Komatsu has joined forced with telecom giant Telstra, striking a multi-million dollar partnership to transform and modernise Komatsu's communications across Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.
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The partnership will see Komatsu introduce greater automation in its technologies for consumers across the region.
Komatsu will also move to a consumption-based private cloud model which will be supported by hyper-converged infrastructure and SD-WAN technology.
The infrastructure will be built and implemented by Telstra Purple – Australia’s largest owned technology services, focusing on outcome-based transformative solutions.
The private cloud platform will be built on Cisco Hyperflex and VMWare NSX while the SD-WAN will be powered by Silver Peak (HPE). Once built, the new platform will significantly improve the control and visibility offered across Komatsu’s entire network, providing users more infrastructure to improve their productivity and performance.
Telstra will also provide significant upgrades to Komatsu’s network capacity as part of the agreement and add 4G backup to its remote sites around Australia such as Emerald, Whyalla and Kalgoorlie.
Komatsu chief executive and managing director, Sean Taylor, says the partnership – which was formalised back in Marsh – will help continue to establish the brand as an innovator in the earthmoving space.
“In 2021 we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Komatsu,” Taylor says.
“We work with our customers to develop innovations in machine automation and guidance – including autonomous and semi-automatic operation and technology solutions to increase efficiency, safety and productivity in project management; and ground-breaking hybrid engine systems that significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gases.
“We are always looking to modernise the way we do things, and technology and communication is a critical area we need to continue to evolve to be a leader in our industry.”
Telstra Purple executive, Chris Smith, says the new agreement built on decades of partnership and represented the next evolution in Komatsu’s technology infrastructure.
“We have delivered cloud solutions for Komatsu since 2010 and have been able to work together to evolve Komatsu’s infrastructure as technology has changed,” Smith says.
“The new platform uses the best technology available that allows Komatsu to stay at the forefront of its industry.
“When you have mining equipment and business critical applications transmitting huge volumes of data in real time, the criticality of both the infrastructure and the network, and how they work together, cannot be underestimated.”