ASX-listed construction firm taps Macquarie for Azure expertise

Melbourne-based construction company Symal Group has selected Macquarie Cloud Services for Microsoft Azure expertise, including artificial intelligence capabilities, and to support continued business growth.

The ASX-listed company appointed Macquarie Technology Group to provide Azure public cloud services, helping to establish a digital foundation that aligns with Symal's rapid expansion plans.

The partnership has already delivered cost savings, including a 10 per cent reduction in Microsoft subscriptions and the optimisation of underutilised cloud resources. Symal has also benefitted from improved commercial discounts on Azure consumption and the deployment of cloud-native monitoring, which has reduced infrastructure downtime.

Trent Dawson, general manager IT and systems at Symal Group, said the company needed a partner that could match its digital ambition and technical expertise.

"We've been moving at pace, and we needed a new partner who could keep up and match our digital ambition and expertise," Dawson said.

"It became very clear that Macquarie Cloud Services' team had what it takes – their experience in managing Azure DevOps environments which we have, the AI foundations and developments they've made as a company, and really walking the talk of customer service."

Founded in Melbourne in 2001, Symal Group is now focusing heavily on building AI capabilities within its Azure environment, including large language models through Microsoft Copilot, custom AI agents, and innovative data applications aimed at improving construction project efficiency and reducing risk.

"The construction sector has lagged behind in technology and innovation for so long, but in the last few years we're seeing a drastic shift and more impactful digital services being offered and created," Dawson said.

"AI can't construct buildings, but it can dramatically improve efficiency, forecasting, collaboration, and lower costs for construction companies and customers," Naran McClung, head of Azure at Macquarie Cloud Services, said.