Catalyst IT Australia

What Catalyst IT Australia does

Catalyst IT Australia is a regional subsidiary of the privately held Catalyst IT group (founded 1997, group founded globally; Australian subsidiary launched in 2008) that delivers enterprise-grade open source IT services from offices in Sydney (headquarters), Melbourne and Brisbane, with the broader group's footprint extending to Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Brighton (UK), and Toronto and Ottawa (Canada). The Australian entity employs part of the group's 350+ specialists and operates on a Moodle Certified Partner and Totara Platinum Alliance Partner model, with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (BSI certificate IS 731096) and ISO 9001 certifications underpinning work for government and large enterprise clients.

The company's core offering sits on a portfolio of open source platforms — Moodle and Moodle Workplace for learning management, Totara Learn / Engage / Perform for the broader Talent Experience Platform, Mahara for ePortfolio, Drupal and GovCMS for content management, Koha for library systems, BigBlueButton for virtual classrooms, and Laravel for bespoke application development — backed by proprietary plugins including a SAML2 Single Sign-On plugin (used by 2,671 sites globally), a Moodle MFA plugin, a Password Validator plugin, and a SCORM Remote wrapper. All client infrastructure is hosted on Amazon Web Services, with a 24/7 Follow the Sun managed services model drawing on the multi-region headcount.

Revenue is generated through four streams: enterprise-level cloud hosting and managed services for open source platforms, custom software development and implementation (including SSO integration and e-assessment), consulting and training (open source advisory plus the Moodle Educator Qualification programme), and LMS implementation and support services for Moodle, Totara and adjacent platforms. Pricing is quote-based with managed services packages structured around agreed monthly support hours; no public price list exists. GTM is enterprise field sales plus partner-channel demand (Moodle HQ, Totara, AWS) targeting Australian universities, government departments (including the NSW Department of Education serving 300,000 staff), healthcare organisations, and commercial / not-for-profit customers such as Kaplan and Met Office. Marketing emphasis is on content, SEO, industry events including Moodle Moot Australia, partner referrals and thought-leadership by CEO Andrew Boag.

Name

Catalyst IT Australia

Legal name

Catalyst IT Australia

Website

https://catalyst-au.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Catalyst IT Australia is a regional subsidiary of the global open source IT services firm Catalyst IT, providing enterprise LMS, CMS, library and managed hosting solutions built on Moodle, Totara, Mahara, Drupal and Koha for universities, government agencies, healthcare organisations and commercial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Source Enterprise IT Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

ITSM Platform Implementation & Administration (ServiceNow/JSM/BMC/etc.) (BPAEAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

IT Governance, Risk & Compliance (IT GRC) Platforms (HDAEALAK)

Keywords

• Open source software services
• Learning management systems
• Cloud hosting managed services
• Custom software development
• Enterprise IT consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatswood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cloud Hosting and Managed Services: Enterprise-level hosting on AWS backed by a global 24/7 Follow the Sun managed services team. Services include cloud hosting, load testing, IT managed services, and infrastructure management for open source platforms.
2. Custom Software Development and Implementation: Custom software development, software design and development, and open source software customisation. Services include bespoke solutions, system integration, SSO integration, and e-assessment digital transformation.
3. Consulting and Training Services: Open source consulting, e-learning consulting, and Moodle Educator Qualification (MEQ) training. Ongoing advisory and support services.
4. LMS Implementation and Support Services: Enterprise-level LMS implementations, migrations and integrations for Moodle, Totara, and other learning management platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Catalyst IT Australia designs, develops, hosts, and supports enterprise-grade open source software platforms, with primary focus on Learning Management Systems (Moodle, Moodle Workplace, Totara Learn/Engage/Perform), e-Portfolio (Mahara), Content Management Systems (Drupal, GovCMS), and associated cloud hosting on AWS. The firm delivers custom software development, SSO and system integration, e-Assessment digital transformation, and 24/7 managed services backed by a Follow the Sun model across Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and Europe.

Product overview

Catalyst IT Australia is a multi-award winning open source software services company specialising in e-Learning and content management solutions. Their portfolio consists of Learning Management Systems (Moodle, Moodle Workplace, Totara Learn), Talent Experience Platforms (Totara Engage LXP, Totara Perform), ePortfolio systems (Mahara), and Content Management Systems (Drupal, GovCMS). These platforms are complemented by professional services including custom software development, cloud hosting and 24/7 managed services, SSO and system integration, e-Assessment, e-commerce for education, open source consulting, and training. The company operates as a Moodle Certified Partner and Totara Platinum Alliance Partner, providing enterprise-level support backed by a global Follow the Sun model across Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moodle LMS Implementation Enterprise implementation, hosting, customisation and support services for the Moodle open source Learning Management System, used by organisations of various sizes for online education delivery, content management, assessments, and reporting.
• Moodle Workplace Enterprise learning management platform offering advanced features such as multi-tenancy and course catalogue, delivered exclusively by Catalyst as a Moodle Certified Partner for enterprise customers.
• Totara Learn Implementation, hosting and support for Totara Learn, the learning management system module within the Totara Talent Experience Platform, targeted at enterprise workforce learning.
• Totara Engage LXP Implementation, hosting and support for the Totara Engage Learning Experience Platform (LXP), enabling employee collaboration and content sharing for enterprise customers.
• Totara Perform Implementation, hosting and support for Totara Perform, the performance management module within the Totara Talent Experience Platform for enterprise customers.
• Mahara ePortfolio Implementation, hosting and support for the Mahara open source ePortfolio system, enabling students and professionals to create digital portfolios documenting learning and work.
• Drupal CMS Solutions Implementation, customisation, hosting and support for Drupal, the open source Content Management System for building and managing enterprise websites and digital experiences.
• GovCMS Government-specific content management system built on Drupal, tailored for Australian government organisations with compliance and security requirements.
• Cloud Hosting and Managed Services Enterprise-level hosting on AWS with 24/7 managed services, cloud hosting, load testing, and infrastructure management for open source platforms under a Follow the Sun delivery model.
• Custom Software Development Custom software development, including bespoke solutions, system integration, SSO integration, and e-assessment digital transformation for open source platforms.
• SSO and System Integration Single Sign-On and system integration services to increase usability, enable collaboration and improve user experience across open source platforms, leveraging Keycloak and proprietary Moodle SAML2 plugins.
• e-Assessment Digital transformation of paper-based exams and assessments using Moodle's e-Assessment capabilities for education providers and certifying bodies.
• Open Source Consulting Expert consulting services to help organisations leverage open source software, including licensing advice, implementation strategy, and best-practice guidance.
• E-learning Consulting Expert consulting services to help organisations get the most from their learning management system investment, including LMS strategy, vendor selection and platform optimisation.
• Software Design and Development Open source software implementation, enhancement and customisation services delivered by Catalyst's engineering team.
• Moodle Educator Qualification (MEQ) Formal Moodle educator training and qualification program for teachers, trainers and learning designers wanting to certify their Moodle expertise.
• E-commerce for Education E-commerce solutions that enable education providers to sell courses and manage online transactions integrated with their learning platforms.
• Load Testing Performance testing services to ensure systems can handle peak traffic loads, particularly for high-enrolment education and government platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Migration projects completed 1 month ahead of schedule (NPS MedicineWise)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Moodle HQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalyst is a Moodle Certified Partner, providing implementation, customisation, hosting and exclusive Moodle Workplace services. They are regular contributors to the Moodle project and have won multiple Moodle Partner Awards including LMS Contributor of the Year and Premium Partner of the Year APAC.
• TotaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalyst is a Totara Platinum Alliance Partner, the highest partnership tier, providing Totara Learn, Totara Engage and Totara Perform implementations and managed services to enterprise clients.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCatalyst hosts all client infrastructure on AWS, providing scalable, secure cloud hosting with point-in-time recovery, database snapshots, and encrypted backups. AWS is the primary infrastructure platform for managed services delivery.
• MaharacoreTechnology or IntegrationCatalyst provides ePortfolio solutions based on Mahara, offering implementation, customisation and hosting services for enterprise ePortfolio needs.
• Drupal/GovCMScoreTechnology or IntegrationCatalyst provides Drupal CMS and GovCMS (government-specific CMS) solutions including custom development, hosting and support for enterprise content management needs.
• LaravelsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCatalyst offers Laravel PHP Framework development services as part of their custom software development offerings.
• BigBlueButtonsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCatalyst offers virtual classroom solutions based on BigBlueButton and can host and integrate BigBlueButton with client Moodle environments.
• KohasecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCatalyst provides Koha Library Software solutions as part of their open source software offerings for enterprise library management.
• La Trobe UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with La Trobe University to develop the SAML2 Single Sign-On Plugin for Moodle, which was subsequently open sourced and is now used by 2,671 sites globally.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Anthology (Blackboard): Owner of the Blackboard suite of learning solutions serving higher education and government globally; competes directly with Catalyst for institutional learning platform modernization deals.
• Instructure (Canvas): A broad incumbent LMS and EdTech platform vendor (Canvas for higher ed and Bridge for enterprise); competes for the same institutional LMS budgets where Catalyst bids as a Moodle/Totara partner.
• D2L (Brightspace): Enterprise and higher education LMS vendor with full-stack platform capability; competes with Catalyst at the institutional procurement level despite a proprietary (not open source) model.
• Saba Software (Cornerstone subsidiary): Enterprise talent and learning platform vendor within Cornerstone; competes in the Totara Engage/Perform addressable market where Catalyst services large workforce L&D deployments.

Direct peers

• Totara Learning Solutions: Vendor of the Totara Talent Experience Platform and direct counterparty in Catalyst's Platinum Alliance Partner relationship; shares the same enterprise LMS/LXP/performance management market in higher education, government, and healthcare.
• Open LMS: A Moodle-based managed services and hosting specialist serving higher education and enterprise; directly competes with Catalyst on Moodle Workplace and Totara implementations, with overlapping partner-program credentials.

Regional players

• eCreators: Australian Moodle and Totara partner focused on corporate and education LMS implementations; directly overlaps with Catalyst on Moodle/Totara services in the Australia and New Zealand market.
• Prometheus Computing: New Zealand-based open source IT services firm with Moodle, Drupal and custom development capabilities; competes in the trans-Tasman education and government market alongside Catalyst.

Others

• AWS Training and Certification / AWS Managed Services: Catalyst's primary infrastructure partner for cloud hosting and managed services; relevant as an adjacent ecosystem participant whose expanding professional services and partner ecosystem can encroach on Catalyst's managed services footprint.

Emerging players

• ThinkSmart (Previously Aurion/HR3): Australian learning, workforce development and HR SaaS vendor for SMEs and corporates; adjacent competitor for learning management and talent experience spend in Catalyst's commercial segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/catalyst_it_au

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catalyst IT Australia