How Dicker Data & Cloud Context Helped Transform an Entire Council - Not Just Its Devices

When the Central Coast Council (CCC) confronted the reality of five years of limited IT investment, they weren’t facing a simple refresh problem. They were staring down the challenge of uplifting an entire organisation and its processes, people, security posture, collaboration, resilience, and future productivity - all at once. 

“It was a whole of council transformation powered by strategic collaboration with our partner Cloud Context, modern Microsoft technology, and Dicker Data’s deep configuration and logistics capability. With the strength of our configuration expertise and supply chain precision, we turned a complex, council wide uplift into a smooth, scalable transformation.” - Graco Ramirez, Business Development Manager, Microsoft Surface. 

What was the challenge?

CCC’s starting point was an environment stretched thin: 

• Ageing Windows 10 devices from mixed vendors.

• Inadequate Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) infrastructure hindered hybrid work across a vast 2,500 sq km region. 

• Increased security vulnerabilities for a dispersed workforce serving 350,000 residents. 

• A workforce unable to access modern tools, security features, or AI productivity benefits.

To move forward, CCC needed to reset everything, hardware, management, security, workflows and workforce experience. 

What was the solution? 

CCC’s modernisation strategy centered on: 

• A unified Surface ecosystem across the entire council. 

• Microsoft 365 E5 and Copilot integration for advanced security and AI-driven productivity. 

• Sustainable investment modelling through predictable OpEx consumption.

• Real-time enablement and adoption tracking, including over 1,600 Copilot-enabled meetings in month one.

How Dicker Data Transformed the Rollout into a Council-Wide Shift 

Dicker Data enabled CCC to overhaul their entire environment with: 

1. Largescale procurement delivered at speed 

Across eight Sales Orders between 27 August and 8 November 2025, Dicker Data sourced and staged 2,500 Surface devices across multiple models and shipped them to four unique locations, minimising bottlenecks and ensuring availability in a tight market. 

2. Warehouse driven transformation through configuration excellence 

Dicker Data’s configuration and warehouse teams turned what could have been a monthslong device onboarding exercise into a frictionless uplift. 

Every device was: 

• DOA tested 

• Autopilot pre-provisioned (White Glove) 

• Intune enrolled 

• Ready to go out of box 

This meant CCC employees received devices that were truly turnkey, unbox, power on, start working. 

3. Cross functional technical orchestration 

Dicker Data worked hand in hand with Cloud Context, Microsoft and CCC to ensure continuity from hardware to cloud.

“Our priority was enabling CCC to move fast without compromising security. By modernising their cloud infrastructure and management layers, Cloud Context helped create an environment capable of supporting AI-driven productivity and future expansion. For CCC, modernisation wasn’t just a hardware uplift. it required a secure, scalable cloud foundation. Cloud Context ensured the environment was architected for resilience, unified management, and long‑term success with Microsoft 365 and Copilot.” - Cloud Context.

The result: Zero touch deployment, unified management, consistent security posture, and an environment ready for rapid Copilot uptake. 

4. A predictable future, not a one-off project 

With Surface standardisation and repeatable config processes, CCC can now refresh faster, manage less, secure more, and plan with confidence. 

The Outcome: A Council Transformed 

Because of this partnership, CCC now stands as a “frontier firm” in local government, a benchmark for how councils can execute meaningful transformation at scale. 

“Customer centricity is everything, and this is why we chose partners who could deliver transformation at scale.” - John Crawford, CTO, Central Coast Council

They now benefit from: 

• A secure, M365 E5 aligned environment 

• AI-ready productivity across the workforce 

• Hybrid work enablement throughout a dispersed region 
  

• Strong device lifecycle management 
  

• Reduced IT overhead and fewer device related support issues 
  

• Sustainability alignment and ROI clarity

Dicker Data helped turn an organisation hindered by ageing tech into a resilient, modern, future-focused council. 

What value-add did Dicker Data provide? 

Dicker Data delivered significant value beyond standard distribution by:

• End-to-End Enablement: Acted as a trusted advisor and orchestrator, ensuring alignment between CCC, Microsoft, and Cloud Context.

• Accelerated Deployment:  Through White Glove services, Intune, and Autopilot pre-provisioning, minimised downtime and improved employee experience. 

• Specialised Expertise:  Provided a dedicated team for cloud and hardware solutions, offering technical guidance and operational support. 

• Operational Agility:  Enabled CCC to adopt a predictable OpEx model, improving cash flow and supporting faster refresh cycles.

• Sustainability and ROI Tracking:  Supported CCC’s sustainability goals and measurable adoption metrics, reinforcing long-term value. 

“CCC now operates as a technology leader in local government, showcasing secure, AI-ready productivity, hybrid work enablement, and disaster resilience, all powered by strategic partnerships and modern solutions. We truly enjoyed working alongside John Crawford (CCC), Hassan Amir (Cloud Context), and the entire Microsoft team to support Central Coast Council’s digital transformation journey.” - Graco Ramirez, Business Development Manager, Microsoft Surface.

Learn more about our Microsoft Surface devices and resources here: https://www.dickerdata.com.au/microsoft-surface   

Planning a large-scale rollout? Explore our Services and get in touch with the team here: Services.Sales@dickerdata.com.au