AGD sets end-of-year deadline for Microsoft 365 rollout

The Attorney-General's Department (AGD) is planning to complete its rollout of a foundational Microsoft 365 architecture by the end of 2025, as part of an ongoing digital transformation program.

The latest stage of the initiative centres on establishing an information architecture to support Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, layered on top of the department’s expanding Azure and cloud environments.

The department confirmed it plans to complete the migration to Microsoft 365 in two overlapping phases starting September 2025.

In a statement to iTnews, the department said that adopting Microsoft 365 would "enable AGD to be well placed to consider AI-enhanced tools such as Copilot.”

“AGD continues to monitor and respond to the changing technology environment to support improvements to the way we work,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“Staff productivity is one of the key drivers for the adoption, which will be delivered through increased automation of information governance.

"The resulting consistency of an information architecture will provide a basis for the adoption of future technologies.”

Once the foundational architecture has been established, the AGD said it will then focus on "specific business units' architecture soon thereafter".

In its Data Strategy 2025-2027 [pdf], the AGD said one of its key outcomes is that technology and infrastructure “facilitate advanced data analytics, data science and data governance while supporting the adoption of fit-for-purpose and secure AI and machine learning tools”.

The department has also established an AI Unit to “engage across government” on its AI adoption and capability, the report revealed. 

Meanwhile, AGD also outlined plans to reduce the outsourcing of core ICT and digital functions [pdf] in the last financial year. 

This will include cutting $1.89 million in outsourcing expenditure related to core ICT, digital solutions, and technical services compared to the previous financial year.