Kinetic IT launches dedicated AI engineering division to accelerate enterprise deployment

Australian technology services provider Kinetic IT has established a dedicated AI engineering and platforms division as it expands its capability to help government agencies and critical infrastructure operators deploy artificial intelligence into live operational environments.

The company has appointed Marcio Sete as head of AI engineering and platforms, with the new business unit positioned within the office of the chief transformation officer as Kinetic IT shifts its AI strategy from advisory services to hands-on implementation.

The new division is designed to support organisations moving beyond AI trials and proof of concepts by embedding specialist engineers directly within customer teams to design, build and deploy production-ready AI solutions.

At the centre of the strategy is Kinetic IT’s Forward Deployed Engineer model, which places experienced AI engineers inside customer organisations to work alongside operational staff, engineers and business leaders on mission-critical projects.

The company will initially recruit four forward deployed engineers to support customers across the aviation, utilities, government and resources sectors, servicing organisations operating at more than 2,600 locations nationwide.

Kinetic IT chief transformation officer Kishore Jayaram said many organisations had moved beyond asking whether they should adopt AI and are now focused on implementing solutions that delivered measurable operational outcomes.

“Organisations want practical outcomes from AI, not more proof of concepts,” Jayaram said.

“They are looking for trusted partners who understand their operations and can help deploy AI safely within complex, mission-critical environments.”

He said the new division would enable Kinetic IT to work more closely with customers by embedding experienced engineers within operational teams to develop AI capabilities while maintaining the governance, security and reliability standards expected across government and critical infrastructure.

Sete brings extensive experience in enterprise AI, data and platform engineering and will lead the development of the new practice while helping customers build secure, production-ready AI capabilities.

He said the greatest challenge facing many organisations was no longer identifying AI use cases but successfully integrating the technology into complex operational environments.

“Many organisations already know where AI could create value,” Sete said.

“The challenge isn’t identifying opportunities, it’s turning them into secure, production-ready solutions that work within complex operational environments.”

Sete said the Forward Deployed Engineer model was intended to bridge that gap by integrating AI specialists directly into customer teams.

"Rather than advising from the outside, they become part of the customer’s team, working alongside engineers, operators and business leaders to design, build and deploy AI where it creates measurable operational value,” he said.

The launch builds on Kinetic IT’s experience delivering sovereign technology services across government, defence and critical infrastructure, reflecting growing demand for AI solutions that can be deployed securely within highly regulated and operationally sensitive environments.

Sete’s appointment takes effect immediately as the company ramps up its investment in enterprise AI engineering capabilities.