Atlassian vows to help lift US public service output as it cosies up to Trump’s White House

Mike Cannon-Brookes’ software empire has secured access to the US public service and federal agencies, saying it can accelerate productivity amid heavy cost-cutting from Donald Trump.

Elon Musk plans to cut at least $US2 trillion in costs across US federal agencies as part of his new role as head of the department of government efficiency. Atlassian says its software can help lift productivity.

Atlassian has secured access to US federal agencies for its software, which it claims can accelerate productivity, one of the mandates of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

The certification, known as FedRAMP, or the Federal Risk and Authorisation Management Program, is a baseline of security requirements which cloud-based companies must meet if they want to work with US federal bodies like the public service.

Atlassian’s approval comes as Elon Musk is seeking to cut at least $US2 trillion ($3.13 trillion) from the US public service as part of his new role as Trump’s budget enforcer.

Atlassian co-founder and chief executive Mike Cannon-Brookes.

Atlassian chief technology officer Rajeev Rajan said securing FedRAMP certification was a “major milestone” which will “accelerate productivity and innovation across US government agencies.”

“(It will) unleash the potential of every team, including the ones in highly regulated industries,” Mr Rajan said.

Matthew Graviss, chief technology officer for Atlassian’s public sector division, said Atlassian had more than 300,000 customers worldwide, which had been “reaping the benefits of greater productivity” via more “insight-driven decisions”.

“After spending the better part of my career in government, I can tell you that moments like these are watersheds in our ability to be a true strategic partner to our public sector customers so they can do the same.”

Atlassian shares, which are listed on the Nasdaq, rose as high as 2.8 per cent to $US224.52 on Monday, before settling to close at $US220.98, valuing the company at $US57.57bn.

Atlassian has also launched its “system of work” across Formula One team Williams in an effort to restore its fortunes after it came second last in the 2024 championship. Williams driver Alexander Albon finished fifth out of 20 at the Australian Grand Prix at the weekend.

Donald Trump has retreated from many of the US’s climate and social commitments.

Many people have questioned the company’s F1 sponsorship, given Atlassian co-founder and chief executive Mike Cannon-Brookes is one of the most ardent supporters of the need to fight climate change.

Mr Cannon-Brookes, who says he understands the “double take”, has also bought a private jet, citing personal security concerns.

Many of Silicon Valley’s most powerful people attended Mr Trump’s inauguration and have participated in a lurch to the cultural right as they align themselves with the new mood in Washington, DC.

Mr Trump, who returned to power on January 20, has signed a flurry of executive orders retreating from America’s climate and social commitments — from banning further wind farm development to forcing an end to corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Atlassian began its FedRAMP application before Trump resumed office.

Atlassian boss, Mike Cannon-Brookes (centre) with Williams Formula One Drivers, Carlos Sainz (left) and Alexander Albon in Sydney.

Mr Cannon-Brookes has not commented on Trump’s policies, telling The Australian last week “we just focus on what we can control, what’s in front of us” and “we can’t sort of stop doing things tomorrow”.

In a lengthy LinkedIn Post, Mr Cannon-Brookes said his “commitment to climate is as strong as ever” and is “pretty damn focused on making an impact at a large scale”.

He also said he had “deep internal conflicts” about buying a private jet, which he flew to Melbourne at the weekend to attend the Grand Prix.

“There’s a couple of reasons I’ve purchased a plane. Personal security is the primary reason (an unfortunate reality of my world), but also so I can run a global business from Australia, and still be a constantly present dad,” Mr Cannon-Brookes said.

“So, this is a hard, continual trade-off I’ve decided to make. Although private aviation is far from a big contributor to global emissions, it is a carbon-intensive way to travel. Aviation is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise due to the distance of flights and the energy density of fuel.

“It probably comes as no surprise, I have an extremely rigorous carbon regime for all my flying — including using direct air capture and sustainable fuels for the carbon and contrails, to far exceed my flight footprint. These options aren’t practical for commercial flights — but are viable privately. This means my flights actually have a net negative carbon footprint.”