A new technology partnership is securing Australia’s digital memory for current and future generations.

After an extensive market evaluation, the National Archives of Australia has signed a three-year contract for a specialist digital preservation system with sector leader Preservica.

Preservica’s active preservation software will help keep the Commonwealth’s digital records safely stored, ensure they can be found and trusted, provide secure access and automatically update files to future-friendly formats.

National Archives Director-General David Fricker said archives globally are grappling with rapid change as digital files replace paper records.

“This partnership with Preservica will position the National Archives to stay ahead of the game and securely manage the huge volumes of digital records that will come from Australian Government agencies, as well as the digital copies we make of physical files,” Mr Fricker said.

“Archives are more important than ever, as we work to secure the public record of today for the benefit of current and future generations.

“Preservica will ensure digital records are actively preserved and easily accessible, bringing us closer to achieving our vision of being a world-leading archive in this digital age.”

National Archives Chief Information Officer, Yaso Arumugam said the Preservica software will form a critical component of the Integrated Archival Management System the agency is building to safeguard Australia’s memory.

“Working with a market leader in preservation software gives us an exciting opportunity to adapt contemporary archival practices to collect, preserve and provide access to these records,” she said.

With the contract now in place, the National Archives is working swiftly to integrate Preservica with current systems and migrate digital records.

The National Archives is responsible for preserving and providing access to information and records from Australia’s 187 Commonwealth agencies.

Available for interview: David Fricker, Director-General, National Archives of Australia.