Macquarie, Microsoft sign A$278m data centre deal
Author: Joe Peck
Macquarie Cloud Services, an Australian cloud services provider for business and government, part of Macquarie Technology Group, has signed a Microsoft Datacentre Optimisation (DCO) agreement covering Azure consumption over the next three years.
The agreement is the third DCO agreement signed by Macquarie and builds on its work with Microsoft supporting Australian organisations with cloud migration and infrastructure modernisation.
Under the agreement, Microsoft forecasts that Macquarie’s Azure consumption spend could reach up to A$278 million (£145 million) over three years, based on its roadmap and performance to date.
Microsoft DCO is an initiative intended to support partners in expanding their Azure practices and helping customers with hybrid cloud transformation. Macquarie Cloud Services is a Microsoft cloud service provider (CSP) in Australia and has used the DCO programme to support customer workload migration.
Azure demand grows in Australia
The agreement comes as Australia’s public cloud market is forecast to reach around A$220 billion (£114 billion) by 2034, according to Macquarie.
The company attributes the expected growth to AI, cyber security, systems modernisation, and regulatory requirements affecting major industries, which include APRA’s CPS 230 and CPS 234 standards, the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act, and Essential Eight (E8) maturity requirements.
Vincent Texcier, Global DCO Centre of Excellence at Microsoft, comments, “Macquarie Cloud Services continues to demonstrate strong leadership in helping Australian organisations modernise with Microsoft Azure.
“Through this agreement, Macquarie Cloud Services can continue helping customers migrate and modernise infrastructure, strengthen their cloud foundations, and prepare for future data and AI opportunities.”
Macquarie has held Microsoft’s Expert MSP status for six years. The company says it has delivered average cloud cost savings of 26% and reduced operational risk for thousands of Australian organisations.
Naran McClung (pictured above), Executive Head of Azure at Macquarie Cloud Services, notes, “By combining our capabilities with the DCO framework, we are enabling customers to move to Azure at scale, while building a foundation for data, AI, and next-generation applications that will ultimately drive the Australian economy.
“Increasingly, our growth is being driven by customers expanding into new workloads and more sophisticated capabilities as their cloud maturity develops, as well as organisations moving to Azure for the first time.
“This agreement reflects continued confidence in our Azure capability, experience, and customer outcomes. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Microsoft as it continues its own significant investment into Australia.”
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