CareSuper Opts for Major Azure Cloud Shift
This high‑stakes move follows a wave of 'repatriation from AWS' driven by increasing costs and architectural constraints. Macquarie's head of Azure, Naran McClung, describes the strategy as more than simply 'moving away' from AWS—it's about 'moving forward', delivering a future‑ready platform aligned with long-term operational goals.
CareSuper's chief technology officer, Simon Reiter, emphasises the transformation is designed to optimise operations and deliver sustainable value, not just immediate savings. He notes decisions must serve members 'not just today, but five years from now', and asserts Macquarie's combined delivery and managed service capabilities were a crucial factor.
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Macquarie Cloud Services has agreed to assume full risk for the migration, committing to zero upfront cost for CareSuper and taking accountability for the success of the project. The full risk model underscores the vendor's confidence and aligns incentives around outcomes and operational maturity.
A central feature of the engagement is Macquarie's Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Services Provider status, held for four consecutive years—a distinction shared by only a few providers in the Asia‑Pacific region. McClung highlights that the Azure team has grown by approximately 20 percent annually since 2020, underscoring both internal investment and evolving client needs.
Regulatory, security and efficiency trends are reshaping superannuation technology strategies. Larger cloud providers increasingly offer edge and localised zones to meet data sovereignty demands. Azure's strengths in compliance for industries such as finance and superannuation, particularly in Australia, likely influenced CareSuper's decision.
Operationally, the project spans beyond straightforward lift‑and‑shift migration. Macquarie will modernise databases for cloud-native performance, leverage PaaS services to reduce complexity, and deploy edge‑local Azure offerings to lower latency and enhance local resilience.
Industry analysts view Macquarie's risk‑assumption model as a possible new benchmark. Aligning provider incentives more closely with client outcomes may foster improved delivery and tighter project governance. However, terms must be carefully structured to prevent scope reductions or quality compromise, and to ensure future cost structures are transparent.
Strategically, Azure's hybrid cloud and edge capabilities offer super funds a path to innovation—supporting machine learning, real‑time analytics and next-generation services. Macquarie's role extends to delivering 24/7 support, governance, security monitoring and roadmap guidance, enabling CareSuper to focus on member‑centric developments rather than infrastructure upkeep.
Some super funds remain cautious, weighing dependency on single hyperscalers against sovereign and security concerns. Hybrid cloud architectures and managed service partners like Macquarie aim to provide a middle ground: the agility of the cloud, localised resilience, and expert oversight by a domestic provider.
The migration, covering hundreds of applications and petabytes of data, presents a significant technical challenge. Successful execution will hinge on rigorous discovery, workload mapping, integration planning and real‑time adaptation—capabilities Macquarie claims to possess.
This pivot to Azure is emblematic of broader Australian enterprise trends. Cost management, customisation limits and lock‑in risks have prompted organisations to reassess their AWS investments. A pivot to hybrid Azure landscapes, combined with domestic partners, is emerging as a strategic alternative.
CareSuper and Macquarie plan a phased migration commencing immediately, designed to minimise disruption while transitioning over months. The fund expects operational efficiencies, increased agility and stronger compliance assurance once the modernised cloud environment is fully in production.
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