Microsoft Plans Two Cloud Data Centers for Australian Government

Richard Hay, Senior Content Producer

August 15, 2017

2 Min Read
Microsoft

This week, Tom Keane, head of global infrastructure for Microsoft Azure, announced that the company will be adding two new Azure regions in the land down under.

These two new data centers are expected to become available in the first half of 2018 and will be certified to handle Unclassified and Protected government data in Australia. This partnership between Microsoft and Canberra Data Centres (CDC) will allow Microsoft to be the only major cloud provider to deliver this level of service to the Australian government.

These two new data centers in Canberra will join the already up and running Azure regions located in New South Wales (Australia East) and Victoria (Australia Southeast).

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This now bring the total of planned and announced data centers for Microsoft Azure to a total of six. Other planned regions are located in France (2) and Africa (2).

“This announcement builds on recent news that dozens of Microsoft Azure services have received certification by Australian Signals Directorate, including services for machine learning, internet-of-things, cybersecurity, and data management. Along with Australian certifications for Office 365 and Dynamics 365, Microsoft is recognized as the most complete and trusted cloud platform in Australia. By comparison, other major cloud providers are only certified for basic infrastructure services or remain uncertified for use by the government.”

We know Microsoft Azure is already in the process of complying with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that go into effect next year across the European Union, so seeing Microsoft take similar steps in other regions makes sense and gives regional governments options for moving to the cloud and remaining in compliance with data laws and regulations.

More information about these new Azure regions are available on the Microsoft Australia News Center.

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About the Author

Richard Hay

Senior Content Producer, IT Pro Today (Informa Tech)

I served for 29 plus years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer in November 2011. My work background in the Navy was telecommunications related so my hobby of computers fit well with what I did for the Navy. I consider myself a tech geek and enjoy most things in that arena.

My first website – AnotherWin95.com – came online in 1995. Back then I used GeoCities Web Hosting for it and WindowsObserver.com is the result of the work I have done on that site since 1995.

In January 2010 my community contributions were recognized by Microsoft when I received my first Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for the Windows Operating System. Since then I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP each subsequent year since that initial award. I am also a member of the inaugural group of Windows Insider MVPs which began in 2016.

I previously hosted the Observed Tech PODCAST for 10 years and 317 episodes and now host a new podcast called Faith, Tech, and Space. 

I began contributing to Penton Technology websites in January 2015 and in April 2017 I was hired as the Senior Content Producer for Penton Technology which is now Informa Tech. In that role, I contribute to ITPro Today and cover operating systems, enterprise technology, and productivity.

https://twitter.com/winobs

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