RSL Queensland marks 100th anniversary with Microsoft tech transformation

RSL Queensland is marking its 100th anniversary with a Microsoft technology transformation.

Leveraging Microsoft Azure, Office 365, Dynamics365 and Teams, chief information officer Simon Button is building a flexible, scalable platform, initially for the 200+ people throughout Queensland – but a look to go nationwide.

Button is also one of the pioneer users of Microsoft Teams in Australia, using the technology to create a digital workspace where people can collaborate and develop the information platform that will support RSL Queensland in its goals for 2020.

"When I joined we were running small, all on-prem data centers and MYOB as our financial system of record," explains Button.

But he says what he really needed instead was a flexible, scalable information platform that would allow anytime anywhere access.

"Twelve months ago our people could not work from home or in the field. We want to empower employees anywhere anytime and as close to customers as we can," he says.

"By June this year, the organisation also plans to upgrade its hardware portfolio to run Windows 10.

Button explains that Microsoft's strategy around Azure and Dynamics and Office365 is really compelling and brings a different capability to his team.

"It means I can drive front line value rather than back office IT functions," he says.

"One of my high-level principles is to stay in the wake of Microsoft, to stay as agile as possible, to remain as close as possible to where Microsoft is taking these platforms so that we can use that value as it is unlocked and contextualise it for our organisation.