A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
Data#3
Datacom
Overall Score
3.8
3.1
Type
Publicly Listed Giant
Global Enterprise
Employees
1500-2000
5000-6000
Founded
1977
1965
Headquarters
Brisbane, QLD
Sydney, NSW (NZ HQ: Auckland)
Revenue
$884.8M
Private
Salary Range
$80,000 - $160,000
$75,000 - $160,000
Specialties
Microsoft Solutions, Cloud, Managed Services, Software Licensing
Managed Services, Cloud Infrastructure, Data Centre, Application Development
Certifications
Microsoft Partner, AWS Partner, Cisco Partner, VMware Partner
Microsoft Partner, AWS Partner, Cisco Partner, VMware Partner
Green Flags
ASX-listed (ASX: DDD) — financial transparency Strong Australian focus — no offshoring agenda Good work-life balance Profitable and growing
Privately held — no PE pressure, no quarterly earnings Low offshoring (~20%) — most work delivered locally Genuine work-life balance in most teams Rarely does mass layoffs — stable employment Largest locally-owned IT company in Australia
Red Flags
Below-market salaries at senior levels Government contract dependency Limited international exposure Acquisition-driven growth creates integration challenges
Below-market salaries (A$85-95K average vs A$128-138K market) Career stagnation — 'dead man's shoes' culture Internal politics favour tenure over talent Graduate program used as cheap labour pipeline Manager quality varies wildly between teams
Worker Pros
ASX-listed transparency — you know the numbers Australian-focused — your job isn't being offshored Profitable and growing — stability Good work-life balance in most teams
Stability — private ownership means no restructuring cycles Work-life balance is genuinely good Local delivery — your job isn't being offshored Good graduate programs with real mentorship
Worker Cons
Below-market salaries at senior levels Government contract dependency creates cyclicality Limited international exposure Acquisition integration can be bumpy
Salaries are 20-30% below market rate Career progression is slow — 'dead man's shoes' Manager quality varies wildly — your experience depends on your boss Innovation is limited by risk-averse culture Internal politics favour loyalty over competence
Both Publicly Listed Giant and Global Enterprise have strengths and weaknesses. Your choice depends on your priorities — whether that's career growth, salary, work-life balance, or technical exposure.
Use the side-by-side comparison tool for a deeper look, or check out individual profiles for detailed employee reviews.