NextDC Canberra facility to host first AWS Direct Connect in the area

Australian co-location provider NextDC and AWS have announced that NextDC's C1 Canberra data centre will host AWS Direct Connect, the first in Canberra.

Canberra-based AWS’ customers can access Direct Connect through a cross connect service at C1, enabling NextDC customers to fully integrate their cloud services and internal applications into a hybrid cloud deployment. This will allow applications and workloads to be moved as needed between private, public and on-premises platforms.

Bega-based AWS partner 2pi Software director Liam O'Duibhir said: "This is welcome news for regional ICT service providers like 2pi Software in Bega. High-skill devops-savvy system administrators and software engineers can capitalise on the full suite of AWS infrastructure deployment, automation, monitoring and security tools to manage large global operations from a rural idyll near George Mountain, or looking out over the Bermagui coastline."

According to O'Duibhir, tech companies in rural and regional NSW and ACT will be able to leverage AWS's full suite of services.

Craig Scroggie, NextDC chief executive, said: "AWS Direct Connect adds to the services NextDC already provides to government agencies under the Data Centre Facilities Supplies Panel. Connectivity to the protected ICON [intra government communications network] is available at C1, allowing government agencies to connect to C1 for their data centre needs and securely access a host of additional cloud services, such as AWS."

AWS Direct Connect provides an alternative to using the public internet to access AWS cloud services by establishing private, low latency network connections to help increase the performance, reliability and security of their AWS applications and workloads.  

Andrew Phillips, AWS Australia and New Zealand public sector country manager, said: "The launch of the AWS Direct Connect service out of NextDC 's Canberra data centre will enable our federal and ACT government customers to connect the hyper-scale AWS Cloud and run synchronous replication across independent zones, helping to ensure government data is managed securely - with high resilience.

"This announcement is also great news for the Australian IT community as it will play a key role in enabling better services and access to a skills base that is wider than ever before," Phillips said.

C1 Canberra is the fourth AWS Direct Connect point of presence in Australia and the second outside Sydney. NextDC's M1 facility in Melbourne was the first point of presence outside Sydney, going live in November 2016.

Global Switch and Equinix SY3 provide Direct Connect point of access in Sydney.