I am pleased to announced that AGIMO has entered into two Consortium Arrangement Agreements (CAAs) under the Whole-of-Government Data Centre Facilities Panel (Panel).

The Panel was established in 2011 via an open tender process. Using the Government’s collective purchasing power, the Panel provides access to high quality data centre facilities. Government agencies benefit from better pricing and contract terms, and not having to approach the market themselves. An approved data centre supplier benefits by entering a small number of long term contracts with the Government.

The minimum requirements, for a lease for data centre facilities to be entered into, under the deed is 500m2 of data centre space and/or 500kw of power supply for a 10 year period. These minimums were established as the points where the Government is benefitting from its coordinated buying power.

To facilitate the use of the Panel by agencies with smaller data centre requirements, AGIMO has implemented a process where AGIMO will enter into a CAA with a panelist under which agencies can execute an Agreement for Lease (AFL). The AFL allows agencies to begin to occupy a facility while AGIMO coordinate additional agencies to build a consortium that meets the minimum requirements to enter into a lease under the head agreement.

AGIMO has entered into CAAs with the following panelists:

• Canberra Data Centres (CDC); and
• TransACT Capital Communications (TransACT).

The Department of Finance and Deregulation and ComSuper have become the first agencies to enter into AFLs under the TransACT and CDC CAAs respectively, with several other agencies looking to establish AFLs soon.

AGIMO is responsible for building consortia for agencies that are unable to meet the minimum requirements.

AGIMO has worked closely with the two panelists in the establishment of these CAAs and appreciates their ongoing commitment to the Data Centre Strategy.

For more information on the Panel please visit www.finance.gov.au or contact DataCentres@finance.gov.au.