Our emPOWER and IT operations glossary

Summary

We use these terms across our emPOWER services, technology platforms and service agreements. This glossary explains what they mean and links you to further information about our services. Defined contractual terms retain the meaning given in your applicable agreement.

Key facts

How to read this glossary

Terms are grouped by where they come from: the emPOWER portfolio, the service catalogue on this site, the security portfolio, the network, the contract, and the compliance frameworks. Capitalised terms such as Service Order or Reasonable Excuse are defined terms in the General Terms and Conditions and carry contractual weight. Lower-case industry acronyms are explained in our usage, which is sometimes narrower than the general industry meaning.

emPOWER portfolio terms

emPOWER. Our service portfolio brand. Our current company timeline dates the emPOWER vision to 2003, describing emPOWER Facilities Management followed by emPOWER Managed Services, and records the launch of emPOWER Cloud and emPOWER Network in 2010. The brand now covers the pillars listed on the services hub. Brand capitalisation is fixed: lower-case "em", upper-case "POWER".

IT Operations Excellence as a Service. The operating model launched in 2026, described in our company timeline through automation-led operations, real-time visibility and one accountable model for improving performance, security and operational simplicity. Applies to the home page and Our Story.

One operating model, three ways to engage. Our engagement framing. Outcome is Managed Services (end-to-end ownership of IT operations); Control is emPOWER Operational Capability (structured operations, governance and visibility for teams that retain control; shown as "Coming Soon" on the industry pages); Technology is Technology Services (enterprise technology delivered and integrated). Managed Services is the lead offer.

Customer Zero. Our managed-services page and April 2026 NinjaOne announcement describe using the same service architecture, automation workflows and reporting internally before scaling capability across customer environments. The Zoom, blueAPACHE Security and blueAPACHE Cloud case studies separately describe our internal technology use. The service agreement defines a customer’s purchased scope.

Follow-the-sun support. Our term for after-hours coverage provided by our global team across Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, with business-hours support staff located in Australia. Applies to emPOWER Managed Services and the Support page.

Account team. Each managed services customer is assigned Account Executives (strategic relationship), Service Delivery Managers (operational relationship), Engineers and Technical Account Managers. The Archers case study adds a Portfolio Engineer and describes monthly operational reviews and quarterly business reviews.

Cloud and data protection terms

Applies to emPOWER Cloud.

DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service). The contractual name is emPOWER IT Continuity Services (DRaaS), Schedule 4. Under clause 3.17 the obligation is limited to restoring Customer Data and Software to the agreed Restore Time Objective and Recovery Point Objective set out in the Schedule. Applies to Disaster Recovery as a Service.

STaaS (Storage as a Service). Our private S3-compatible object storage built with HPE, described in the pathology case study as immutable, replicated in real time across three data centres, and priced on a fixed basis with no egress or ingress charges. It is a storage tier, not a backup service. Applies to Storage as a Service (Private S3).

Offsite Backup as a Service. A managed offsite copy of critical data kept away from primary infrastructure. Clauses 3.14 and 3.15 address expressly agreed backup duties and restoration to the state at the time of backup. Clause 17.3 refers to the Schedule and Service Order and permits a different obligation agreed in the Service Order; confirm the complete backup scope in that document set. Applies to Offsite Backup as a Service.

SaaS Backup. Independent backup of cloud application data beyond the retention built into each SaaS platform. Applies to Private and Public SaaS Backup.

emPOWER Backup for Microsoft Entra ID. A Veeam-powered, fully managed backup of Entra ID users, groups, roles, application registrations and directory configuration, stored on our private cloud within Australia. The Entra ID backup brochure does not state retention, frequency, RPO or RTO figures; obtain the applicable settings and commitments for your service.

RPO and RTO. Recovery Point Objective is defined in clause 1 as "the maximum period in which Customer Data might be lost as may be specified within the Service Agreement". Clause 3.17 refers to a Restore Time Objective, which clause 1 does not define.

QMTH (Qualified Multitenant Hoster). The Microsoft programme emPOWER Cloud belongs to, which lets customers run "certain" Microsoft 365 and Windows 11 licensing on our environment. The eligible licences are not enumerated.

Azure Local. Our service for extending Azure management and services to on-premise infrastructure where local performance, control or data requirements apply. Applies to Azure Local.

Security terms

MDR (Managed Detection and Response). emPOWER MDR: 24/7 alert notification, triage and remediation across the IT environment, using EDR, ITDR, SIEM and threat intelligence feeds, with ITIL-aligned incident management. The MDR brochure does not give detection or response time targets; confirm any commitments in the applicable agreement. Applies to Managed Detection and Response.

HRM (Human Risk Management). emPOWER Human Risk Management: a fully managed service with four components, security awareness and phishing simulation, email threat detection and alerting, user-reported phishing response, and insider risk and data exposure protection. Applies to Human Risk Management.

Exposure Management. Continuous visibility of assets, vulnerabilities and security exposure so remediation can be prioritised by likely impact. Applies to Exposure Management.

GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance). Our advisory and control-improvement service covering risk assessment, policy alignment and compliance support. Applies to Governance, Risk and Compliance.

DMARC, SPF and DKIM. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) passes when SPF or DKIM passes with an identifier aligned to the visible From domain. A failure of one method alone does not necessarily fail DMARC. The domain's policy requests no special treatment, quarantine or rejection for DMARC failures; receiving systems apply their handling policy. See RFC 7489. We deliver DMARC advisory, implementation and ongoing management using Mimecast.

UTP and NGFW. Unified Threat Protection on next-generation firewalls: intrusion prevention, advanced malware protection, application control, web filtering and antispam, supported 24x7 as part of emPOWER Connectivity.

These are alignment statements, not certifications.

Network and connectivity terms

emPOWER Network / MPLS core. Our own multiprotocol label switching private network built on Cisco ASR carrier-grade routing, with core points of presence in Australia, the United States, London and Singapore and interconnection into 165+ data centres. It is the backbone under emPOWER Connectivity and emPOWER Cloud. Applies to emPOWER Core Network and Data Centre Interconnect.

emPOWER Connectivity. The connectivity portfolio includes managed WAN, SD-WAN, next-generation firewalls and SASE capabilities. The agreed architecture determines which services use the emPOWER Network and which capabilities are included. Published service level: minimum 99.99 per cent site uptime under a dual-firewall, dual-carriage, multi-carrier design. Applies to Connectivity.

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge). Networking and security controls combined to support secure access for distributed users and applications. SASE is a capability within our connectivity portfolio; the proposal defines its deployment and inclusion. Applies to emPOWER SASE.

SD-WAN. Software-defined wide area networking. We offer hybrid MPLS and internet SD-WAN, or hub-and-spoke SD-WAN with hosted SD-WAN firewalls in multiple data centres on the emPOWER Network.

IX peering. emPOWER Internet is part of the Internet Exchange peering network, which we state gives faster access and lower latency to SaaS applications such as Microsoft 365, Teams, Zoom and Salesforce.

ExpressRoute and Direct Connect. The dedicated links from the emPOWER Network to Microsoft Azure (ExpressRoute) and Amazon Web Services (Direct Connect).

Voice carriage. Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, SIP trunking, hosted PBX and contact centre solutions delivered over the network; contractually, emPOWER Voice Carriage Services are Schedule 6 and emPOWER Unified Communications are Schedule 7.

Tier III and Tier IV. Uptime Institute data centre classifications.

Contract terms (General Terms and Conditions v3.6)

Service Agreement. Not one document: the Service Order, the General Terms and Conditions, the Acceptable Use Policy and the applicable Schedules, as posted on our website when the agreement is entered into. Precedence runs Service Order, then General Terms and Conditions, then Schedules, then Acceptable Use Policy. See Service Agreement.

Service Order. The transaction document that names the Services, Fees and any special terms. It ranks first in precedence, so negotiated commitments belong here.

Schedule. One of eleven service-specific documents: Professional Services (1), emPOWER Managed Services (2), emPOWER Cloud Services (IaaS) (3), emPOWER IT Continuity Services (DRaaS) (4), emPOWER Network Services (5), emPOWER Voice Carriage Services (6), emPOWER Unified Communications (7), emPOWER Mobile Services (8), emPOWER Co-location Services (9), Software Licensing and Subscriptions (10), Hardware and Ancillary Service (11).

Service Description and Service Level. A Service Level is only a commitment stated under the heading "Service Level" in a Service Description; anything else, including a Compliance Target ("the target time it will take to resolve each call to the Support Centre depending on priority"), is not a Service Level.

Reasonable Excuse. The defined list of circumstances that excuse blueAPACHE from breach and switch off Service Levels "to the extent" a failure "arises from, or is contributed to by" them, including customer-caused outages, third-party software used by us, acts or omissions of third parties other than our Personnel, Emergencies and further circumstances identified in the relevant Schedule or Service Order.

Emergency and Emergency Change. An Emergency is any event which in our reasonable opinion threatens or causes major disruption requiring immediate action; an Emergency Change is the action taken. The Service may be unavailable during an Emergency and the interruption is a Reasonable Excuse.

Scheduled Maintenance. Routine maintenance as defined for the relevant service. Clause 3.10 requires best efforts to use the maintenance windows in the Schedule or provide at least 3 Business Days' notice, and to minimise disruption.

Minimum Service Period and Minimum Spend. The default Minimum Service Period is 36 months from the Service Commencement Date, excluding Professional Services, unless the Service Description or Service Order specifies otherwise. Minimum Spend is the minimum volume or quantity to be acquired during the prescribed period, usually monthly, as set out in the relevant Schedule or Service Order.

Written Notice. "A Service Order executed and authorised by the Customer". Use that defined form where the applicable clause requires capitalised Written Notice. Other notices and renewals have their own provisions, so this is not a universal rule for every termination or communication.

Transition In Services and Disengagement Services. The onboarding steps in clause 8 (due diligence, monitoring configuration, support documentation, reporting schedule) and the exit steps in clause 9 (return equipment, remove our equipment, delete Customer Data). The customer is solely responsible for copying its data before exit.

Early Termination Payment. The amount payable if a Service is terminated before the end of its Minimum Service Period where a right to do so exists, or on force majeure termination; calculated under the relevant Schedule.

Customer Data and Customer Records. Distinct terms. Customer Data covers data, information or material loaded, stored or processed by the blueAPACHE Environments, Customer Managed Equipment or a device used to transfer data, by a person other than blueAPACHE or its Personnel. Customer Records are customer-owned or supplied data, information and records to which we have access, excluding Customer Data and records we create or maintain in performing the services. Both definitions exclude the specified emPOWER Co-location data.

Business Hours. 0700 to 1900 AEST/AEDT on any Business Day, where a Business Day excludes Saturdays, Sundays and nationally recognised Australian public holidays.

Action Plan (BCP). The document we prepare on request under clause 15 to integrate our Services into a customer's business continuity plan. It is opt-in, chargeable as a Professional Service, and distinct from DRaaS.

Variation. A change to the Service Agreement agreed in writing and binding when both parties sign. Clause 2.5 expressly makes that rule subject to clauses 2.4, 2.10, 3.22 and 5.1. Read those provisions in the governing version, including the renewal and shared-services mechanisms; do not substitute a different clause reference. Service Description updates also have a separate process in clauses 3.28–3.31.

Certification terms

ISMS and ISO/IEC 27001:2022. We hold certificate 202507-118 for an Information Security Management System conforming to ISO/IEC 27001:2022, issued by Sensiba Australia Pty Ltd, valid 1 August 2025 to 1 August 2028. The certificate certifies the management system, not any product or service. See ISO 27001 certification.

Statement of Applicability. The ISMS document listing which Annex A controls apply; the certificate references version 5.0a (July 2025).

APRA CPS 231 and APRA Request. Clause 10 of the General Terms and Conditions applies where a customer is an APRA regulated entity and the Services are a material business activity under Prudential Standard CPS 231. An APRA Request is a request from APRA for information, documents or an on-site visit, which we will comply with and notify the customer of.

Related

• Service comparison
• Terms and conditions guide
• Support and service levels
• ISO 27001 certification
• Services hub
• Service Agreement

Is emPOWER a product or a brand?

emPOWER is our service portfolio brand. The current company timeline dates the emPOWER vision to 2003 and describes emPOWER Facilities Management followed by emPOWER Managed Services. Individual services carry the prefix, for example emPOWER Cloud or emPOWER Connectivity. The 2026 site groups them under pillars such as Managed Services, Security, Cloud, Connectivity and Collaboration.

What is the difference between IaaS, DRaaS and STaaS within your business?

IaaS is emPOWER Cloud, the compute and storage platform where workloads run. DRaaS is emPOWER IT Continuity Services, a contracted restoration capability measured against an agreed RPO and RTO. STaaS is a private S3-compatible storage service. The pathology case study describes an immutable configuration replicated across three data centres for health records; confirm the architecture, retention and replication included in your own service.

Does "Customer Zero" have a defined scope?

Our managed-services page and April 2026 NinjaOne announcement describe the internal use of the same service architecture, automation workflows and reporting before scaling capability across customer environments. This describes our operating approach; the Service Order and related agreement define what a customer buys. The Zoom, CyberArk and HPE cases separately illustrate internal collaboration, identity-security and cloud deployments.

What is a Reasonable Excuse and why does it matter?

It is the defined list of events that excuse blueAPACHE from breach and suspend Service Levels to the extent a failure is contributed to by them. The list covers customer-caused problems, third-party software we use, acts or omissions of third parties other than our Personnel, Emergencies, and further items identified in the relevant Schedule or Service Order.

What is the difference between Customer Data and Customer Records?

Customer Data includes data, information or material loaded, stored or processed by the blueAPACHE Environments, Customer Managed Equipment or a data-transfer device by anyone other than blueAPACHE or its Personnel. Customer Records are customer-owned or supplied records and information we can access, excluding Customer Data and records we create or maintain while performing the services. Both definitions exclude the specified emPOWER Co-location data. These distinctions affect clauses 17 and 19.

Does MDR include Human Risk Management?

Human Risk Management is marketed separately as its own service, so treat inclusion as something to confirm on the Service Order.

What does SASE mean in your portfolio?

Secure Access Service Edge: modern networking and security controls combined in one managed approach so distributed users get consistent, protected access. SASE is offered within our connectivity portfolio alongside SD-WAN and next-generation firewall capabilities. Confirm the components and connectivity design in the proposal; the portfolio description does not mean every deployment uses every component or the MPLS core.

What does the ISO/IEC 27001 certificate actually certify?

An Information Security Management System covering the systems, processes and infrastructure used to provide and manage the emPOWER infrastructure and managed service offerings at the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane offices. The certificate states expressly that it does not imply any product or service is certified.