SoftIron, a software defined and enterprise data storage provider, has launched its new Advanced Manufacturing Facility at Botany in Sydney. It is thought to be Australia’s first component-level manufacturing facility for IT infrastructure, and it will move the nation one step closer to creating its first sovereign capability in the area of critical technology.
Officials from the federal, state, and IT industries, as well as members of the SoftIron leadership team, attended the event to officially launch the new Advanced Manufacturing Facility, which was headed by Matt Thistlethwaite, the Assistant Minister for Defense and local representative for Kingsford Smith.
The launch of the facility is claimed to position Australia well in relation to the AUKUS agreement, which will result in a considerable amount of information exchange between the US, the UK, and Australia, as well as its industry partners.
Additionally, the facility will serve as the first hub for innovative manufacturing in Australia and produce ICT components for SoftIron’s HyperCloud Intelligent Cloud Fabric.
SoftIron manufactures and assembles all of its own equipment, specializing in minimizing IT security threats while providing its clients with a distinctive security verification process.
By manufacturing locally, SoftIron says it can work to successfully eliminate the risk of malicious state actors introducing firmware implants or so-called “backdoors’’ into critical information systems.
According to Jason Van der Schyff, SoftIron Chief Operating Officer, recent occurrences have demonstrated that the only reliable method for Australian IT providers to control their commercial and strategic risk was to onshore or “friend-shore” ICT supply chains. The deteriorating strategic environment and recent geopolitical events have also revealed significant flaws in international supply chains, notably in the field of critical technologies.
Moreover, their reliance on foreign-produced componentry has increased the danger of malevolent state actors adding hidden hardware or firmware during the production process, which is in addition to exposing Australian enterprises to an intolerable business risk.
He adds that Softiron is dedicated to maintaining its transparency in terms of the design and production processes. SoftIron provides complete transparency of the design and production of hardware and software supply chains in its HyperCloud IT infrastructure, in contrast to manufacturers who rely on opaque supply chains for their componentry.
Select SoftIron clients can audit products from end to end to make sure they are delivered exactly as designed and stipulated through a verification process called Secure Provenance. The approach makes HyperCloud the perfect choice for businesses, the government, and defense groups who are particularly concerned about safeguarding sensitive data.
Van der Schyff further stated that with programs like the Chips Act, other Western countries like the United States are moving toward supply chain security in the field of critical technology. By seeing the impending problem and developing the resources to address it, SoftIron is a step ahead of the curve in Australia.
Along with its ongoing partnership with the Australian Government, SoftIron currently counts Baidam Solutions, Deep Recognition, JEM Computer Systems, NCI Australia, Real World Technologies, and Servers Australia among its local clients and channel partners.