NSW Education Moves Disability Access Portal to Salesforce Platform

The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education is set to launch a new cloud-based platform on Salesforce Education Cloud in 2025, aimed at providing students with disabilities a streamlined process to request additional support. This platform is part of a broader initiative to modernize infrastructure by reducing administrative tasks in schools and replacing outdated systems. Currently, the department’s access request platform is built on JBOSS and OpenShift, but this legacy setup will be phased out in favor of the new Salesforce-based solution.

Sydney-based Salesforce partner, Ingenuity Partners, has been contracted to design and develop this platform through August 2027, with the project costing $5 million. In a statement to iTnews, a spokesperson from NSW Education emphasized that the new access request system will simplify the distribution of resources for students with disabilities. By selecting Salesforce Education Cloud, the department aligns with its “reuse before rebuild” policy, promoting cost savings and ensuring compatibility with the department’s future state architecture.

The choice of a cloud-based system also leverages existing departmental expertise, which helps to mitigate implementation risks. The NSW Department of Education is already familiar with Salesforce, having used it for customer relationship management (CRM), case management, and grants management.

This initiative marks a significant component of the NSW government’s overarching strategy to modernize and unify its technological capabilities through strategic, long-term partnerships. Extending its agreement with Salesforce until June 2028, the state government has effectively solidified a decade-long relationship, initially formed in 2018 to drive efficiency, streamline services, and reduce costs across departments. By bundling resources and investments with major technology providers, the government aims to boost its “collective buying power,” ensuring cost-effective access to advanced digital tools and infrastructure.

The agreement with Salesforce originally covered core CRM (customer relationship management) capabilities, but has evolved significantly through amendments in 2022 and 2023. These updates brought in advanced tools from Salesforce’s acquisitions, including MuleSoft, a platform for building application networks to enhance data integration across systems; Tableau, a powerful data visualization tool that supports data-driven decision-making; and Slack, a collaboration platform that fosters real-time communication and teamwork. Together, these tools enable NSW government agencies to work more effectively, improve citizen service delivery, and harness real-time insights for strategic planning.

This extended partnership aligns with NSW’s broader digital transformation goals, prioritizing cloud-based, scalable solutions that enable agility and resilience across the public sector. By standardizing tools like Salesforce across departments, the NSW government can more seamlessly integrate data and communication, reduce redundancies, and enhance service delivery for the public. Furthermore, the use of a unified platform across multiple departments simplifies IT maintenance, enhances security, and minimizes risks associated with disparate systems. In doing so, the government not only gains operational efficiencies but also builds a robust digital foundation that can support future technological advancements and emerging citizen needs.

As part of this overarching digital strategy, the state’s collaboration with Microsoft, renewed concurrently with Salesforce, underscores a commitment to a cohesive digital ecosystem. These strategic partnerships reflect NSW’s forward-looking approach, ensuring government departments have access to industry-leading tools that empower public servants, foster cross-departmental collaboration, and ultimately drive innovation in public service. Through these comprehensive agreements, the NSW government is well-positioned to keep pace with evolving technology trends while addressing the demands of an increasingly digital society.