First Focus IT vs IBM Australia (Managed Services)
A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
First Focus IT
IBM Australia (Managed Services)
Overall Score
3.7
3.2
Type
Volume / Speed
Global Consulting / Cloud
Employees
200-400
3000-5000
Founded
2001
1932
Headquarters
Sydney, NSW
Sydney, NSW (Global HQ: Armonk, NY)
Revenue
Private
Private
Salary Range
$75,000 - $155,000
$85,000 - $160,000
Specialties
Managed Services, Cloud, Microsoft 365, Security
Managed Services, Cloud, AI & Data, Enterprise Applications
Certifications
Microsoft Partner, AWS Partner, Fortinet Partner
IBM Partner, Microsoft Partner, AWS Partner, SAP Partner
Green Flags
Good work-life balance Stable employment Strong vendor partnerships
Global brand recognition Exposure to enterprise-scale projects Good certification and training programs Strong vendor partnerships
Red Flags
Below-market salaries Can be bureaucratic Limited career progression
Perpetual restructuring — 'Project Chrome' and successors Below-market salaries for managed services roles High offshore ratio Legacy technology stacks in many contracts Bureaucratic culture
Worker Pros
Work-life balance Stable Vendor partnerships
IBM brand opens doors Enterprise-scale project exposure Good training and certification Global opportunities
Worker Cons
Below-market pay Bureaucratic Limited progression
Constant restructuring Below-market salaries High offshore ratio Bureaucratic culture Legacy technology
Both Volume / Speed and Global Consulting / Cloud 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.