Govt unveils datacentre migration panel
The next step in the Federal Government's datacentre strategy has been taken, with Special Minister for State Gary Gray announcing that the panel for datacentre migration services has been finalised.
A panel for vendors to provide datacentre space had already been announced two months ago, to which Gray has now added Equinix's datacentre in Alexandria, NSW, and Australian Data Centres' facility in Mitchell, ACT. They are the first of many at the fit-out stage to be added to the panel, he said, with a small number of companies to be added "in the near future".
The new panel for migration services being announced today will help agencies move into those datacentres when their leases expire for old arrangements, or when they need additional space or power.
"While it is not a frequent occurrence, moving between datacentres can be a complex exercise. Most agencies have limited experience in undertaking such an activity. The companies on this panel will work with agencies to plan and execute such moves ensuring minimal impact on services to the Australian community," Gray said.
The chosen vendors for migration services are:
- Colliers International Project Services;
- Dell Australia;
- Dimension Data;
- Fujitsu Australia;
- Hewlett Packard; and
- The Frame Group.
There may be additions to the panel in the future. It will be in place for five years.
Those agencies under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (there are 105 of them) are required to use the panel. For example, the Departments of Defence, Customs, Broadband, Attorney-General, Finance and Deregulation, Health and Ageing and Immigration and Citizenship, as well as the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, will have to make use of the panel.
Use of the panel by state agencies and the 87 bodies under the Commonwealth Authority and Companies Act 1997, such as the ABC, Australia Post, SBS, Defence Housing, Medibank Private, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Tourism Australia and the National Broadband Network Company, is optional.