Braze strengthens ANZ presence with data centre, HQ launch

Braze has announced strategic investments in Australia and New Zealand, including the establishment of a new data centre in Sydney and a new headquarters.

The customer engagement platform is deepening its commitment to the ANZ market which it has identified as a significant area of growth within the Asia-Pacific region. These developments are driven by partnerships with prominent brands such as Wesfarmers, Canva, REA Group, David Jones, and Cashrewards.

The newly launched Sydney-based data centre, hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), aims to offer clients the flexibility to meet various internal policies, business needs, and data residency requirements. This setup intends to empower businesses by enabling local data storage, reducing risks, and fostering customer trust through adherence to best practices.

Lewis Barnes, General Manager Australia & Senior Director, Customer Success at Braze, expressed the importance of this development, stating, "Australia stands at the forefront of digital innovation and evolving privacy standards. Our new Sydney data centre and ANZ headquarters are a direct response to the unique needs of the Australian market. We're not only providing the robust, local infrastructure that can support data sovereignty, but we're also empowering our clients to drive customer engagement and growth in an increasingly competitive landscape. Our investment here underscores our belief in Australia's potential and our commitment to supporting its digital transformation."

Braze's new data centre, designed for high capacity and robust performance, will offer local storage and real-time data processing capabilities for a range spanning from a small to a large user base. By retaining customer data within Australian borders, the centre aims to better meet consumer expectations regarding data privacy and sovereignty, while also enhancing engagement strategies for businesses.

Alongside the data centre, Braze has inaugurated its new ANZ headquarters in a 12,500 sq. ft. office located in the Sydney Central Business District (CBD). This new office underscores Braze's milestone in regional growth and is part of the expansion of its team, now consisting of 70 professionals spread across Melbourne, Queensland, and Sydney.

Commenting on the new facilities, Shahid Nizami, Vice President, Asia Pacific & GCC, emphasised the significance of these investments: "The launch of our new data center in Australia is a major milestone for Braze and a testament to our strong commitment to the Australian market. Australia is a key player in our APAC operations, and we're dedicated to providing our Australian customers with the best possible experience. This data center should enhance performance, support data sovereignty, and enable us to better serve the growing demand for our customer engagement platform in the region. We're excited to continue investing in Australia and empowering our customers to build stronger connections with their audiences."

The announcement of these facilities follows Braze's acquisition of local reseller NorthStar in June 2023. Since then, Braze has reported significant growth in the region, spurred on by an increased demand for improved data security and customer engagement solutions.