Hi there,

News that airline industry body IATA is in the final development phase for a digital health pass to manage the secure flow of testing and vaccination information for travellers will be welcome for those of us champing at the bit to get back to the friendly skies – not to mention the thousands of businesses reliant on international tourists.

The IATA Travel Pass, which combined with rigid Covid testing regimes is aiming to provide an alternative to painful and expensive quarantine controls, is just one of a number of digital health passes being developed for the new normal of travel.

At its heart, it’s a simple premise – providing individuals with the irrefutable testing and vaccination data they need to comply with travel restrictions. But coming from IATA means it comes integrated into its global airline booking systems, rather than any new external system.

Of course, with Covid, nothing is simple and it remains to be seen whether IATA’s offering will win acceptance from any governments – let alone our own.

In other news this week:

Biiiiiotechnology's time has come
Fessing up on data breaches saves money (and not only from fines)
Blockchain for spuds opens trade window
Microsoft announces favourite Kiwi partners of 2020

We also delve into the world of accounts payable, with an eBook looking at what the future holds and how to sustain business continuity with AP automation.

Enjoy the read,

Heather Wright
Editor
editor@istart.co.nz

AIR TRAVEL

Digital health passes aim to bypass quarantine qaugmire

Airline body’s Travel Pass joins increasingly crowded market…

Airline trade body IATA is about to begin testing a digital health pass it says could replace quarantine and, combined with Covid-19 testing, reopen international travel – and sooner rather than later.

“The second key is the global infrastructure to securely manage, share and verify test data matched with traveller identities.”

[Read more]

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Burgeoning biotech boom beckons

A new report says NZ is sitting on a biotech goldmine…

BioTechNZ has just released its analysis of the state of biotechnology in New Zealand and its impact on the economy and society.

“An expert panel…concluded that it is time for a regulation overhaul.”

[Read more]

ERP BUYER'S GUIDE

DATA BREACHES

Disclosing breaches results in less financial damage

But if you wait until someone else lets the cat out of the bag…

‘Fessing up about that data breach isn’t just a possible legal imperative, it can result in a lower cost of mitigation – some 40 percent lower, in fact – according to a new report.

“Proactive disclosure can help turn things around in a company’s favour – and it goes beyond just the financial impact.”

[Read more]

BLOCKCHAIN

Blockchain on the agenda for cross-border trade

Australia and Singapore begin trial; NZ primary sector consortium kicks off…

Australia and Singapore have launched a joint blockchain trial in an attempt to simplify cross-border trade.

The initiative will incorporate paperless trading and secure, digital exchange of information as part of the future design of a Trade Single Window.

[Read more]

MICROSOFT PARTNERS

Microsoft honours partner and customer innovation

Awards highlight changing Kiwi tech use…

Kiwi partners' work at organisations including Fulton Hogan, Kāinga Ora and Zespri have been honoured at the Microsoft NZ Partner Awards, with Datacom and Fusion5 among the big winners.

“Our partners are transforming the economy in some pretty amazing ways and it is more important than ever for this to continue.”

[Read more]

PAYABLES

eBook: The new AP department

What to expect for the future of payables…

If there’s any silver lining to be found subsequent to global economic disruption, it’s the catalyst it’s created for business innovation.

The global economic disruption has provided an opportunity to rethink processes to promote both short- and long-term success.

[Read more]

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