ADC - An innovative StartUp at heart

Ever since Australian Data Centres came into the market in 2010, and its subsequent commissioning to operational status in 2014, it has remained at the forefront of Australia’s data centre industry. ADC has matured as one of the nation’s leading data security facilities – the crowning achievement of its founders.

As with all successful ventures, it started with a shared vision, borne from many years developing, innovating and successfully commercialising what was then Australia’s most sophisticated data centre in Sydney. The vision was to pioneer a purpose-built and sovereign facility for Canberra.

Prior to 2010, Australia’s nascent data centre market was grappling with a relatively immature and complacent client base. The market had many players supplying various levels of service and many user organisations operating mission critical systems reliant on internal data protection infrastructures.

These facilities varied widely in capacities, security and redundancies. Many of these, particularly those that had originated out of legacy corporate real estate strategies, presented users with more challenges and liabilities than viable disaster recovery and business continuance options and assurances. ADC founders had the vision for something different.

The tragic and catastrophic events such as the 9/11 terror attacks, tsunamis and other natural and man-made disasters spurred regulators, users, and technologists to take action, re-evaluate and reprioritise their information management and operational contingencies.

The founders were initiated into the burgeoning Australian data centre industry in response to this security conscious market. They assisted organisations in the development and prosecution of viable infrastructure protection strategies. It was this energy that propelled ADC to life.

Canberra. A Federal Vision

In 2009, after journeying from blueprints to roof-top client functions on Sydney’s glittering harbour, the founders raised glasses to their success in creating a sought-after data centre that occupied an inner-city block. It was then that the founders began to seriously consider the data centre requirements of the nation’s capital.

Comprehensive research and development provided a compelling business case for a credible, telco-independent, state-of-the-art facility, in an unencumbered location, with full critical power redundancy.

They knew delivering their vision was going to be a formidable task. They returned to the drawing boards and blueprints. Millions of investment dollars were sought and secured. Numerous sites around Canberra were considered and evaluated. Leading-edge infrastructure and plant equipment from around the world were sourced and installed.

In less than four years the vision became a reality. Our founders delivered the Australian Data Centres (ADC) facility that went above and beyond the brief.

It incorporated advanced environmental engineering and offered government organisations and private enterprises efficiencies and economic benefits rarely seen in what many still considered to be a sunrise industry.

Commercialising the operation began in earnest with Megan James assuming the title of General Manager and working to getting the facility endorsed by the Government as being of sufficiently high standards for doing business with statutory agencies and organisations. After gaining Government endorsement and admission to the Data Centre Supplies Panel, expectations were high that the innovations and efficiencies of the facility would attract significant business opportunities.

To date ADC’s successes have come from leading blue chip private and independent organisations as well as the Federal Government who have been attracted to the facility because of the professionalism of its managerial and technical staff and the quality of its infrastructure.

This infrastructure and expertise remains unique in the Australian data centre industry as the nation’s only 100% privately Australian owned data centre facility. ADC keeps data and critical infrastructure safe and secure on our Australian shores. It is the only such operation owned and operated by Canberra locals.

It’s this sovereignty that plays a vital and crucial role when applied to today’s volatile climate of sophisticated security threats and data risk.

ADC is the first and only Australian data centre to have a female Chief Executive Officer at the helm. With her wealth and knowledge as a founder of the very vision that created what exists today, Megan James continues to secure innovative, agile and smart solutions for our clients everyday. For more on Megan, click here.