TAFE NSW inks $87m Microsoft renewal

TAFE NSW is to spend $87 million on Microsoft cloud and digital services over the next three years under a renewed enterprise licence agreement.

The new contract will cover the vocational training provider’s Microsoft software licences and Azure cloud infrastructure until May 31 2028.

A TAFE NSW spokesperson confirmed to iTnews that Microsoft Copilot would not form part of the new agreement.

“The primary outcome of this agreement is to ensure continuity of critical digital infrastructure to satisfy stakeholder and business requirements, supporting the broader TAFE NSW digital strategy," the spokesperson said.

The licences will be delivered through IT services provider Insight Enterprise.

TAFE NSW began using the provider for Microsoft licences in 2017 [pdf], three years after its separation from the NSW Department of Education. 

TAFE NSW began its transition to Azure in February 2020, adopting cloud-based services such as Power BI as part of a broader digital transformation strategy.

In 2023, Microsoft and TAFE NSW also announced the launch of a ‘data centre academy', an initiative aimed at preparing students for roles in cloud and infrastructure technology.

Meanwhile, last week’s NSW budget allocated $342.7 million in capital funding to TAFE NSW, ensuring “ongoing funding certainty” across a range of programs.

Among these is the TAFE digital access foundation, a program focused on upgrading digital infrastructure in regions experiencing “digital disadvantage”.