CouncilFirst Online

Founded in 1992 Open Systems Technology (OST) is a specialist consulting organisation, Tier One Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, and Microsoft Gold Partner. OST provides business solutions and management consultancy to Australian clients in both private and public sectors.

OST’s local government division has developed the CouncilFirst SaaS business solution to meet the unique operational requirements of Australian local government. The CouncilFirst team is dedicated to delivering innovative SaaS tools matched to council business requirements, addressing issues such as HR & Payroll, Finance, Procurement, Community Engagement, Property & Rating, Regulatory Compliance, and Local Services.

CouncilFirst is in use across Australia—from East Gippsland VIC in the east to Peppermint Grove WA in the west; from Palmerston NT in the north to Sorell TAS in the south. The CouncilFirst division of OST is a panellist and preferred supplier to a number of State and Local Government bodies, including the Western Australia Local Government Association (WALGA) and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ).

CouncilFirst’s foundational components of Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365 have undergone Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) assessments by the Australian federal government and have been included on the Certified Cloud Services List by the Australian Cyber Security Council. CouncilFirst’s core technology components have the highest cyber security rating currently available to cloud providers in Australia.

CouncilFirst utilises a flexible, customisable framework with project- and product-specific components and tools. The CouncilFirst team’s quality methodology drives efficient, predictable, and repeatable deployment, migration, configuration, upgrade, and ongoing optimisation, and CouncilFirst’s heritage and capabilities foster strong long-term relationships with customers and enable positive coordination and collaboration on a wide range of projects.

CouncilFirst undergoes continuous improvement as the result of constant real-world feedback from its users and Australian local government advisors, representing a diverse range of local government organisations. As requirements change for CouncilFirst’s users, we are committed to developing proactive best-practice solutions, identifying areas of improvement, and ensuring ongoing regulatory compliance—delivering maximum return on investment for every dollar of IT budget. These factors and OST’s close partnership with Microsoft combine to make CouncilFirst one of Australia’s premium local-government business solutions.