Hi there,

In many ways, Covid tech has been pitched into a perfect storm: Large government agencies – from health to border to police – bumbling Ministerial oversight, years of under-investment in technology and a world in a flap over privacy, all coinciding with a constantly evolving global pandemic and a blaze of public scrutiny.

It's perhaps not surprising the hastily erected canvas was heavy duty and its interior kept deliberately dark.

Certainly, the Ministry of Health’s Covid Tracer app, and its broader technology response (or lack thereof), has faced plenty of searing analysis.

This week, however, the Ministry opened the flap on its work inside the Covid response tent – and gave us a glimpse at the path ahead for the app and other Covid-related tech.

The back office plans for bluetooth, Covid card trials and vaccination systems all saw the light of day away from the sanitised daily podium.

In other news:

Xero announces wellbeing push – while its shareholders' is assured
The tech innovation that’s helping fight wildfires
Dark data's drowning deluge
NSW's spruiks its tech chops (but falls short of saying Auckland and Melbourne suck)

And at a time when businesses, more than ever need to get the cash flow moving in the right direction, we take a look at order to cash automation.

Enjoy the read,

Heather Wright
Editor
editor@istart.co.nz

CONTACT TRACING

MoH lifts the flap on Covid tech

After months of searing criticism, the tent has opened (slightly)…

After copping criticism for keeping its work inside the Covid-19 response tent, the MoH has opened up on future plans for CovidTracer – and the difficulties it has faced along the way – but is remaining coy about CovidCard.

“One of the things we need to avoid is overwhelming our contact tracing people."

[Read more]

WELLBEING

Xero checks-in on user wellbeing

Are Xero users happy? (Because its shareholders sure are)…

As businesses everywhere come to terms with the new realities of commerce in the age of Covid, Xero is offering support for SMBs.

“All workplaces play a central role in building people’s resilience and positive wellbeing.”

[Read more]

BUSHFIRE TECH

Can tech really put out a fire?

Spatial tech, drones, AI and holograms serving up new options…

Firefighting has traditionally been relatively low tech and reactive – dousing fires with water and foam, and using techniques such as backburning to try and stop it spreading.

Predicting spread is only one part of the equation.

[Read more]

DARK DATA

Drowning in dark data

It’s there, it’s proliferating, so what are you going to do about it?…

The data age might be here, but most companies are drowning in rapidly proliferating dark data, rather than benefiting from an abundance of new insights.

“Whether the technology creates data directly or not, each will have a significant impact on data volume and the data age.”

[Read more]

TECH ECONOMY

NSW guns for tech supremacy

Digital capital of the Southern Hemisphere?…

NSW is pushing ahead with its ambitious plans to be the ‘digital capital of the Southern Hemisphere’, with its third pillar – an AI strategy – launched amid promises it will bring ‘thousands of jobs’ to the state.

“AI stands for absolutely imperative for the new New South Wales.”

[Read more]

CLIENT INSIGHT

Whitepaper: Order to cash automation

What’s in it for accounts receivable leaders?…

Cash is king and automated order-to-cash solutions have proven to be an effective way of getting cash flow moving in the right direction.

The technology eliminates the friction that impacts cash flow.

[Read more]

ROAD TO RECOVERY

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