Darwin company opens 'tropical cloud'

The company’s Darwin-based data centre, whilst small in scale, services businesses throughout the Northern Territory using the latest virtual server research from VMware.

Launch event at the company’s data centre

Speaking at a launch event at the company’s data centre, Area 9 innovation director Chris Coleman said the service struck a balance between the flexibility of the cloud model and the convenience of local sales and service.

"Cloud computing can enable you to use IT without the expense of buying new servers and software every three years or so," he said.

The Northern Territory

"Your systems are managed here in the Northern Territory, and the service desk is here in the Northern Territory. So when you’ve got a problem, you’re not going to get on the phone to a faceless large organisation that gives you a recorded message saying you’re call is important to us - you get a real person with real skills that will solve your problem, real quick."

Duncan Bennett, managing director of VMware Australia said Area 9's technical prowess bettered far larger service provides nationally and internationally. He travelled to an official opening event for Area 9's cloud computing service to experience the company's first "tropical cloud".

"Area 9 is the third service provider out of 400 to be certified vCloud powered," he said. "Research doesn’t have geographic boundaries."

Northern Territory Minister for Business and Employment Rob Knight was as well on-hand at the event. He said he hoped the cloud computing services could help "make the Territory's businesses more competitive and give them capacity to expand.

"Our businesses need as much support as they can get," he said. "We aren’t embarking just on the national scene as a destination for business however on the international scene."

The beauty of cloud computing

He said the beauty of cloud computing was that he could focus exclusively on delivering his services to customers to put it more exactly than being concerned with IT.

Coleman said Area 9 was interested in acquiring a vBlock all-in-one cloud computing stack, nevertheless had an existing relationship with Dell which made it far more economical and scalable to continue using the lower cost servers as part of its hosted offering.

The Darwin data centre is connected via both Telstra

The Darwin data centre is connected via both Telstra and Amcom fibre, nevertheless will offer NextGen Networks fibre once the Federal Government's regional broadband blackspot program reaches the Top End.