Media release
Media contact:
Lighthouse Communications (Telstra enquiries):
Telstra:
Craig Regan Ph: 02 9262 3868; M: 0408 448 527 Rod Bruem: 0438 288 010
Howorth Communications (Microsoft enquiries):
Simon Gomes Ph: 02 8281 3836
REA Group
Zoyee Kartalis Ph: 03 8456 4653 M: 0428 364 090
Reference: 304/2010
realestate.com.au enters the cloud with Microsoft online services
with Telstra T-Suite
8 September, 2010: Telstra has announced its biggest T-Suite® cloud computing deal, signing an agreement
with realestate.com.au, Australia’s leading property portal and most visited residential real estate website.
realestate.com.au parent REA Group has purchased 750 Microsoft® Exchange Online seats through the Telstra
Software as a Service (SaaS) portal, T-Suite.
Implementing Microsoft Exchange Online through T-Suite enables REA Group to have its corporate email
securely hosted in the cloud, giving the group a reliable and resilient solution that allows staff to communicate
more efficiently.
The deal is the largest since T-Suite was launched in April 2009 and links REA Group staff across four countries
–
Australia, Italy, Luxembourg and Hong Kong.
REA Group Chief Information Officer, Daniel Oertli, said that moving infrastructure towards cloud services was
consistent with REA’s strategy to focus capital and mindshare on competitive edge, whilst more efficiently
managing business-as-usual operations.
“We were running an outmoded corporate email system. Taking advantage of the resilience, cost efficiencies
and managed convenience offered by Microsoft Exchange Online through T-Suite made much more sense.” Mr
Oertli said
REA Group operates half a dozen websites in Australia, including realestate.com.au, realholidays.com.au,
realcommercial.com.au. Combined, REA’s sites received more than 6.8 million unique browses in August¹.
Executive Director of Telstra Business marketing, Brian Harcourt, said the deal is a landmark for Telstra, T-Suite
and its channel partner Microsoft.
“It proves T-Suite is an efficient and cost-effective solution for larger businesses as well as the many thousands
of small businesses that have already signed up over the past year. Companies like REA Group are finding it
lowers upfront costs, is easy to use and is secure,” Mr Harcourt said.
Microsoft’s Small and Medium Business & Partner Group Director, Paul Voges, said: “Microsoft Online Services
provides greater choice in the way businesses purchase, deploy and maintain their critical software.”
1
Source: Nielsen Market intelligence, Nielsen SiteCensus, Omniture
Media release
Media contact:
Lighthouse Communications (Telstra enquiries):
Telstra:
Craig Regan Ph: 02 9262 3868; M: 0408 448 527 Rod Bruem: 0438 288 010
Howorth Communications (Microsoft enquiries):
Simon Gomes Ph: 02 8281 3836
REA Group
Zoyee Kartalis Ph: 03 8456 4653 M: 0428 364 090
Reference: 304/2010
“Through our partner Telstra, we’re helping Australian businesses, such as the REA Group, take advantage of
the cloud in a familiar and scalable environment,” Mr Voges said.
Microsoft Online Services provides customers of all sizes with enterprise class communications and
collaboration services such as Exchange Online, Office Communications Online, Office SharePoint Online and
Office Live Meeting as a subscription service, hosted by Microsoft in the cloud, and provided through the Telstra
T-Suite Platform.
A complimentary 30 day trial of Microsoft Online Services is available from the T-Suite service from Telstra –
NEWS 
