Centrelink, already a Cognos customer, last year announced plans to rationalize the number of "presentation tools" it uses, including Cognos and Hyperion, and replace its existing data warehouse platform.
After a tender process, Centrelink selected Cognos 8 BI due to its usability, low TCO, and its ability to operate as a service-oriented architecture (SOA) within the agency's standard operating environment (SOE), according to Cognos.
The company claims that by standardizing on a solution from a single vendor, Centrelink will benefit from "decreased ongoing costs associated with training and supporting products in a multi-vendor environment".
"By standardizing its existing BI product deployments on Cognos, business users and program managers across [Centrelink] will have access to consistent, accurate, and timely information, enabling them to more effectively manage program outcomes," the company said in a statement.
Cognos Australia and New Zealand vice president Lesley French said the initiatives Centrelink is undertaking are similar to those of government agencies around the world.
"This win clearly underscores the ability of Cognos to address the needs large government agencies have to standardize on a single information access layer, and further validates the long-term commitment Cognos has made to support the business intelligence and performance management needs of our Australian government customers," French said.
According to the company, Cognos 8 provides a single view across multiple data sources through a Web-based interface, and product components and new data sources can be added as needed.