HubSpot launches Australian data centres

If you've ever had to sit in a boardroom explaining why your customer data lives in the US, you know the feeling. That awkward pause when someone asks, "But can't we just keep it here?"

For years, if you wanted your customer data to stay in Australia, your options were pretty limited. You could either compromise on functionality with local providers or accept that your data would be stored overseas. HubSpot's launch of dedicated Australian data centres adds a new option. It also greatly expands what's possible for organisations that need or want their data to stay local.

The data sovereignty challenge that's been holding you back

Data sovereignty

Ensuring your data stays within Australian borders has become increasingly important for many organisations. Sometimes it's a legal requirement, sometimes it's company policy and sometimes it's just good sense.

Until now, HubSpot's data lived exclusively in the United States and Europe. For organisations that needed local data storage, this was a deal-breaker. No matter how brilliant the platform was.

This meant that many Australian businesses had to choose between second-tier local solutions or explain why they needed to store sensitive customer data overseas. Neither option was ideal.

What it means now that HubSpot has Australian data centres

The benefits are immediate and game-changing for any HubSpot user. This is also true for those that shied away because of the old data centre locations. 

Primary data residency in Australia

Your customer data stays right where it should within Australian borders. No more awkward board presentations or compliance committee meetings trying to justify overseas storage.

Significantly faster performance

Local hosting means dramatically reduced latency and faster performance. Your team gets quicker load times, smoother user experience, and better overall platform performance. 

Global compliance standards maintained

HubSpot's Australian facilities meet rigorous international standards including ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR. You're not sacrificing security for sovereignty, you're actually getting both.

Simplified vendor management

Dealing with overseas data storage often means complex vendor assessment processes and ongoing compliance monitoring. Local hosting simplifies your vendor management significantly.

Who benefits most from this change?

There are a number of main industries that have been stuck between a rock and a hard place without HubSpot Australian data centres. These are the same industries that are set to benefit most. 

Government and public sector

Government agencies are bound by strict data residency requirements. Now they can finally access enterprise-level marketing automation and advanced CRM functionality without compromising on data location requirements. No more explaining overseas data storage to stakeholders.

Nonprofit organisations

Many nonprofits are bound by funding agreements that require data to stay within Australia. HubSpot's Australian hosting opens up sophisticated donor management, event marketing automation, and impact reporting – all while keeping sensitive data local.

Educational institutions

Educational institutes now don’t need to worry about being able to manage sensitive information about students overseas. Universities and schools can now use advanced marketing and engagement tools for students and alumni. They can also use integrated communication systems. All while maintaining full control over sensitive student information.

Enterprise organisations

Large Australian companies that must store data locally can use all of HubSpot's sales, marketing, and service tools. They can now do this without changing their data governance policies.

Here's what you need to know if you're planning to migrate

Getting your data moved to Australian servers isn't automatic, but it's straightforward when done right.

Key considerations

Migration must be requested

You can check where your data centre and account data is hosted by:

• Click the setting icons
• Click Account Defaults
• Click the Data hosting tab
• The HubSpot data centre where your account’s data is currently hosted is shown under Your Data hosting location

If you want to change where your data hosting location is:

• Click Change to start the migration process
• Click the New data hosting location dropdown menu and select a location
• Click the Migration date dropdown menu and select a migration date
• Select Confirm migration checkbox
• Click Schedule data migration

This is something that we can help you with if the process seems a little daunting!

HubSpot will also situationally sign customers up for a migration if it’s been determined that they’re a better fit for another data hosting location to improve customer account performance. You will receive a notification 30 days in advance if this happens. You can opt out or reschedule the migration. 

Coordination is essential

While the step-by-step may look easily, we still recommend working with HubSpot directly or a trusted HubSpot Partner like Refuel Creative to help you get it right.

Plan for brief downtime

Your account will be unavailable for up to 24 hours during the migration so make sure you time it in a period when you don’t need to use your account.

Test everything afterwards

All information in your HubSpot account will be migrated over to the new data centre. There may be impacts to various tools during the downtime that may require further action after the date migration. Test your integrations and APIs to make sure there isn’t anything that needs to be verified.  

Document your setup

Make sure you make a note of all current integrations and custom configurations, just in case. 

The migration process typically involves:

• Pre-migration assessment of your current setup
• Stakeholder communication about timing and expected benefits
• Coordinated migration with minimal disruption to operations
• Post-migration testing to ensure everything works perfectly
• Performance optimisation to leverage the improved local hosting

Why early movers are already ahead

Smart Australian businesses aren't waiting. They're migrating now to stay ahead of their competition and future-proof their operations.

Competitive advantage

Moving to Australian data centres gives you access to advanced marketing automation tools. You can also use detailed customer journey mapping. Many competitors still can't use these tools because of data sovereignty rules.

Improved team productivity

You’ll have faster platform performance which means less time waiting and more time creating. 

Enhanced stakeholder confidence

No more explaining overseas data storage to boards, compliance committees or privacy officers. Local data storage simplifies governance and builds confidence in your technology choices.

Future-proofing

As data sovereignty requirements continue evolving, early adopters are already positioned to meet new requirements without technology constraints.

As more organisations migrate, the competitive advantage of being first diminishes so move quickly to stay ahead.

Making the business case internally

If you will have to spend some time convincing the compliance department or execs about moving your data to Australia or moving to HubSpot entirely, here are just some of the reasons why it’s a good move for everyone. 

For compliance officers

• Meets current and anticipated data residency requirements
• Simplifies compliance reporting and audit processes
• Eliminates overseas data transfer risks and regulatory uncertainties

For IT leaders

• Simplified architecture with local data storage
• Improved performance and user experience
• Enhanced security with Australian data centres and local governance

For marketing teams

• Access to enterprise-level marketing automation that were previously unavailable
• Better integration between marketing, sales and service data
• Faster loading times and improved daily workflow efficiency

For executives

• Technology that supports business objectives rather than constraining them
• Competitive positioning through access to tools many competitors can't use
• Future-proof technology choices that won't require replacement due to regulatory changes

What this means for the Australian market

HubSpot's move signals growing recognition that Australian businesses deserve access to world-class technology without compromising on data sovereignty.

Ready to bring your data back to Australia? 

Whether you're evaluating HubSpot for the first time or you’re ready to migrate your existing account, you don't have to navigate this alone.

As a certified HubSpot Partner, we can help make this transition seamless. We’ll explain exactly how HubSpot's Australian data centres can help with your specific challenges. This includes compliance needs, performance issues or simply the comfort of keeping your data nearby.

Get in touch with our team to learn how HubSpot's Australian data centres can solve your compliance challenges while supercharging your growth.