The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, announced this week that the Government has given first pass approval to the Department of Defence’s Centralised Processing Project to begin consolidating data centres.
This is a significant Defence project and a critical part of the wider Strategic Reform Program, transforming the way Defence uses information and communications technology.
It means the 280 locations in Australia currently used by Defence data centres will gradually be brought together into fewer than 10 modern facilities.
This decision enables real progress on the Defence Information and Communications Technology Strategy 2009.
The project will lead to savings on support and equipment costs, enhancing delivery of information and communications technology services and reducing energy consumption, it is expected almost $250 million in savings will be made over the coming decade.
The Department of Defence will increase engagement with industry in order to develop the best solution and deliver the best value for money.
The aim is for Defence’s data centres to be more sustainable, resilient and survivable in the long term, delivering increased efficiency and savings.
It will match other information and communications technology investments across Defence, reducing the cost of ‘business as usual’ and enabling faster delivery of information, whilst decreasing risks within the existing systems.
The project is expected to have positive industry outcomes, and reduce energy consumption in Defence.
Investment in information and communications technology reform is critical to the Defence portfolio and this project will deliver the reliable, resilient infrastructure to support that reform.
At MilCIS this year, Thales (and others) have been promoting secure cloud-based services for defence applications.