Interactive has introduced Interactive Private Cloud, a sovereign, AI-ready private cloud platform aimed at providing Australian organisations with greater control over their infrastructure and addressing concerns around cost, compliance, and the increasing complexity of public cloud solutions.

The platform launch follows an environment in which many enterprises are reviewing their use of public cloud services, often returning workloads to on-premises or private configurations. Research from ADAPT indicates that one in four organisations are repatriating workloads from public cloud to address cost, compliance, and control requirements. In addition, 69 per cent of infrastructure leaders are focused on cost optimisation measures.

Market context

The introduction of Interactive Private Cloud comes as businesses seek more predictable and transparent infrastructure options, particularly in light of sustained, high-performance compute demands such as those driven by artificial intelligence projects.

“Today’s IT leaders are stuck with inflexible infrastructure and providers, and under pressure to deliver AI outcomes without the right foundation. Our Private Cloud is designed to change this landscape, combining the agility of public cloud with the assurance of sovereign AI infrastructure,” said David Leen, Head of Cloud at Interactive.

The new platform differs from traditional private cloud solutions by replicating the scalability and flexibility typically associated with public cloud offerings, but within a more controlled and compliant environment. Interactive Private Cloud supports hybrid cloud models and long-term organisational innovation, providing an onshore solution for businesses concerned about sovereignty and security issues.

Industry perspectives

According to Gabby Fredkin, Head of Analytics and Insights at ADAPT, the technology demands placed on infrastructure, engineering, and architecture leaders are increasing, especially as hybrid and multi-cloud adoption grows. Fredkin explained, “Hybrid and multi-cloud complexity is increasing, and this reinforces the need for better workload placement and architecture aligned to business outcomes.”

Interactive Private Cloud is designed to help organisations balance their requirements for agility, cost, and security. Features of the platform include advanced cooling strategies aimed at efficient high-performance computing, cost predictability to help manage budgets, and adherence to compliance and security mandates.

AI-ready infrastructure

Leen noted the challenges businesses face when deploying AI workloads on public cloud infrastructure, particularly when projects transition from experimentation to production. “Public cloud is a great place for experimentation, but it’s not always where you want to productionise AI,” said Leen. “When sustained, high-performance compute demands cause costs to balloon, many AI business cases start to unravel. Our AI-ready private cloud gives organisations a smarter alternative: the compute, control and transparency the need to scale AI responsibly.”

Dan Cox, Chief Technology Officer at Interactive, explained that the platform addresses customer calls for more adaptable, cost-effective infrastructure. “Traditional workloads are increasingly strained by data demands, and organisations are increasingly scrutinising where and how their data is stored from both performance and compliance standpoints. At the same time, they’re trying to extract greater value from existing technology investments while balancing competing priorities across their businesses. If customers can receive an AI enabled cloud experience that can be deployed on prem, for 30% cheaper than a hyperscaler, that is game changing in today’s market conditions.”

Sovereignty and strategy

Interactive has positioned its Private Cloud offering as part of a broader move towards providing long-term, purpose-driven collaboration with customers and partners. The launch coincides with the company’s Unite28 strategy and complements the Interactive Anywhere solution, both aimed at managing workloads consistently across a range of environments.

The company stated that the launch reflects ongoing investment in sovereign capability, skills development, and sustainable infrastructure within Australia. Leen said, “Being a trusted service provider today goes beyond delivering technology. It’s about sharing in the customer’s challenges and building solutions that deliver real value. Interactive Private Cloud is designed to give Australian organisations the control, resilience and flexibility to focus on what matters most.”