The organisation uses IT principally as a tool to assist with experiments in its nuclear reactor and not as a revenue-generator, although it is also used in finance, accounting and communication operations.

ANSTO delivers specialised advice, scientific services and products to government, industry, and research organizations. It also houses Australia's only nuclear rector and the third of its kind in the world, OPAL, which is used for research and nuclear medicine production.

ANSTO information services manager Mike Beckett heads-up a team of 55 IT staff who work separate to the organisation's 10 support crew who assist scientific operations. Its networks are similarly divided between 'corporate' operations and the reactor, which has its own IT instruments and requirements, spread over an 11 hectare campus with two main sites and a separate Sydney office at the at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Beckett said the "pain" phase of the ITIL roll out, including service desk, and management of incidents, capacity, availability and change, was completed in June last year.

"The thrust of the exercise is to turn the IT group around so we focus on the user needs and the business requirements," Beckett said.