The programme moved more than 12,000 users from a third-party managed Citrix desktop service to a modern cloud-based platform running in Microsoft’s New Zealand data centre. The migration spanned prisons, remand centres, community corrections centres, training sites and the national office, while giving the Department direct control over its virtual desktop environment for the first time.
For an organisation that operates critical services around the clock, maintaining continuity for frontline staff was essential. Staff use the thin client desktop to reach core operational systems including the Integrated Offender Management System (IOMS), so a stable, secure session is fundamental to day-to-day frontline work.
"The priority was to modernise our platform without disrupting the people who rely on it every day," says Murray Thomson, Director of Foundation Delivery Digital at the Department of Corrections. "We wanted to move to a modern cloud environment, provide a consistent Windows 11 experience across devices and position ourselves for the future. Datacom helped us achieve that while keeping day-to-day operations running.”
The Department had been running its Citrix environment for more than two decades. However, the All-of-Government managed desktop service it relied on was being withdrawn, creating a hard deadline to move to a new platform. At the same time, the organisation wanted to modernise its technology estate, improve scalability and gain greater visibility and control over desktop management.
Working closely with the Department, Datacom, which was already the Department’s desktop provider, designed and implemented a new AVD (Azure Virtual Desktop) environment built on Windows 11 that also catered for developers working in non-production environments. The solution uses Microsoft Intune, Entra ID, FSLogix and Nerdio to deliver a modern, scalable and centrally managed desktop experience.
One of the programme's biggest challenges was the scale and complexity of the Corrections’ environment. More than 12,000 users depend on virtual desktops to access critical operational systems, with many prison officers sharing Wyse thin-client terminals across multiple shifts each day.
Rather than replacing all devices nationwide, Datacom helped the Department retain the majority of its existing thin-client estate with only a small number of devices requiring replacement. All the devices first had to be upgraded to a new operating system and were then reconfigured from Citrix to AVD site by site, allowing staff to continue working from the same terminals they had always used.
A key differentiator was Datacom's on-the-ground support model. Datacom teams travelled to prison sites around New Zealand to assist with deployments, resolve issues and provide immediate support where needed.
The migration was delivered through a combination of detailed planning, pilot testing and phased rollouts. Early testing at Otago Correctional Facility helped identify application and compatibility issues before the wider deployment began. Datacom and the Department teams then worked together through site-based migration waves, supported by dedicated field engineers, service desk teams and local stakeholders.
"For our prison environments, being physically present made a real difference," says Ron Sederel, Department of Corrections Senior Project Manager. "The project team and Datacom staff worked alongside our people on site, helping resolve issues quickly and ensuring facilities remained operational throughout the transition. That hands-on approach was highly valued."
The result is a platform that provides greater flexibility, resilience and control. Unlike the previous environment, AVD can automatically scale resources to meet demand, while the move from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and modern Microsoft management tools delivers a consistent user experience across physical and virtual desktops.
The new environment also enables capabilities that were difficult to support previously, including improved Microsoft Teams calling and meetings across prison sites, while creating future opportunities for secure access from a wider range of devices.
"Today we have a modern desktop platform running in Azure, with a consistent experience across our environment and a single support model through Datacom," says Thomson. "The user experience is excellent, and we've created a foundation that can evolve with the organisation's future needs."
Bill Clancy, Datacom User Experience, says, “For Datacom, this project demonstrates the value of combining technical expertise with a strong national field services presence. By working side by side with the Department’s teams and supporting staff where they work, Datacom helped deliver a major technology transformation while maintaining business continuity across some of New Zealand's most critical facilities.”
Your success, our expertise: smart cloud solutions and managed cloud services for Australian and New Zealand organisations.
