Hi there,

Microsoft’s announcement that it’s planning a data centre 'region' in New Zealand – the first hyperscale cloud provider to do so in the land of the long white cloud – is welcome news.

It speaks to the fact that NZ business has embraced cloud and to our clean power sources, which play nicely into the vendor’s sustainability metrics.

It's fantastic news, but let's not get carried away. Any suggestion politicians played a role with Covid recovery efforts is laughable. That it resolves sovereignty issues belies the flocks already using Australian-based Azure and AWS compute, including multiple Government departments. Being 61st on the list of preferred locations is a good guide to NZ's place in the Azurisphere. The politically expedient applause also ignores that it further erodes the hard-fought market position of local hosting providers.

Undeniably a win for the construction sector, and for Azure's latency, the net effect of a modern, fully-automated facility, installed by Microsoft's specialist engineers, may well be negative on local tech sector employment.

Lastly, the announcement from Google/Apple (!) on their plans to deliver 'Exposure Notification' to EVERY bluetooth-enabled iOS/Android smartphone is a game changer. Will the MoH have an app to enable a trace?

In news this week:

Microsoft announces NZ to get an Azure data centre
The game-changing contact tracing solution to rule them all
Gartner’s stark warning to CIOs
Formula E racing – manned e-planes in mid-air conquest
Aussie’s Startmate to extend helping hand to Kiwi startups

We also take a look at the impact of Covid on the NFP sector and creative steps they can take to proactively mitigate the impacts of the crisis.

Enjoy the read,

Heather Wright
Editor
editor@istart.co.nz

DATA CENTRE

Microsoft announces Kiwi Azure

Azure hits Aotearoa, finally…

Microsoft is establishing its first data centre region in New Zealand in a move the company has heralded as a ‘milestone’ – and the government has called a big win for the country’s Covid response.

“We will be forced to rethink and revise our technology roadmap.”

[Read more]

CONTACT TRACING

Contact tracing: One OS update to rule them all

Apple, Google API provides ‘enormous boost’ for tracing…

While Australia’s CovidSafe contact tracing app has got off to a roaring start, NZ’s privacy commissioner believes a range of different solutions may be needed – but a planned Google/Apple API holds big potential.

Once the user has installed the OS update and opted in, it will send out and listen for Bluetooth, without requiring an app to be installed.

[Read more]

CASH FLOW

Gartner to CIOs: Quarantine your cash flow

As the economy buckles under Covid-19, Gartner advises cutting all non-critical tech…

What a difference a pandemic makes: As Covid-19 quarantine measures undermine businesses everywhere, Gartner is advising CIOs to slash all unnecessary costs – including IT.

“Leadership will be forced to choose winners and losers.”

[Read more]

ESPORTS

Motorsports takes to the skies

Racing may have turned to esports to fill the Covid void, but change is in the air…

Enzo Ferrari famed comments that competition breeds improved performance are being echoed by an Australian electric flying car maker as it gears up to launch the world’s first racing series for manned flying cars.

The launch of the flying Formula E racing could accelerate progress towards sustainable electric flying vehicles.

[Read more]

STARTUPS

Aussie mates join Kiwi startup scene

First Kiwi fund and cohort for Startmate...

New Zealand’s startup sector has been given a boost with Australian accelerator Startmate ready to launch its first fund and cohort in New Zealand.

Thirty-seven percent of Startmate companies have been funded, with 71 percent still active or achieving an exit.

[Read more]

CLIENT INSIGHT

Not-for-profit crisis management: Seven things you can do right now

When a crisis strikes, flexibility and proactive management can save NFPs…

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spreads throughout the world, governments, businesses and not-for-profits (NFPs) race to adapt and respond to limit human hardships.

“People want to believe they are making a difference.”

[Read more]

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