What Microsoft's $5b investment in Australia will bring

Microsoft will bolster its partnership with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and launch its first Datacentre Academy as part of its A$5 billion investment in the country announced yesterday.

The investment will expand Microsoft's hyperscale cloud computing and AI infrastructure in Australia over the next two years, marking the single largest investment in its forty-year history in the country.

As part of Microsoft's commitment to support an additional 300,000 Australians via its global skills program, the company is working with TAFE NSW to establish a Microsoft Datacentre Academy in Australia by early 2024.

The academy’s curriculum will align with core operational roles, including those of data centre technicians, critical environment specialists, inventory and asset management professionals, and IT operations personnel.

“The Tech Council of Australia welcomes this substantial investment in Australia’s digital infrastructure, this investment is critical to creating jobs and opportunity in Australia," its CEO Kate Pounder said.

"The TCA has a shared goal with the Australian Government of having 1.2 million people in tech jobs in Australia by 2030.”

Microsoft will also collaborate with the ASD on an initiative called the Microsoft-Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Shield (MACS).

The partnership will see Microsoft work with ASD to built cybersecurity solutions aimed at improving protection from cyber threats for Australian residents, businesses and government entities.

MACS will include the evolution of national threat intelligence sharing capabilities, with a focus on detecting, analysing and defending against sophisticated nation-state cyber threats.

"This announcement builds on ASD’s strong partnership with Microsoft and will turbocharge our collective capacity to protect Australians in cyber space,” ASD director-general Rachel Noble said.

Microsoft's investment will also see it expand its Australian data centre footprint from 20 sites to a total of 29 spread across Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.

The company said the new data centres will help meet its sustainability goals of being carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.

This includes using low-carbon materials during construction, as well as using renewable energy, advanced water-cooling features and measures to decrease diesel fuel use during operation.