Australian data centre will help local companies keep critical agreement data onshore

In highly regulated industries like the public sector, healthcare and financial services, secure data handling and storage is paramount. How can organisations in these industries achieve their digital transformation goals while staying compliant with stringent data regulations? 

It can often boil down to the availability of local data centres.

Local data centres play a crucial role in helping organisations meet data residency requirements, providing a physical and legal framework for storing and managing data within a country’s borders. Docusign has just announced plans to expand its Australian data centre in the fourth quarter of this year.

The new data centre expands Docusign’s Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform capabilities in Australia, adding Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) to our existing regional eSignature and agreement services , empowering organisations across the public and private sectors to keep critical agreement data onshore – while giving them faster access to Docusign’s powerful suite of end-to-end agreement solutions. 

It’s great news for organisations in industries that need to comply with local privacy laws and industry regulations. These can include:

• Healthcare. As one of the most heavily regulated sectors, there are strict rules mandating that all data related to the My Health Record system – including backups – must be stored and handled exclusively within Australia. State and territory health privacy acts may also impose additional, similar requirements for other health information.

• Government and public sector. Australian government departments and agencies, at both the federal and state levels, are typically required to store sensitive government data on Australian soil. This is a crucial measure for national security and to ensure that government information is not subject to foreign laws or access.

• Financial services: The Consumer Data Right (CDR), which is active in the banking sector and expanding to other financial services, has strict data security and residency rules. While it doesn’t necessarily mandate that data must be kept onshore, it’s up to financial institutions to obtain explicit, informed consent from consumers before transferring their data overseas. Then there are the standards set by regulators like the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), which impose strict requirements around the control and security of data.

• Critical infrastructure: Organisations in sectors that relate to Australia’s social or economic well-being, national defence, and security – such as communications, energy, and higher education – are required to protect business-critical data. Again, data residency isn’t necessarily mandated, but it’s strongly encouraged. 

For businesses in these industries, the implications are clear: you must not only know where your data is stored but also who has access to it and under what legal framework. If you don’t comply, you could face severe penalties, hefty fines and reputational damage. 

As our CEO Allan Thygesen says, “Regulated Australian businesses and government agencies are asking for strong data protection and compliance as they increasingly move to digital platforms. Our local data centre will give customers greater confidence that their information is secure and managed according to local standards, while enabling them to access innovation and productivity gains faster than ever before.”

It’s a win-win, and we look forward to supporting Australian organisations with their digital sovereignty goals.