Hi there,

Glib as it sounds, it truly is an extraordinary time. Shutting down entire economies in order to stop the spread of a nasty little bug has no frame of reference. There is no 'new normal'. Governments, citizens and businesses the world over are being forced to adapt to changing public health advisories and the varying degrees of emergency measures in place.

But one thing that is for certain is the economic impact. Data released this week shows in hard cold reality the damage being done by the lockdown.

Economies are in upheaval, entire industries are questioning their future, businesses and employees are being forced to rapidly adjust to a new way of working in a world of social distancing. Finding the right technologies – and processes – to enable us to get back to work safely will be vital to a smooth recovery.

But there are still glimmers of light. As the just released 'The Future is Now' report from Sir Peter Gluckman and co says, trade-offs that may have seemed impossible prior to this crisis may now be seen in a more credible light. And solutions we previously were slow to embrace may now get serious consideration – so long as they can provide real benefits.

One more thing is certain. The future will be ever more digital.

In this week’s news:

Drastic economic indicators highlight e-commerce challenge
Healthtech sector's time to shine is now
Funding concerns hang cloud over startup sector's future
Extraordinary internet figures as the planet moves digital
Socially distant agreements facilitate commerce
Covid-19 virtual agents emerge at ehealth coalface

For some relief from Covid news, we also chat with Zag about progress with moving customers on to SAP's S/4HANA release and end of support for legacy ECC and R/3 SAP implementations.

Enjoy the read and remain safe,

Heather Wright
Editor
editor@istart.co.nz

iStart remains committed to delivering our news and editorial services covering the crisis during these difficult times.

We empathise with those in affected sectors. We will be doing our bit to encourage the tech and business community to keep operating effectively and get everyone safely through.

STOP THE SPREAD!

RETAIL

A/NZ retail trends down as lockdown impacts

The data reveals an economy in upheaval…

“When China sneezes, the world catches a cold,” they say, and right now, that’s as true in Australasia as anywhere.

“As paranoia escalated and consumers feared liquor retailers would be next to close, panic buying kicked off.”

[Read more]

HEALTHTECH

Spotlight shines on NZ’s quiet tech success: Healthtech

$1.9 billion and climbing…

Health tech has stepped into the spotlight in recent weeks, and a new report highlights the depth and breadth of the local sector – and the potential for it to help NZ’s recovery.

“We now have a license to do things differently.”

[Read more]

STARTUPS

Can our startup scene survive Covid-19?

While elements of the tech sector are in high demand, the startup community wonders where the next round of funding is coming from…

While Covid-19 sweeps the world, there are a few winners emerging in the carnage.

“Covid-19 is a system shock that will place pressure on startups for the next 12-18 months at least.”

[Read more]

INTERNET TRAFFIC

The figures behind ‘an extraordinary time in internet history’

Global internet traffic up 30 percent, A/NZ business hour traffic soars 70 percent + – but we’re not about to break the internet…

Lockdowns have seen internet traffic surge more than 30 percent globally – with local providers reporting increases of more than 70 percent during traditional business hours.

“You’ve got a year’s worth of extra growth happening in a month.”

[Read more]

DIGITAL SIGNATURES

Moving beyond eSignatures to 'Agreement Clouds'

Fuji Xerox ups business automation with Docusign deal...

Fuji Xerox eSignatures to Agreement cloud

Can eSignatures and digital contract management help business continue to transact and find some level of normalcy in a world of social distancing?

“It extends to a broader discussion and enables a lot more.”

[Read more]

CHATBOTS

Tech big guns get chatty with virtual agent support

Covid-19 accelerating chatbot technology…

Chatbots – and the machine learning and AI which helps drive them – are vying for a front row seat in the fight against Covid-19.

“When we emerge from this crisis, chatbots are likely to become digital portals for interactive healthcare.”

[Read more]

SAP S/4HANA

SAP customers proactive with S/4HANA upgrades

Zag CEO shares perspectives on ERP vendor developments, digital business and S/4HANA value…

With the planned obsolescence of SAP solutions including its long established ECC and R/3 ERP products, the pressure is on to consider when to will migrate to the latest iteration of the German giant’s software.

“We’re seeing a ‘soft landing’ from SAP, and that’s pretty unprecedented.”

[Read more]

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