needs and ambitions.

Veracity has been engaged to assist Hear and Say in evolving their ICT platform to meet both current and future requirements. The focus is on creating a modern, flexible, and scalable ICT platform that enables the organisation to deliver high-quality services to the community while enhancing internal operational efficiency. Key aspects of this ongoing work include:

• Cloud Migration and Scalability: The transition from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud-first approach is a key priority. This shift is designed to eliminate the limitations of local servers and allow Hear and Say to scale its operations flexibly, ensuring business-critical applications and data are easily accessible and secure in the cloud.
• Improving Integration and Efficiency: A unified ICT platform is being developed to streamline workflows and reduce the reliance on manual processes, saving time and reducing internal resource costs.
• Upgraded Connectivity and Cybersecurity: Hear and Say now benefits from business-grade internet connectivity, which ensures reliable access to cloud services. Additionally, Veracity is continuously working with Hear and Say’s management to enhance cybersecurity, providing them with the confidence to operate securely in the cloud.
• Phased Transformation Strategy: A detailed, phased approach to migration ensures that the transition is smooth and aligned with the operational needs of the business. This allows Hear and Say to continue delivering its services without disruption while adapting to a more modern ICT environment.
• Networking Overhaul: A comprehensive overhaul of the Head Office networking infrastructure has been completed. The upgraded network, featuring new Wi-Fi and business-grade equipment, provides a more reliable network experience with redundant backups, ensuring enhanced stability for the organisation’s day-to-day operations.
• Microsoft 365 Cloud Environment: The migration to Microsoft 365 is underway, with Hear and Say now operating in a cloud-based environment. This has already improved collaboration and accessibility across all centres.

The transformation is already delivering transformative benefits for Hear and Say, with continued progress on scaling the ICT platform to meet operational needs:

• Hear and Say’s ICT Platform is being migrated to the cloud, providing flexibility and scalability to support future growth. This modern infrastructure ensures that the organisation can continue to scale efficiently as it grows.
• By simplifying the ICT Platform, Hear and Say is now experiencing faster access to critical data, significantly improving internal efficiencies and reducing the time spent on manual tasks.
• The implementation of business-grade internet connectivity ensures reliable access to cloud applications, while the network overhaul at Hear and Say’s Head Office has resulted in a more stable and secure network experience across the organisation.
• The shift to a Microsoft 365 environment, along with the setup of SharePoint, will provide Hear and Say with a more streamlined and efficient data management system, further supporting the move towards a hybrid ICT environment.
• With Veracity’s ongoing support through a Managed Services Agreement, Hear and Say is able to focus on its core mission, while Veracity manages and proactively supports the evolving ICT environment. Veracity continues to remotely monitor the platform, responding to queries and providing detailed monthly service reports, ensuring Hear and Say receives ongoing support and peace of mind throughout the transformation process.

As Hear and Say progresses with its migration to a cloud-based ICT platform, the organisation is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory with a scalable, secure, and efficient infrastructure in place to support its future needs.