News, views and analysis from the A/NZ tech sector
No images? Click here
Hi there,
It’s election time, and the tech sector is finally on the agenda courtesy of Judith Collins and her party's belated recognition of the growth potential the sector offers.
But in a policy climate that caters to the lowest common denominator, digital inclusion threatens to suck up any budget allocations ahead of the changes needed in education, tech skills development and R&D investment to make a real difference in diversifying our economic engine room.
Internet NZ’s five-point plan for digital inclusion is essentially a call for government to make connectivity affordable and accessible for all low income New Zealanders and to make devices available to them, along with increasing funding for organisations to support digital training.
It’s already been supported by around 50 Kiwi organisations, including (surprise!) Spark and Vodafone.
It’s undoubtedly well intentioned and arguments against it easy to shame. It’s also likely very expensive and fraught with complexity to implement. In our push to ensure 'no one gets left behind' are we also running a risk that digital advancement will also be sacrificed?
In other news this week:
- NZ companies stare down three years of recovery
- The missing millions from data ineptitude
- Why the health sciences are failing on tech funding
- Cookies and the privacy monsters that follow your every click
- Hand coding data manipulation – fast, efficient and fraught
Enjoy the read,
Heather Wright
Editor
editor@istart.co.nz
DIGITAL INCLUSION
$16b in tech exports, but NZ failing on digital inclusion?
What’s required to leave no slow digital-adopter behind?…
As the world faces the most sweeping recession in living memory, it’s important to celebrate our wins when we find them.
There’s a lot more to lifting up the vulnerable than suggesting a device in every hand and a connection in every home, and demanding a cheque to match.
[Read more]
DIGITAL RECOVERY
Businesses eye three-year road to recovery
Tech seen as key enabler to rebound from Covid disruption…
A/NZ businesses have been surprised by their ability to adapt to new ways of working during 2020’s disruptions, but even so, more than half expect it to take up to three years to fully recover.
“The paradigm has shifted, with businesses seeing technology as a gateway to productivity and cost efficiency to aid recovery.”
[Read more]
ROAD TO RECOVERY
DATA ECONOMY
Data maturity’s million dollar payoff
Report lays out financial gains while A/NZ companies show tangible benefits…
Upping data maturity comes with big financial gains, but while some companies are reaping the returns, the majority are missing out on the extra 10 percent in annual revenue possible through better data use.
Each step up the maturity ladder was associated with an extra 10 percent in revenue.
[Read more]
SCIENCE FUNDING
The health tech opportunity being squandered
Academics lacking communications skills to garner health tech investment…
An Australian VC company has sounded a warning for the local life science tech companies saying they're missing out on millions of dollars of funding thanks to an inability to communicate.
“Life science companies should be hitting the ground running, lest they miss out on opportunities.”
[Read more]
ADVERTISEMENT
WEB PRIVACY
Crunching the numbers on internet privacy
From ad-trackers to key-loggers to third-party cookies, who’s watching us when we surf the net? …
It’s hardly a secret: Websites track us when we visit them. We all understand this, but what might not be so commonly understood is the sheer extent to which this tracking occurs.
A third of all of those websites surveyed contained the Facebook tracking code.
[Read more]
DATA MANAGEMENT
Managing your data right in the long run
Handcoding: Fast, low-cost solution or short term fix?…
In the face of fast changing economic landscape and business demands, IT is often tasked to deliver data quickly and precisely.
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
[Read more]
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Upcoming events:
> NZ Cyber Security Summit | Oct 14 | Wellington
> A/NZ Project Management Conference | Oct 19 | Virtual event
> Government Digital Transformation Summit | Oct 28-30 | Wellington
> 2020 IT Architecture Forum | Nov 24 | Auckland
> ACIS Conference | Dec 1-4 | Virtual event
iStart is proudly supported by these leading New Zealand software providers:
Latest Buyer's Guides
ERP Buyer's Guide | CRM Buyer's Guide | HR/HCM Buyer's Guide | BI Buyer's Guide
Privacy statement: We have sent this weekly newsletter to you at your e-mail address: [email address suppressed]. iStart will never share your e-mail address, but you may from time to time receive other event invitations or partner communications from us. You can opt out of these by managing your subscription preferences, where you can also update your e-mail address and other details.
Find out more about iStart | Advertise with iStart | Subscribe
Please support independent journalism!
Here at iStart we are passionate about independent fact-based journalism.
If you feel the same way, and like what we do, then we welcome your support through crowdfunding platform PressPatron.
 |  |  |
Phone: 0800 928 268 or Email: subscriptions@istart.co.nz