The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) wanted to overhaul their registration form in order to simplify and accelerate the registration process for charities.
After defining the project, they sought submissions, and Data#3 was chosen for their ability to meet criteria at a competitive cost.
Looking back and then seeing the results in our service standards, we ticked the boxes of what we wanted to achieve in service improvements.
Rob Jackson – Director of Digital Services, ACNC.
Established in 2012, the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) is the national regulator of charities. It plays a vital role in ensuring that Australians can trust and have confidence in the not-for-profit sector.
New charity registrations demanded significant administrative overhead and an increase of new form submissions was expected, so ACNC wanted to streamline the process.
From household names to niche organisations, the charities and not-for-profit sector is prominent in a nation that is known for helping others: Australia’s charities generate $190 billion in revenue and employ more than 10% of the workforce. Registering a charity or not-for-profit requires providing a wealth of information to ensure each applicant meets stringent standards. ACNC Director of Digital Services, Rob Jackson, said this important step was challenging.
“As a regulator, we’re responsible for registering charities. An entity applies online through a form, making a submission to us, then our team does what is needed to make sure it complies. They identify any risks to consider and perform a series of checks.
“We needed some help with our turnaround time. We have service standards for the public that we are required to meet. During registration, there was a lot of backward and forward and we saw we could be collecting information more efficiently. It is complex, requiring a lot of governing documents, financial statements and other information.”
This “backward and forward” happened when information submitted in the online form was incomplete, or additional details were needed, so the ACNC registrations team would need to contact the applicant and guide them through each step. It meant that registrations took longer and involved considerable manual processing which had the potential to increase the workload, and impact service standards.
Some help was needed to navigate complex form processing rules, and there was imperative to increase documentation of business process to match it to technical implementation. As is standard in government organisations, ACNC abide by stringent guidelines, so the internal team sought an experienced partner, to bring the back-end Microsoft Dynamics 365 foundations to align with the organisation’s needs, working with their chosen hosted custom forms provider. The two providers would need the capacity to work well in a multi-vendor project.
“Data#3 had the expertise needed for the back-end requirements] and we knew they could deliver. They are a trusted partner who are familiar with our systems. We put our requirements together internally and put a lot of thought into our requirements, then presented them to Data#3. This allowed us to start at a reasonable position,” said Jackson.
The in-house preparations performed the ACNC team were essential groundwork, paving the way for agreed responsibilities and outcomes for the project Ensuring roles were understood up-front served to “de-risk” the process, explained Jackson, and gave a clarity that served in-house and external teams well.
“We knew we needed to be closely involved, with our team internally running it, our registration team as subject experts, our vendor experts needed to get an understanding of our processes, so together we knew where efficiencies could be found.”
Starting with an extensive presales process, Data#3 specialists worked closely with ACNC to assist with form design and assess changes needed to update their system to support the new design. Together, the teams established a project management plan following a hybrid Agile methodology that enabled conclusion in time for the upcoming legislative changes. Jackson said that communication was key.
“It was the responsibility of the project manager on our side to make sure that the communication strategy worked. Data#3 provided a project manager to help. Data#3 knew our systems very well, as a managed services provider, so they could translate our needs into features on the platform.”
“Sometimes, things were really complex. People in the business might ask for something, but it was not actually the best way to solve the problem. A good partner can see where it could be more efficient when done a different way, and we had that with Data#3.”
While working with multiple internal and external teams can sometimes be challenging, Jackson noted that both Data#3 and the vendor that hosted the custom forms platform interacted well, and were professional in the way they worked together, along with the ACNC team, to focus on what was needed to achieve an outcome.
“They made sure to know what charities need from us, and what we were trying to do. It was the first time that Data#3 had worked with our registrations team, and they had a rapid introduction to get their heads around what the clients of the registration team looked like.
“That is a really good skill, to understand us and pick up quickly what is needed. Without that context, they can’t understand the risks for the client.”
Once development was complete, Data#3 used the UAT environment to test and validate the user experience and data accuracy before embarking on a custom deployment plan devised together by ACNC and both vendors before going live.
“The cutover was complex, we had to switch off and on, migrate to the new form, and we had to get the complex data migration completed to be successful. It was a team effort.”
When you’re going live, if you find any issues, what’s important is being able to solve them effectively.
Rob Jackson – Director of Digital Services, ACNC.
While technology underpins the outcome, the true measure of success lies in the experience of ACNC clients and staff using the new registration forms, and the quality of data gathered and analysed.
“It was a change for charities, they were using something unfamiliar, so our work on change management was important, and we had Data#3’s help with that where needed. We have an audience so large – 60,000 charities, plus advisors, lawyers, consultants and experts – some inevitably took longer but most users found it more intuitive. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”
The project was completed on time, with the skills of the project managers involved put to the test in a short timescale for so complex a project.
“It makes projects more complex when working with multiple suppliers, and the outcome is down to the skill of the project managers.”
For customers, the registration process is completed more efficiently, and the more intuitive forms help them to understand more readily what information is needed. This makes the experience less stressful. For the registrations team, meanwhile, there is less need to repeatedly contact clients with additional questions, giving them more time for those needing extra guidance, and allowing them to reduce wait times.
“We have seen significant benefits to our service standards as the process is more streamlined. Completing the form is more like a conversation, using smart questioning to help get the right data up-front, without that back-and-forth.”
“Different sized charities have different regulatory requirements, for example, and so each will be asked the right questions, and we can make decisions more effectively.”
With any significant change such as this, Jackson said it is to be expected that there will be some fine-tuning as users begin to engage with the new system.
“When you’re going live, if you find any issues, what’s important is being able to solve them effectively. This is common after system changes, and how you respond matters. Data#3 was very helpful. Users can make user requests, and where needed we can do some finetuning.”
“It really helps to document reasons for requirements, so that when someone makes a request, we can understand the reasoning behind earlier decisions.”
The improved accuracy and reporting of data has been helpful in an organisation that, like most government organisations, must be transparent in its operations.
“We publish data on the sector, and it is an enormous part of our activities. We are seeing the service standard dividends in that data, we are seeing the benefits now, four to five months later.”
When planning a complex project, Jackson said that choosing the right partners is vital, and that it isn’t enough to simply take instructions.
“Key to being a good partner is that they can challenge us. I wouldn’t want to create a solution based on just what I say, I want you to help me find the best way forward.”
“It was comforting that Data#3 knew what they were doing, we had an in-built trust. We already knew their capabilities and strengths and we were able to get into a good working cadence. They had a deep product knowledge, an understanding of our environment from working on bespoke elements.”
Ultimately, ACNC is now in a position where clients can register more efficiently, thanks to the combined efforts of in-house and multi-vendor teams. Even an increase in registrations has not caused a backlog for registration staff. “It is more intuitive, feedback is that it flows better, is easier to navigate, and requires less rework. Looking back and then seeing the results in our service standards, we ticked the boxes of what we wanted to achieve in service improvements,” concluded Jackson.
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When it comes to hybrid cloud innovation, Microsoft has consistently pushed the boundaries, delivering solutions that bring the power of Microsoft Azure (Azure) closer to businesses everywhere. The latest chapter in this evolution is Azure Local, a new product and reimagination of what was formerly known as Azure Stack HCI. To truly appreciate the transformative capabilities of Azure Local, it helps to take a step back and trace its lineage, from Azure Pack to Azure Stack Hub, then Azure Stack HCI, and now Azure Local.
It all started with Azure Pack, a precursor that allowed organisations to bring limited Azure-like capabilities to their on-premises data centres. While it laid the groundwork for hybrid cloud adoption, Azure Pack was a standalone solution that lacked seamless integration with Azure itself. Customers could simply install 2012R2 on a system and then use the Web Platform Installer to download and configure each component.
Once setup and integration with SCVMM, SQL Server and Active Directory was completed, you were presented with two web portals.
From the Admin Portal below, you could define the plans and services that would be published to users.
From there, users within the organisation that were granted self service provisioning rights could deploy their own services, including traditional virtual machines (VMs) and staggeringly, Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings. Standalone databases and web services could be provisioned from shared service infrastructure.
This was absolutely game changing at the time, as there was no real alternative to this approach from an on-premises perspective, unless you invested in expensive and complex orchestration software to achieve this level of self-service capability. Speaking of cost, Azure Pack was free!
What surprised me when writing this, was that Azure Pack continued to be supported all the way up to 2022.
Next came Azure Stack Hub (which was originally launched as Azure Stack, but rebranded to Hub after the launch of HCI), a significant leap forward. This enabled organisations to run a subset of Azure services in their own data centres, bridging the gap between on-premises and public cloud environments. Azure Stack Hub was particularly suited for edge scenarios and industries with strict regulatory requirements.
Under the hood, Azure Stack expanded on the capability of pack by including more Azure services that could run on-premises. Microsoft also worked very closely with hardware vendors to provide validated hardware. This validation process went all the way down the stack for each component. Hardware, driver, and even firmware levels were tested thoroughly and locked in with each Stack software release. This ensured consistency for every single deployment.
Just like pack, stack provided two web portals for tenant administration and user self-service.
The tenant portal below allowed for fine grained management of plans and quotas for all users. One thing that you would notice is the look and feel is just like it was in Azure at the time (well in fairness an end user of Azure would not see these settings).
From the end user perspective however, the portal experience was exactly as per Azure and if you knew how to navigate one portal then you knew how to use the other portal. The interesting capability of Stack was the inclusion of the marketplace. Users could select third-party services that existed in the Azure portal that IT admins had approved for provisioning. This unlocked an incredible level of technical functionality.
The unfortunate consequence of this level of capability and flexibility was cost. Generally Azure Stack was roughly one third more expensive than competitor hyper-converged systems. At a minimum, 13 infrastructure VMs was included as part of the Azure stack ‘fabric’. These VMs performed all of the orchestration, management and maintenance of the stack software. Unfortunately, this reduced the end user compute and storage capacity. Meaning customers had to buy larger physical footprints to account for this.
Azure Stack Hub is still supported at the time of writing this blog, however you cannot purchase a new system unless you have a very specific approved requirement.
This was the year when everything got ‘messy’, Azure Stack HCI introduced hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) to the mix, allowing businesses to deploy Azure-integrated virtualisation and storage solutions. With Azure Stack HCI, organisations could modernise their data centres while enjoying enhanced scalability, cost-efficiency, and hybrid cloud connectivity.
But this caused a great deal of confusion in the market. Azure Stack was renamed Azure Stack Hub, Azure DataBox was renamed Azure Stack Edge. The outcome was confusing for everybody. Which Stack are you talking about? Was a common question for us.
In saying that, looking at the product as a whole and we could see the vision. The monolithic requirement for management VMs was removed, customers got more bang for their buck. Management and provisioning of workloads was provided by Windows Admin Center. HCI could be integrated with Azure by deploying the ARC resource bridge and data controller services. These allowed users to provision PaaS and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) workloads onto HCI from the Azure portal. ARC was the true game changer here and started the convergence between on-premises and cloud. Microsoft expanded on this with the 23h2 release of HCI by including these components by default.
This is when things get very interesting, a lesser known fact and a bit of an insight into how Azure operates. A majority of Azure PaaS services run as Kubernetes containers. The ARC components on HCI are Azure Kubernetes services. You put these two pieces of knowledge together and you can envision more and more PaaS services extending from Cloud to on-premises.
Even better, this convergence goes both ways. Azure Stack HCI can be completely managed from the Azure Portal and customers can connect Azure services to HCI. All of those protection and management VMs that you have today could be replaced with Azure’s native services. Think monitoring, security, patching, compliance services. These options could be enabled via Azure Policy for not just the HCI infrastructure but automatically for all hosted workloads. This allowed for a reduction of server footprint, savings on hosting costs, reduction of carbon footprint, and the ability to leverage the same services in Azure to protect and manage VMs both on-premises and in cloud.
Azure Local isn’t just a rebranding—it’s a paradigm shift in hybrid infrastructure. Azure Local builds upon Azure Stack HCI 23H2, delivering a comprehensive solution that unifies Azure’s cloud capabilities with on-premises infrastructure in an unprecedented way. For organisations running Azure Stack HCI, the transition to Azure Local represents a natural progression, but it’s so much more than a name change.
New features and capabilities:
Cluster enhancements:
Local AI
Integrated AI capabilities: With the inclusion of Local AI, organisations can leverage on-premises AI processing using Azure Machine Learning. This is particularly useful for scenarios requiring low-latency data analysis or strict compliance with data residency regulations.
Azure Local in action
The Azure Local Advantage
Azure Local redefines hybrid cloud by blending Azure’s scalability, security, and operational consistency with the performance and control of on-premises systems. It simplifies the management of hybrid workloads through Azure Monitor, Azure Arc, and Azure Policy, ensuring governance across both local and cloud environments. Moreover, with integrations like Azure Site Recovery, businesses can achieve robust disaster recovery and business continuity.
Data#3 is the only partner in Australia that has the full capability to service every aspect of a successful Azure Local implementation, migration and managed services.
Our validated maturity journey for cloud adoption has been proven to successfully guide and support customers throughout their Azure journey. The three steps ensure readiness to adopt AI services by having an AI Ready Infrastructure, Applications are modernised using Azure services and AI Solutions built to enhance customer services and the drive efficiency.
At every stage, we draw on our deep expertise and advanced Azure certifications. Aligned to Microsoft’s Well Architected Framework and the Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) methodologies, we are able to offer proven, consistent and repeatable services at all stages a predictable price model.
Speak to one of our Azure specliasts today.
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Cisco’s Nexus Hyperfabric may be a relatively recent innovation, but if you are a data centre manager, you should take a serious look, as it could make your life immeasurably easier. Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t just another update to Cisco’s ever-reliable Nexus series. It’s a completely new way to design, deploy, and manage data centre networks that solve some of the most time-consuming challenges, such as cabling complexity and the configuration of advanced network architectures.
Much of the conversation has been about preparing data centres for AI, and the soon-to-be-released Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric AI, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, is geared up for this. However, I think the immediate opportunity to simplify the data centre is just as compelling, as Hyperfabric’s cloud-based controller is much quicker to design and deploy and is easier to manage.
To achieve this, Hyperfabric introduces a user-friendly, point-and-click interface for designing switch fabric, completely transforming data centre management. This intuitive platform automatically generates precise cabling plans and bill of materials, highlighting errors during the connection process. Making it easier to identify and rectify misconfigurations quickly.
Once all components are correctly connected, Hyperfabric autonomously configures switches into optimised stacks, enhancing connectivity and streamlining operations. The auto-generated cable diagrams simplify patching processes, significantly reducing cable troubleshooting time and effort.
Beyond these immediate operational efficiencies, Hyperfabric integrates Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) fabric design and deployment. It will use this for the near-future AI pod so that Data Centre Managers will benefit from easier deployment and design. Engineers will continue to assign traditional overlay VLANs through an intuitive graphical interface, while Hyperfabric operates behind the scenes to build a robust VXLAN fabric-switching architecture.
At Cisco Live in Melbourne, Data#3’s Chief Technology Officer, Graham Robinson, shared his experience with Hyperfabric:
“I recently had the opportunity to meet with Cisco’s product lead and experience the end-to-end process of designing and deploying switches with Hyperfabric. I can confidently say this platform would have saved me countless weeks, if not months, of stress back in my engineering days!”
Cisco has outlined several key use cases illustrated in the diagram below. While all of them are compelling, I think Hyperfabric delivers the biggest wins for the following scenarios:
There are a few limitations you need to be aware of, but I anticipate that this will change rapidly as Cisco is investing heavily in Hyperfabric development.
At Data#3, we’re dedicated to bringing the latest and greatest technologies to Australian organisations. As a Cisco Gold Partner, we’re proud to be at the forefront of delivering innovative solutions like Cisco Hyperfabric. We’re committed to helping our clients modernise their data centre infrastructure and make their operations more efficient.
To learn more about Hyperfabric, you can contact us using the form below or through your account manager. Our team can help you determine whether Hyperfabric is suitable for your specific environment and answer any questions you may have.
Speak to one of Data#3’s Data Centre experts today.
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Brisbane Catholic Education wanted expert analysis to determine the best approach to supplier onboarding.
Brisbane Catholic Education approached Business Aspect to conduct an options analysis of potential vendors for a supplier onboarding solution. The engagement was extended to review current and shortlisted contract management system vendors.
I’m always impressed by the calibre of consultants and their ability to go away and research; they’re technical experts not necessarily just in that product they are looking at. Also, they understand business requirements, not only technical requirements.
Boyd Bostock – Head of IT Systems and Platform Information Technology for Brisbane Catholic Education
Brisbane Catholic Education is a learning community responsible for more than 140 faith-based schools in south-east Queensland and combines tradition with modern education as it guides children from prep to grade 12 and prepares them for life beyond school.
Brisbane Catholic Education needed to update its supplier onboarding system and sought support from Business Aspect in the form of an option analysis, to guide them to the best suited solution.
Delivering education to the schools in the community requires working effectively with the many suppliers that provide essential goods and services. The suppliers range from niche businesses to major corporations, and ensuring everything runs smoothly with these relationships is a priority. For Brisbane Catholic Education Head of IT Systems and Platforms Information Technology, Boyd Bostock, it was clear that the supplier onboarding process is a critical part of the process, so when it came to replacing or updating the supplier onboarding system, the organisation wanted to make decisions based on solid intelligence.
“The reason for the project with Business Aspect was that we already had technology in that vendor management space, and the project was around supplier onboarding in its initial requirements.”
While Brisbane Catholic Education has skilled staff in-house, they operate in a busy environment and felt that Business Aspect could give the project what was needed to help make the best decision for their requirements.
“In the background, we were working on another project that strained our resources. With applications that fall outside the mainstream groups, such as supplier onboarding applications, it can be difficult to understand their offerings, capabilities, and limitations. Our approach is to ensure that everything is properly researched so that both immediate and future needs are met with the platform we choose. This was not an area where we had internal expertise at the level we required,” explained Bostock.
Since the incumbent supplier onboarding product had been implemented, technology had moved on. Brisbane Catholic Education was keen to select a tool to streamline and control the supplier onboarding system, lifting the burden of manual processes from busy staff and providing a smooth introduction for new suppliers. The product in place lacked the capacity to perform some of the functionality now available. Navigating the way forward would require expert advice.
“As we continued embedding an Enterprise Architecture discipline adoption of specific Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, we saw an increase in the complexity of integration with more vendors to manage. An additional SaaS service within finance and not delivering an end-to-end capability was the trigger for engaging Business Aspect to look at the bigger picture,” Bostock said
“We already had a relationship with Business Aspect as we had been liaising for cyber security and data protection advisory. We were confident that their expertise would ensure we could deliver the best outcome possible.”
To begin, Business Aspect’s help was sought in performing an initial market scan, evaluating the existing supplier onboarding solution, and identifying the best path forward.
Working with Brisbane Catholic Education to understand their needs, Business Aspect conducted an option analysis based on a market scan for supplier onboarding solutions. This gave an in-depth analysis of potential solutions, based on a defined list of functional and non-functional requirements. Analysts worked with vendors to provide demos based on a set of scenarios, and options were judged against criteria including value, ease of integration, and suitability for purpose.
“Business Aspect ran a series of workshops with our team and contacted both the incumbent vendor and potential vendors. They were able to gather more details from the vendors and arrange demos. Being able to engage with vendors directly, rather than relying solely on websites and Gartner reports, was valuable, and they had the relationships to do so. They then translated our business requirements into technical requirements, providing more useful insights,” detailed Bostock.
“The report was delivered in slide deck format in a presentation evaluating the current solution and a more detailed analysis that determined where it would deliver on requirements, and a market scan of other players in the market.”
That initial work validated Brisbane Catholic Education caution around re-committing to the same product. This was followed by solution architecture design to give an in-depth look at how each possibility could work in their environment. The resulting report included scores against the core criteria, along with recommendations for a preferred vendor, and possible next steps.
“The initial market scan marked down the incumbent product on the contract management side. We then had to question about bringing in another technology into that area, so we asked ourselves, do we look at a technology that does both onboarding and contract management, and remove the incumbent?” said Bostock.
While supplier onboarding functionality was lacking, the incumbent product performed the contract management functions adequately, but Business Aspect analysts questioned whether it would make sense to introduce a separate technology. They challenged Brisbane Catholic Education to consider the wider implications.
“The product was doing the functions it needed in contract management, but it didn’t make sense having a second product that required integration. We would end up with two products to manage throughout that vendor lifecycle.”
Rather than add complexity and management burden by introducing an additional product or stick with something that did not have the right functionality, Brisbane Catholic Education considered Business Aspect’s input and veered away from its initial plan. Bostock said that the willingness of Business Aspect consultants to challenge Brisbane Catholic Education’s thinking saved additional cost and complexity later.
“The number of systems we already support is challenging and to bring on more when we could replace with one product with a wider remit should always be considered,” explained Bostock
“The outcome was that we decided to pause the project and look at a more holistic approach. The recommendation was to consider our requirements beyond the supplier onboarding project and view the vendor lifecycle, then find a product that meets not just current but future needs. This would lead to more cost efficiency down the track,” detailed Bostock.
“I view the decision to delay the project as a successful outcome as it gave us breathing space to think about the technology within finance as whole, the current situation, the immediate requirements and opportunities for future digitisation.”
Our project team is very happy with the engagement and how it went. They felt it gave the direction they were seeking, where it was quite a difficult situation to work out the way forward.
Boyd Bostock – Head of IT Systems and Platform Information Technology for Brisbane Catholic Education
Looking at projects in isolation does not always give the best outcome, and they knew the value of enlisting the help of consultants with the time and capability to perform a thorough investigation.
“I’m always impressed by the calibre of consultants and their ability to go away and research; they’re technical experts not necessarily just in that product they are looking at. Also, they understand business requirements, not only technical requirements.”
The working relationship that Brisbane Catholic Education has with Business Aspect is one based on honest and open communication from both sides, and Bostock said that knowing the consultants are trained to look beyond the immediate is important.
“Our project team is very happy with the engagement and how it went. They felt it gave the direction they were seeking, where it was quite a difficult situation to work out the way forward.”
An additional benefit Brisbane Catholic Education identified was the access to more information from vendors, thanks to their pre-existing relationships with Business Aspect.
“It is an approach that is easier for vendors to respond to, rather than a formal RFI process which takes significant effort for vendors. There was not enough information in the public realm to understand the products, but by Business Aspect knowing the questions to ask, it enabled them to do a desktop analysis that helped guide our decisions.”
While it would have been possible to choose a product based on the market scan, Brisbane Catholic Education sees it as an advantage that Business Aspect challenged their thinking instead of taking the obvious path. Bostock said that the choice not to proceed immediately is the right outcome.
“This will most likely come through as a project next year with a wider remit than supplier onboarding. We are positioned to consider the wider requirements and pick a product suite that can meet our needs,” concluded Bostock.
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Penrith City Council wanted to ensure it was ready to seize the opportunity of Microsoft 365 (M365) Copilot while avoiding unnecessary risk.
The council wanted to plan effectively for adoption of a key emerging technology and partnered with Data#3 as a trusted partner with direct experience using M365 Copilot.
We have gathered insightful information about the potential benefits of AI, which will help us enhance the services we provide to the local community.
Jane Howard – Chief Information Officer, Penrith City Council.
Nestled between Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Penrith City Council is responsible for an area characterised by spectacular natural beauty and a buzzing arts, culture, and entertainment scene. The council supports a diverse community, providing a range of services that makes Penrith a great place to live and visit.
The council wanted to assess the potential of Microsoft 365 (M365) Copilot as a key emerging new technology to enable greater efficiency and service delivery. It was important to understand potential value as well as any risk involved.
The arrival of the highly anticipated M365 Copilot technology is set to revolutionise workplaces, putting enterprise-level artificial intelligence (AI) in the hands of employees. For Penrith City Council, Chief Information Officer, Jane Howard, it was important to understand how best council could leverage the advantages while ensuring proper data governance in this evolving landscape.
“Since this is a new and evolving technology, it’s still quite immature. As local government, we need to see tangible benefits from purchasing licenses by having the software demonstrate clear advantages.”
“There has been a lot of media around generative AI, and people have questioned how will it fit from an organisational perspective? Will it replace me in my role? Where does it fit into day-to-day operations and how it fits in the organisation and adding value means we need to understand the overall business case.”
In an organisation that provides such a broad range of services, ranging from libraries and recreation to waste management and building permits, it is unsurprising that staff roles are diverse. It made sense to Howard that approaching the introduction of Copilot would require a deep dive into the different ways employees’ roles could benefit.
“There are many types of workers in local government, and not everyone sits in front of a PC all day. We have children’s services, waste management, and people hard at work maintaining our outdoor areas. We have to know where it is showing value, because it might not be useful for everyone, and we need to invest where people will make use of this and benefit.”
M365 Copilot uses the Semantic index, which indexes every file that a user has access to in M365 the results available for Copilot to query. If a user unknowingly has access to sensitive information, Copilot may return a result that leverages that information, inadvertently raising risk.
If users are unaware of the implications of the sensitive nature of their results, they may inadvertently share further. It is, then, essential that organisations review their data governance situation to ensure permissions are correct and to prevent over-sharing.
“In local government, while some of our information is available publicly, we do have much data, like any organisation, that we must keep safe. We also need to keep our employees safe and not expose them to a situation where they have access to information that they shouldn’t.”
While managing risks is vital, the potential for boosted efficiency is significant. Any technology that enables staff to stretch the budget further represents the chance to enhance services and do more for the local population.
“Our other challenge is taking full advantage of the opportunity. We want to make use of new tools and technologies that could help us be more efficient, and focus on adding value for customers without spending that does not add value. We have to make sure the decision is right.”
One challenge of a very new technology is finding help from a partner with first-hand experience. Penrith City Council chose to seek guidance from Data#3, who have hands-on proficiency thanks to being one of the rare few organisations in Australia to take part in the Copilot for M365 Early Access Program (EAP).
“We were looking at our data and making sure we understood its location and accessibility, and wanted to engage with an organisation that could help. Data#3 have had experience with Copilot themselves, so they can share their own experiences with us.”
Focusing on the areas of information governance, organisational change management, and platform, Data#3’s M365 Copilot Readiness Assessment helps businesses understand their current situation and prepare their people and data to get the most from Copilot.
The Data#3 team conducted analysis of Penrith City Council’s M365 tenant, giving the council valuable insights into their data-sharing practices, and recommending best-practice steps to mitigate risk. Experts connected directly to the council’s M365 tenant to perform a technical analysis and led a series of six workshops, then created a readiness report, roadmap, and recommended next steps.
“The Project team is a collaboration between the ICT and the Information Management teams who are leading this initiative; and participated in the Data#3 Readiness Assessment. They thought it was really well structured. The flow from where we started at introduction to where we ended up; with a final report – took us on a journey that gave us a good grounding and an understanding of what Copilot is, what we could do in the organisation, and how to prepare for our pilot program. We’re very happy with how the workshops were presented and we gained valuable knowledge throughout.”
“Each workshop covered different aspects, an introduction, the technology architecture, our data assessment and a key workshop ensuring we understood any potential issues around sensitive data. We looked at the results around data accessibility permissions, then the users themselves, assigning different ‘personas’ around the potential way Copilot could be used. Other workshops also covered how the tool operates, opportunities around use cases, how this technology would be implemented in our environment and the configuration we would need to do.”
While the council runs a tight ship in terms of data governance, they said that due diligence is especially important when introducing generative AI. While they were pleased that the workshops did not uncover any major surprises, it was good to go into the pilot program with greater certainty.
“Our Information Management team is very astute at protecting our data assets, and we are mindful of how data is stored and structured. The workshop was useful in making us even more aware of what data we should mark sensitive.”
“Because ICT are new to the technology ourselves, working with an experienced team was helpful. We have used free tools like ChatGPT but we were interested to see how Copilot would work in our organisation with our data to give the most value. We also purchased a few licences in advance of our pilot, so the Project Team can see how it could work.”
It has been a fascinating experience for the Project Team, who have been keen to put Copilot through its paces. They said it has been “very interesting” to see how people respond when getting a glimpse of this future.
“We had a large meeting of around 30 people in a hybrid format, and there was an executive assistant in the room taking minutes. After the meeting, I demonstrated to her the minutes and action items Copilot had produced. Her feedback was literally ‘Wow’. This new technology will definitely provide some real advantages for some of our personas!”
“Years ago, we used to take shorthand, then secretaries typed minutes, then we had dictation machines, then PCs, so roles will change, this is just another evolution of the way we work – as Microsoft calls it, a modern workplace.”
They said that the value of effective change management cannot be underestimated. The workshop approach helped with practical recommendations that aligned well with the council’s way of working. The group went out to ask Heads of Department to nominate team members to be involved in the pilot and said that they were “very excited” at the opportunity.
“One of the suggestions of the Readiness Assessment is to set up a Centre of Excellence, with the pilot group engaged in identifying opportunities, sharing ideas, and reporting back on things that didn’t work or worked well. They will become Copilot champions throughout the organisation if and when we decide to move this forward in the organisation.”
“Data#3 will play a part in that team, in that when we need something escalated, they can assist us with advice. We can also channel new M365 functionality around modern workplaces into that group.”
Do the Readiness Assessment and look at the underlying architecture: this will help you to understand what it means to your organisation.
Jane Howard – Chief Information Officer, Penrith City Council.
The introduction of Copilot represents an extraordinary opportunity to work more efficiently and, in the case of Penrith City Council, to enable employee focus on providing the exceptional services the community needs.
“Penrith is a growing council, with a population expected to grow 31% by 2036. Therefore we have to look at the ways we work and make ourselves more efficient.”
“It is not just about growth of resident numbers; we have the new Nancy Bird Airport in construction close by, and the Penrith area is a great destination to visit, we’re on the river and close to the mountains, so we will be welcoming more guests, too. We’re looking at ways to work smarter and more efficiently to give everyone the best we have to offer.”
After working through this initial phase, Howard’s advice is that organisations seek experienced help to embark on structured planning.
“Do the Readiness Assessment and look at the underlying architecture: this will help you to understand what it means to your organisation. If you just deployed the licences, it would be quite lacking. You need to build the hype internally, balance what is in the media, too, and set a perspective for your organisation. People will be innovative when they have the tools available.”
“Also to mention that we have been supported by Microsoft, and we were able to use our Technology Innovation Fund via Data#3. Between our vendor partner Data#3, Microsoft, and our own internal learnings, the Readiness Assessment has been a success.”
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John Paul College, a school in South East Queensland, recently conducted a comprehensive review to better understand the needs of its staff and students. The findings highlighted a need for enhanced digital capabilities, world-facing cameras for STEM, and increased computing power to support new learning streams.
In partnership with Data#3, John Paul College utilised Data#3’s Device as a Service to equip the school with the multi-feature HP ProBook, specifically designed to support its growing curriculum requirements. The integration of this new technology into classrooms has since enabled students at John Paul College to work more efficiently and fully embrace the digital classroom.
“By adopting the latest HP devices, we are ensuring that our students and staff have access to the best tools available, supporting our goal of being a leader in digital learning and innovation,” said Nicholas Burton, Network and Systems Manager at John Paul College.
In this video, discover how John Paul College has incorporated multi-feature HP devices and Microsoft Intune to empower and enhance student learning.
With over three decades of expertise in the Education industry, Data#3 is well equipped to provide educational clients with the tools they need for success, offering a range of cutting-edge technology services and solutions that enhance and empower classroom learning. Through this approach, Data#3 enables schools to create a modern, flexible, and secure digital classroom that fosters greater engagement, productivity, and innovation in the learning process.
Glencore Technology wanted to migrate their CRM system to Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) in the power platform to leverage greater integration, automation and reporting across business platforms.
To maximise the potential of D365, Glencore Technology sought the guidance of an experienced partner. After considering multiple options, they chose to work with Data#3 due to their excellent longstanding relationship and confidence in meeting high delivery standards.
We enjoyed the end-to-end process from inception to delivery and seeing it come alive. Every sprint review was exciting as the concept came to fruition in front of our eyes.
Jo Hardie – Senior Business Analyst, Glencore Technology
Glencore Technology has been marketing technology in the metals and mineral processing industries for almost 40 years. With expertise spanning process and equipment design, detailed engineering, equipment supply and operator training, they provide essential services in some of Australia’s most demanding workplaces.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) was introduced as part of a digital transformation, to modernise IT systems, leverage cloud based Software as a Service (SaaS) applications for greater flexibility and future proof the scalability of solutions and data management for a dynamic business.
Glencore Technology’s sustainability is built on a passion to constantly evolve their products to solve burgeoning problems of valued clients. As an engineering projects organisation, continuous improvement is in all that they do to drive value to the customer throughout the asset lifecycle. When Senior Business Analyst Jo Hardie joined Glencore Technology, a digital transformation program was already underway.
“We had already started the journey to revamp our systems across the entire architecture. A lot of platforms were reaching end of support, and we were facing challenges with our incumbent on-premises systems. Gathering and combining business data from disparate systems was time-consuming, it could take days to pull together data for reporting.”
Among the roadblocks Glencore Technology identified was a CRM product no longer offering the depth of function now available in modern options, unable to sufficiently grow with the business. Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform were chosen as an alternative that promised a more intelligent and streamlined environment.
“As the business grew, a major drawcard was looking at automating business process between systems and departments, to get out of spreadsheets and email chains and streamline operations,” explained Hardie.
“This would expedite the turnaround time from a request for quotation, to receiving a purchase order and handover to the delivery part of the organisation.”
A key driver for the project was to ensure that valued resources were supported to work efficiently, using their skills and strengths to add value instead of becoming swamped with manual tasks.
It comes down to optimising your people; when everything is manual, the result is high value resources, performing low-value tasks. As an organisation grows, complexity increases, with more people performing tasks that keep operations running but don’t add significant value. We wanted our teams free to focus on high-value tasks so they could drive value to the business and our clients.
The manual processes were, said Hardie, more likely to lead to errors even from the most diligent employees, especially when working across multiple systems in a complex environment. D365 and Power Apps would give the opportunity for more accurate and real-time information, and Hardie knew that access to support and availability of expertise was crucial if Glencore Technology was to make the most of the opportunity.
“There was a preference for us to select a delivery partner within our local time zone . We knew we needed the support to be readily available when needed.”
“Glencore Technology has had a longstanding relationship with Data#3, and as a premium partner of Microsoft – the accolades for Data#3 stand out for themselves. Working with the team is seamless, they are great people, the communication is fantastic at all levels, the delivery of their work and their support is phenomenal, and they have a willingness to help,” explained Hardie.
“Our organisation thrives on long-term partnerships, and with Data#3 there was a lot of alignment.”
The Glencore Technology team was keen to get true value from the D365 and Power Apps investment, and that meant tailoring it to align with the intricacies of the business. The process began with presales engineers closely examining the way the business operated and identifying the best way to proceed.
“We had presales meetings between both organisations to understand the problem and scope, identify any constraints, and discuss the desired outcomes for the project. When I joined, some time had lapsed since the initial project scoping, so it was important to ensure realignment with the team and to reaffirm the core deliverables,” said Hardie.
“Working with the Data#3 Project Manager, we established trust quickly in the project team, collaborating with SMEs on user requirements. Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle , Data#3 gave us guidance and support, in best practice delivery of agile software projects.”
The flexible approach of the Data#3 team and a willingness to work at Glencore Technology’s pace was important, given the organisation was juggling a number of demanding situations while prioritising the needs of clients.
“It was a challenging time for our organisation and the wider industry as we were still experiencing the impact of the pandemic and many of our people were working from home. We went through a fully remote build, rollout, and support. Glencore Technology was moving between offices, and we still managed the rollout with minimal issues.
“It really helped in our ongoing project that we had a technology stack that could be managed fully online, making it easy to support and work remotely. Interruptions during the pandemic delayed our new office fitout, which meant the rollout happened with our workforce working remotely full-time,” explained Hardie.
Despite working in unusual circumstances, Hardie felt the combined Data#3 and Glencore Technology team stepped up to the challenge. The close alignment and collaboration involved reinforced her assertion that a good cultural fit is crucial when choosing a technology partner, and the outcome reflected this.
“We enjoyed the end-to-end process from inception to delivery and seeing it come alive. Every sprint review was exciting as the concept came to fruition in front of our eyes. We have been able to automate a lot of processes, and power apps complimented our journey with Power BI where we are seeing benefits and synergies as we move more of our incumbent products to the Power platform environment. We have more seamless, integrated reporting.”
The experience of introducing D365 and Power Platform has changed the way the Glencore Technology team views its technology ecosystem, and this has helped to guide forward planning.
“Working with leaders in the IT industry, we have noticed a shift in the product trends of the industry. Previously you would buy a product off the shelf and it would have seven years of life before being replaced by another iteration or another product.
“Now, Software as a Service (SaaS) has continual improvement and features added, which is fantastic. It is great for a business like ours because it allows systems to be as adaptable as we need, and to grow and change with our business. It keeps continuity in our systems for employees, so the user interface isn’t changing as often,” said Hardie.
“We can take the approach of selecting software systems with integral alignment to our long term business strategy. It is a winning component of the platforms we have in place for the future.”
While the technology rollout went smoothly despite the challenges faced, Hardie considered user adoption to be the true gauge of success.
“The adoption was good, with minimal disruption to business activities. That was a testament to the Data #3 team that it was a successful project. We seamlessly managed change with 150 users fully online.
With more processes becoming automated, the quality and timeliness of information has been especially notable. Hardie noted that even the most dedicated of staff can make the occasional typo, and human error is inevitably a factor when tasks are performed manually.
“Data cleanliness is a priority; when people had manual tasks in Microsoft Excel, there was greater potential for error. Now we have more automation, more checks in place to validate our data. The data integrity aspect is second to none, and reducing manual handling errors is so important. We avoid unnecessary double handling of work by pushing data between systems. We now have in real time reporting, we can track changes as they happen, which is invaluable.”
As Hardie’s team and the company’s growing user base gain in confidence, they continue to find ways to capitalise on the new environment.
“We’re receiving feedback that the tools are delivering productivity improvements and that positive impact provides intrinsic value for me. With change there is always some resistance but moving teams through these teething issues to full integration with the system that is the biggest success. It is easy to enjoy the process when you’re working with good people who are passionate about their work, it’s been a fantastic relationship with the Data #3 team.”
Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle , Data#3 gave us guidance and support, in best practice delivery of agile software projects.
Jo Hardie – Senior Business Analyst, Glencore Technology
While the streamlined processes and fast, accurate access to information have been well received, there has also been a profound effect on Glencore Technology’s ability to adapt to an ever-changing business landscape.
“This makes us so much more agile as a business. It frees people’s time from pulling together reports, spending more time on adding value for our clients and our strategic focus,” said Hardie.
Glencore Technology has already been building on the success, finding new ways to automate processes and free up time. The relationship with Data#3 has continued, and Hardie said that she feels reassured to know support is available when needed.
“Their strength is that they openly communicate with customers. Communication is 90% of the battle, and there were no issues in that area, they were ready to help at all levels of the organisation. Whether the support team or the senior leadership, we knew we could reach out and get professional advice. They have been generous with knowledge sharing in the space around emerging topics like AI, they always give us a chance to talk things through with technical experts. This ability to call on people with great talent and receive expert advice, is everything.”
While Glencore Technology is a highly regarded expert in its own area of technology, Hardie concluded that it is of utmost importance to focus on core business and introduce specialist partners to support ancillary business functions.
“This area of technology is not our bread and butter, and we don’t always have the right core competencies readily available in-house, so delivery through partners and strategic alliances is very important for us. The IT industry is evolving at such a pace that it’s hard to stay current on emerging trends and technologies, so having experts in this field and being able to get trusted advice is a wonderful part of the relationship with Data#3,” concluded Hardie.
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RSM Australia wanted to make better use of their Microsoft Dynamics 365 investment by aligning it more closely with their business strategy and increasing overall adoption across the organisation.
The relationship between Data#3 and RSM Australia spans more than 15 years, so when they needed additional expertise and trusted advice, it made sense to turn to their preferred Microsoft provider.
We knew we needed additional support to continue delivering the project to the standards we expected but were nervous about finding the right fit. It’s easy to work with Data#3. They aren’t just our provider, they are an extension of our team, and we know we can count on them when we need it.
Helen Carvosso – Director of Marketing, RSM Australia.
Established in 1922, RSM Australia has grown to become a leading player in Australia’s professional services industry. With more than 1,900 staff in 32 offices, RSM Australia provides financial and advisory accounting services, acting as a trusted partner to a wide range of business, government and individual clients.
Having introduced Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) previously, RSM Australia was finding underlying structural issues and limited technical resources were creating challenges in adopting its full potential.
Unsurprisingly, much has changed during RSM Australia’s century in business. While the values of friendly expertise and exceptional service have remained the same, the business’s remarkable longevity owes much to a willingness to embrace new opportunities. Director of Marketing Helen Carvosso said that staying ahead in a competitive sector requires an ability to look forward.
“We are currently busy working on our growth plans to 2030 and a strategic focus for us is our digital transformation, where using analytics and automation will be very important moving forward. We have invested heavily in learning about AI and leveraging data for our growth strategy.”
A significant investment to date has centered on Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365), a portfolio of intelligent business applications that streamlines operational processes and drives greater efficiency. While the capabilities of D365 were thoroughly researched and matched the business’s needs, the roll-out had been problematic.
“We rolled out the D365 instance in January 2023. It wasn’t quite perfect and we knew that at the time, but we wanted people to start using it. The more people that started to use it, the more requests we were expecting and received for improvements, changes or additional features. We also knew there were some structural issues we would need to address down the line.
“Our CRM team didn’t have the technical capability we needed to begin addressing those structural issues – so we were looking for a partner who could act as an advisor, understand what we were trying to achieve, provide options, and help us find the best way forward.”
For RSM Australia, it was especially important that the chosen partner could identify potential implications of each course of action and minimise any impact on users and the wider IT environment.
“Our previous advisors had added fields as we requested, without providing the strategic advice on the impacts of some of these requests. We needed partners who weren’t just ‘yes’ people but could advise, guide, and challenge us to ensure we used best practices to build a future-proof system that would take us forward. We needed to add that additional technical competence and depth to our team.”
With user requests coming in thick and fast, it was clear that the RSM Australia team needed the right processes in place and guidance from a trusted partner. After considering multiple partner options, it seemed to Carvosso there was a logical choice.
“There were downstream implications to any changes, and we needed to understand these. We had a long relationship with Data#3 in other areas of RSM and ‘Microsoft-Land’. That relationship spanned 15 years. The main driver to work with Data#3 on our Dynamics environment was their position as our Microsoft licence provider – they already provided our D365 subscription.
“What I like about the Data#3 team we work with is their empathy and non-judgemental approach. We’re working with an external provider as we don’t have all the answers – and sometimes we don’t know the right questions to ask. They encourage those questions, which helps them understand where I’m coming from too.”
The Data#3 team worked with a proven methodology, and this gave the structure that Carvosso knew was needed. They set about learning in greater depth about RSM’s business and technology eco-system, and understanding what a great outcome would look like.
“It was really very smooth. We set up regular meetings at the start to understand where we were and to roadmap our immediate priorities. We were easily set up on the ticketing system, which was all totally transparent, so we had visibility of where things were at. Now, we have established a regular cadence of meetings to suit business as usual, but when things pop up, the team is there to answer our calls and emails very quickly.”
In that early phase, more than 100 enhancements and changes were scoped out and implemented, positioning RSM to achieve greater benefits from their D365 environment.
“There are a lot of automation pieces here that help us to get work done. We can create workflows and understand the potential implications.”
By digging deeper, Data#3 was able to help RSM better align D365 with the activities of the business, so that staff time could be saved on repetitive tasks and refocused on the customer service they are known for.
“We applied some automation based on principal clients. It used to be extra work for a partner to go in and check a box to say a client now needs tax updates. Now, when a contact changes to client status, that checked box can happen automatically. We have been able to add functionality to apply different rules for clients and contacts with changes triggered automatically, saving manual effort.”
The challenges that RSM faced in the initial D365 rollout had hampered enthusiasm for the product – but this is something Carvosso said had been turned around, with positive results encouraging greater engagement.
“Rolling out new technology and getting people to adopt it can be scary, if not outright off-putting. Now we have support to make it fit for purpose, so it helps people with what they are trying to do in their day-to-day jobs.
“Before we didn’t have the technical expertise to be able to make it work for them. We can now go to the stakeholders and understand their business priorities and make the system work for them, not the other way around,” explained Carvosso.
That expertise doesn’t only come from the Data#3 team. Carvosso’s group was keen to gain skills and confidence in working with D365, so they could handle the more straightforward requests while still calling on Data#3 for more complex changes.
“We learned a lot very quickly from the team. They shared best practices and how they prefer to be briefed – it was a different realm to what we were used to. We learned a lot about best practices for change requests from them,” Carvosso said.
“That has been great as it does help us too, to get a better brief, we know the right questions to ask. The Data#3 team has been helping us upskill, so we can use them for their technical expertise rather than day-to-day actions. It has been an opportunity for us to learn and develop as we continue the relationship.”
With early difficulties unravelled and a faster time from request to completion, the RSM team has observed a change in the way they are perceived by the users they support.
“We have been given the confidence and credibility to go back to our team when they have questions or development requests, and we have a hundred percent certainty that we have a process in place. We pitch it to our change advisory group and come back with solutions. The refined process means we have a hundred percent confidence when we report back to the business.
“Like any new relationship it took time to get to know one another – but when we started to report small wins back to the business, we could see the confidence building among end-users, in the platform and in us,” said Carvosso.
It is not only users who are able to work more effectively now. Carvosso’s team has also had a weight lifted from their shoulders.
“We are spending time better, not stressed about the time we are spending and worrying about having to fix problems. If we are notified of an issue, we put it on the list and know it is being taken care of. We’re able instead to spend our time educating and upskilling people on how to use D365 better rather than having to apologise for what it can’t do. “We have learned from Data#3 how to prioritise requests from inside the business and have a better idea of how much time and effort it will take. We have the confidence to think outside the box now, and before we go to Data#3 we consider if we can fix something internally.”
We have learned from Data#3 how to prioritise requests from inside the business and have a better idea of how much time and effort it will take. We have the confidence to think outside the box now, and before we go to Data#3 we consider if we can fix something internally.
Helen Carvosso – Director of Marketing, RSM Australia.
Part of RSM’s longevity is down to the business focusing on its strengths and understanding where it pays to seek expert help. Working with a partner that complemented RSM’s strengths and shared the same long-term view has been a game-changer for Carvosso.
“Data#3 showed that they very much see it as a long-term partnership, so when they scope something out, they are not creating a rod for their own back by making changes without question. They take time to make sure the outcome will really be what the business needs, even if it is not what we originally asked for – they push back if it is not the right thing.”
For someone that does not come from a technology background, Carvosso found the process unexpectedly enjoyable.
“Their biggest strengths were their patience and expertise. They will invest the time to understand where we are coming from and the challenges we face, they have empathy around that and offered solutions based on their technical expertise. “They had an understanding of us as a professional services firm, an understanding of our language and the nuances. They built a rapport, had a real sense of humour, and made it fun, not scary. It’s easy, they are like an extension of our team, and we know we can count on them.”
International Safety Systems wanted to modernise their IT infrastructure and migrate to the cloud.
As International Safety Systems infrastructure neared end of life, the business sought recommendations from a trusted consultant, and determined that a shift to Microsoft Azure was the right path forward. That advisor joined Data#3 and they recognised that the expertise and culture of their partnership would make a good match.
• Scalable environment
• Exceptional availability
• Built-in backup and disaster recovery functionality
• Improved security
• Fast and cost-effective, making it easier to innovate
• Customer’s data is cloud-hosted, residing in their chosen location
• Streamlined onboarding process
• Access to additional expertise
• Avoidance of capital expenditure (CapEx)
The most outstanding part of the project is the improved reliability. We have had no unscheduled downtime thanks to the way our Data#3 consultant designed the platform.
David Rickward – Commercial Director, International Safety Systems
International Safety Systems (ISS) provides customised safety, quality and risk management solutions to customers around the world, helping them to meet compliance requirements while improving their business resilience.
ISS had been hosting its specialised apps in-house, using a thin client approach to distribute software. As available cloud options matured, ISS recognised the potential to work more efficiently and offer an enhanced service to customers.
The AIRS app from ISS is used to capture and manage safety and quality data for customers in stringently controlled industries, such as defence and aerospace. The small, very busy ISS team helps its customers meet all compliance obligations, reducing risk and operating more safely. Until recently, Commercial Director David Rickward said that managing infrastructure was a way of life.
“We had a traditional model, before Software as a Service was widely available. We hosted our software on our own hardware in a Sydney data centre. In addition to the hosting cost we had all the associated maintenance costs and then every five years, we would have to throw it away and start again, which meant incurring substantial capital costs and add-on services. Whilst it allowed us to distribute AIRS online it was a costly and labour-intensive model.”
That service model required effort from customers, and the cost was amplified by the need for extremely high availability to meet the service levels required by clients.
“We had backup redundancy and disaster recovery servers running. Overall, we were happy with the uptime – however, there were occasional unscheduled outages which required on-premises support, adding more cost,” explained Rickward.
As the time for renewal approached, with cloud options now offering greater maturity, ISS sought advice from a trusted cloud specialist, who learned about the ISS business model and made initial suggestions.
“He was experienced with Microsoft Azure. After we started discussions with him, he moved to Data#3. He provided a lot of really good ideas around platform design to make our operations more efficient. We had been working with him for several years and we wanted to continue that relationship.”
After careful evaluation, ISS followed Data#3’s recommendation for a Microsoft Azure environment, first instating one instance of the ISS software, then provisioning more until the solution hosted all customers. Microsoft Azure backup and DR, as well as several Microsoft Azure security and management features were put to work to help the ISS team work efficiently.
“It was a reasonably quick transition by technology standards, taking six months from our first proof of concept discussions, through commitment and implementation. We canvassed our biggest clients to see if there were any issues for them to move to the new environment, especially in terms of security. Their primary concern was where their data would reside.
“We sandbox tested with a couple of our biggest clients, migrated some smaller clients, then lastly the bigger organisations over a period of eight months.”
The solution included expertise from a Data#3 cloud specialist, so that ISS would always be positioned to work proactively and able to get the most form the Microsoft Azure platform, while managing costs effectively.
“We’re leveraging our Data#3 cloud specialist as our platform manager. We monitor the day-to-day ourselves, and he does general housekeeping a couple of times a month to ensure updates are installed. He also talks us through new security features we might be interested in. This input is invaluable to us – we’re a small company and can handle tasks ourselves but can’t do everything in-house. This arrangement gives us access to the wider resources of Data#3 when we need it.”
Rickward has stated that the flexibility of the Microsoft Azure platform has already impressed ISS clients, given the speed and cost-effectiveness of rolling out the custom app that the company is known for. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“One client in the aviation industry initially wanted to run the app in-house. They went to their IT department, who quoted six figures for the new servers, and managing and monitoring those assets. We can spin up a dedicated host for them and provide continuous access to data. It was one fifth of the cost that their internal IT would have needed.
“They would have had to go through getting budget approval, which would have taken 12 months, but being a pay-as-you-go model, it was signed off within a week.”
Microsoft invests around $1 billion (USD) each year on Microsoft Azure security, with developers designing solutions for the modern threat landscape where organisations face an increasingly sophisticated barrage of attacks. Rickward said that this timely boost to security is “absolutely a plus”, with the shift to the secure online platform reducing risk for ISS and its clients.
“It is a valuable part of the solution without a shadow of a doubt. Before, every thin client had its own port, so there were multiple ports facing the world. By changing, customers now have web access through a firewall, with only one single point of entry. When you look at it from a security risk point of view, it is considerably better than before, and our customers stay safer.”
The transition for customers went smoothly, causing no disruption and earning praise for the improved ISS offering after the shift to Microsoft Azure.
“Their lives got easier without having to run the thin client. The cutover was seamless, and the users had their familiar app, they weren’t seeing any difference except that they just had to use a hyperlink instead of clicking an icon on their desktop.”
As a technology business itself, ISS places considerable importance on finding solutions that keep its lead position in its competitive market.
“We can stay at the forefront of technology, always using the latest and greatest, as opposed to buying hardware that becomes obsolete in a month, which then becomes a patch job. Moving to the Microsoft Azure platform means we can stay at the front of the curve, in turn giving our customers the best outcomes,” described Rickward.
This progress is aided by sharing knowledge, with the Data#3 Azure expert helping the small ISS team to gain confidence in the new platform. Rickward is happy that the business has benefitted from someone with enormous depth of Azure experience.
“He has done quite a bit of work with our internal team on things like day-to-day monitoring and firewalls. He’s helped our team to completely understand what to look for, and how to achieve compliance.
“It has been a game-changer for us, and we look at it as a partnership arrangement. Given what the Data#3 Azure expert has delivered us, it is a lot more capability than we would otherwise have, and we’ve gained a lot more capability in-house with him there.”
That capability extends to helping ISS respond to requests for tenders. Rickward said that the ability to access expertise helps to show prospective corporate and government clients that ISS has the capability needed when providing such a critical service.
“The advantage of dealing with a technology company like Data#3 is that if we don’t have specific expertise in-house, we know we have it through them. When we’re bidding on some contracts, it gives us more credibility to have that support, especially in the government space. We do a lot of work for government and from a security point of view, if we’re working with an organisation that is already approved, it makes for a more seamless transition, and we don’t have to delay delivery getting approvals.”
For customers, the Microsoft Azure platform raises the bar for custom solutions. ISS can now offer shared platforms, where customers’ individual environments are logically separated, and where customers prefer, dedicated platforms can be quickly provided. The ability to store data in their own or an approved jurisdiction has proven to be essential.
“Microsoft Azure provides more flexibility, allowing us to do more for our clients with specific requirements. For example, for legal or regulatory reasons, clients may need to ensure their data is stored in a particular jurisdiction. With Microsoft Azure we know we can provide that assurance and have them covered.”
It has been a game-changer for us, and we look at it as a partnership arrangement. Given what the Data#3 Azure expert has delivered us, it is a lot more capability than we would otherwise have.
David Rickward – Commercial Director, International Safety Systems
Although Rickward said that any major change in delivery method had the “potential to be traumatic”, he was clear that with the right team in place, it didn’t have to be.
“My advice is simple: find someone who totally understands what you do. Data#3 was very good in terms of what we were trying to achieve and that understanding meant we were able to map it out together – it was truly a collaborative experience. In terms of understanding the platform and how to manage disaster recovery, that was important.
“The transition itself should be made straightforward – taking the environment off the existing platform and moving it into the cloud. However, there are so many tricks to managing Microsoft Azure well with the right security around it, it’s essential to engage with an experienced consulting firm.
You might be tempted to do it yourself, but you will end up saving money and getting a better result with the right partner. When I filled out the customer satisfaction survey, I gave it a 10 out of 10. One hundred percent!”
Ultimately, the solution was measured by ISS against the benefits and service levels they were able to provide to their valued customers around the world. The switch to the Microsoft Azure platform has been deemed a success.
“The most outstanding part of the project is the improved reliability; we have had no unscheduled downtime because of the way the platform is set up. When we did have minor issues, we were able to failover to backup systems without service interruption. The service delivery has been outstanding,” concluded Rickward.
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July 11, 2024; Brisbane, Australia: Leading Australian technology services and solutions provider, Data#3, is proud to announce the ribbon-cutting and launch event of a new state-of-the-art Security Operations Centre (SOC) located at the Data#3 Head Office based in Brisbane.
This new service is powered by SecurityHQ, an esteemed global cyber security company and a renowned international SOC provider, exemplifying the pinnacle of cyber security excellence. Together, SecurityHQ and Data#3 demonstrate a joint commitment to delivering unparalleled security solutions that meet the highest standards of data protection and sovereignty.
Brad Colledge, CEO and Managing Director of Data#3 expressed his enthusiasm for the new facility: “The opening of this SOC marks a significant milestone in our journey to provide unparalleled security services to our customers. Security remains the top priority for business and technology leaders, and with the ever-increasing threat landscape, this facility is another strategic investment towards alleviating the burden on IT teams. It allows them to focus on transformation projects and shaping their digital future.”
Richard Dornhart, National Security Practice Manager at Data#3, added: “Organisations today must balance limited resources with the relentless pace of market disruption. Our Managed SOC services represent a competitive advantage for our customers, driving digital transformation without distractions. We see this as an opportunity to help our customers improve service delivery, increase agility, and extend service coverage, all while significantly reducing ICT risk.”
“The unveiling of the new next-generation SOC is a testament to the strong partnership between SecurityHQ and Data#3, and underscores each of our commitment to serving as an extension of our Australian and Queensland customers’ IT and Security teams. Together, we help provide the essential elements these teams need to protect their organisations – time and insights. SecurityHQ already provides a 62% lower noise-to-signal ratio than leading competitors, and this further investment will only help to increase this gap in the region,” said Feras Tappuni, CEO at SecurityHQ.
“The presence of SecurityHQ representatives at this momentous occasion underscores the importance of this collaboration to provide a service that meets the specific needs of Australian businesses. We are excited to open this SOC and bring such a valuable service to Queensland and Australia,” concluded Dornhart.
Data#3’s Managed Cyber Security services deliver relentless protection, swiftly identifying and mitigating security incidents around the clock, with 24/7 threat monitoring, detection, and response. Data#3 has one of the most mature and highly accredited security teams in Australia. By leveraging its expert cyber security specialists, and trusted partner SecurityHQ, the team deliver unparalleled visibility and protection against cyber threats.
