Outdated systems in the public sector

National Disability Services (NDS), Australia’s leading organisation for non-government disability service providers, was facing mounting challenges with its digital infrastructure. Their website, essential for policy advocacy, member engagement, and information dissemination, was built on an outdated Joomla platform hosted by a third-party provider. This outdated system resulted in slow performance, security vulnerabilities, and limited scalability—critical shortcomings for an organisation operating within the public sector.
With these issues threatening their ability to serve over 1000 member organisations effectively, NDS recognised the need for a comprehensive overhaul of their digital infrastructure.

Leveraging public sector expertise

To address these challenges, NDS needed a partner who not only understood the technical requirements but also had experience in the public sector’s unique regulatory environment. PolarSeven, an AWS Public Sector Partner with a strong track record in cloud migration and management, was the ideal choice. Their deep understanding of the public sector’s compliance needs and their expertise in AWS services positioned them perfectly to support NDS in this critical transformation.

A tailored secure migration for NDS

Discovery and planning

  • PolarSeven kicked off the project with a comprehensive discovery phase. This involved detailed assessments and workshops to thoroughly understand NDS’s existing Joomla environment, including its architecture, third-party integrations, and specific public sector compliance requirements. By identifying pain points such as security vulnerabilities, performance bottlenecks, and outdated technology stacks, PolarSeven crafted a customised migration plan tailored to NDS’s needs.
  • The proposed solution centred around a modern AWS architecture that would provide enhanced security, scalability, and flexibility. This new design included using AWS EC2 for hosting the website, RDS for managing databases, S3 for efficient storage and backups, and CloudFront for optimised content delivery.

Migration and deployment

  • The migration process was carefully managed to minimise downtime and disruption. PolarSeven’s team of AWS experts executed a phased migration, starting with setting up the new AWS environment according to best practices. This included configuring EC2 instances for optimal performance, implementing RDS for robust database management, and using S3 and CloudFront for storage and content delivery.
  • Special attention was given to security, a top priority for any public sector organisation. PolarSeven integrated AWS’s Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Security Hub to provide a multi-layered security approach, safeguarding NDS’s digital assets against potential threats. Extensive testing was conducted at every stage to ensure the new environment met all functional, performance, and security requirements.

Ongoing support and optimisation

  • Post-migration, PolarSeven provided continuous support to ensure the AWS environment remained secure, efficient, and compliant with evolving public sector standards. This included proactive monitoring for any potential security threats, regular updates and patching, and performance tuning to optimise resource usage. By delivering detailed regular reports on performance, security, and cost management, PolarSeven ensured that NDS had full visibility into their new environment’s health and efficiency.

A secure scalable future for NDS

The successful migration to AWS has transformed NDS’s digital capabilities. The new environment is not only more secure and scalable but also significantly more responsive, allowing NDS to handle increased web traffic and operational demands seamlessly. This robust infrastructure has reduced their reliance on third-party providers and enabled them to manage their digital assets with greater autonomy and confidence.

The integration of essential third-party applications, such as SAGE Dynamics and Humanitix, has been seamless, improving operational efficiency and allowing NDS to focus on its core mission—advocating for and supporting people with disabilities across Australia.

Committed to public sector excellence
With PolarSeven’s ongoing support, NDS is well-positioned to continue expanding its impact in the public sector. This successful partnership has not only addressed immediate infrastructure challenges but also laid the groundwork for future innovation and growth. By leveraging AWS’s powerful capabilities, NDS is now equipped to enhance its digital services, support its member organisations more effectively, and continue driving positive change within the disability sector.
As NDS looks to the future, they are committed to building on this foundation, exploring new ways to leverage technology to support their mission and serve the community with excellence.