2014 | 2015 Annual Report -...

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CONTENTS

2 Chairman’s Report

4 Group Highlights

6 CEO’s Report

7 Datacom Evolution

8 Datacom Global Reach

10 Datacom Solutions

16 Software and Integration

26 The Cloud

34 IT Management

42 Data Centres

46 Datacom Security

47 Datacom Connect

52 Payroll

56 Corporate Social Responsibility

60 Datacom - 50 Years of Progress

62 Financial Reporting

72 Directory

73 Organisation

74 Our Clients

For 50 years we have workedto make a real difference for our clients in everything we do.

Datacom Annual Report | 2014 - 2015 www.datacom.co.nz | www.datacom.com.au 1

Revenue increased from $870m last year to $881m this year, despite the decrease in revenue attributable to the divestment of Datacom’s Asia contact centre operation.

In New Zealand, the business produced a healthy increase in revenue of 12% with $466m for the year, which was achieved through growth in the core service lines of software development, IT management and data centres across all locations.

In Australia/Asia, revenue decreased from $454m last year to $415m this year, which reflected depressed IT project spend in the Australian market, coupled with the contact centre business divestment in Asia.

The Group’s trading results were slightly below the previous year, with a change in mix through an increase in the New Zealand trading profit and a decrease in the Australia/Asia trading profit. Overall, the Datacom Group maintained a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 12.5% for revenue and 11% for profit, reflecting its long-term financial stability.

During the year, Datacom completed a 100% acquisition of Origen Technology, a New Zealand-based supplier of software and services to local government. The business has added significant capability to Datacom’s own custom suite of products and services in this vertical market to address both the New Zealand and Australian markets. This business operates under Datacom Solutions, the newly formed Group business unit focused on providing sector-leading IT products and services to the local government, payroll, education and healthcare sectors in New Zealand and Australia.

Other new developments under the Datacom Solutions vertical market push include the acquisition of Xcite assets to provide products and services to the Australian education market. Another advancement saw the expansion of New Zealand-based payroll services into Australia for small and medium enterprises, complementing our Melbourne SAP-based payroll operation, Datacom Business Services supporting the large enterprise sector.

Our focus on selected vertical markets will see further targeted acquisitions and partnerships, accompanied by the significant expansion of Datacom’s capabilities to provide services defined by deep-sector expertise on both sides of the Tasman.

The data centre hosting business has continued to win accolades and new customers through the year, with the mid-year construction of the third and fourth data halls at the Kapua (Hamilton) data centre completed. Datacom now has a network of 12 data centres located in major Australian and New Zealand cities – seven owned and operated by Datacom. Five are partner facilities. While customer requirements are evolving with virtualisation and cloud adoption, Datacom’s regional data centre network is a core competitive growth platform for the future.

In New Zealand, Datacom strengthened its position as a top-tier provider in the markets in which we operate. With a number of new large outsource customers going live, and the continued work and delivery on large software projects, Datacom New Zealand operated at high capacity during the year.

DATACOM GROUP LIMITED

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

For the year ended 31 March 2014

Along with Datacom’s large and loyal portfolio of private and public sector customers, this enabled Datacom to confidently add 240 staff to its New Zealand ranks.

The IT management business has seen the continued rapid uptake of its services with many new customers (Accident Compensation Corporation and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment being among the largest) in the New Zealand commercial and government sectors. This growth is based on delivering ongoing excellence, which remains the fundamental reason customers stay with Datacom and new customers join us. These services are ever changing, with the market and competitors providing constant challenges to adapt and improve. Datacom remains focused on being at the forefront in bringing the benefits of new technologies and service models to current and new customers.

Our software development business continued its progress as the largest provider of custom software development in New Zealand, finishing the year with more than 800 staff. A key focus during the year was enhancing the successful delivery of large projects and mitigating risks for both customers and Datacom, while building the skills and experience required to enable our customers to exploit new technologies, particularly in the areas of cloud and big data. The order book is healthy and the business remains focused on cost effective and innovative delivery against ongoing challenges from local, offshore and global competition.

The New Zealand payroll business increased its total payee base by more than 12%, while the Business Outsource Processing division, which is now organised on a trans-Tasman basis and renamed Datacom Connect, hit all its targets.

In Australia, the Systems business faced a challenging year. The dip in the economy caused by contraction in the resources and manufacturing sectors and simultaneous pre and post-Federal election indecision resulted in many customers and prospects reducing their project spend and delaying buying decisions. Our contracted annuity business lines of data centres and outsourcing were largely unaffected, but the project services business suffered from this reduction in discretionary spend. Datacom’s strong Australian third party hardware resale business grew during the year and increased its market share and customer base in a difficult market. As in previous years, results varied from state to state with Canberra in particular finishing the year strongly with winning increased levels of federal government business.

Pleasingly, we have increased our business in both the state and local government sectors in Australia, both of which are a focus for ongoing growth. The expansion of the Perth data centre was completed successfully in early 2014 and the largely pre-sold new capacity will add an increased return in coming years.

The Datacom Connect business in Australia continued its solid growth, increasing revenues and profits by focusing on federal and state government clients, which are likely to continue to source their services onshore. Significant growth was achieved within its current customer base and with new clients such as IP Australia and Service NSW. Datacom Connect has a positive outlook with a healthy prospect list.

The one-off profit booked from the successful divestment of Datacom’s Asian BPO business to US-based Convergys for $25m on 30 April 2013 provided a significant lift to the Group’s overall profit for the year. The sale of the Asian BPO business followed a strategic review that identified the potential higher value of this business – a truly scaled global specialist with worldwide operations that could take this business to the next level. Pleasingly, all Datacom staff transferred to the new owner. The continuing Datacom IT management operations in Kuala Lumpur and Manila traded profitably during the year and are focused on expanding their regional and global customer base.

Strategically, Datacom’s shareholders and board last year approved management’s recommendation that our response to increasing levels of disruption in our industry be to invest further in our services and products, with sharper focus on differentiated capabilities and target vertical markets. The confidence to increase our investment derives from the belief that Datacom is particularly well-placed to benefit from the opportunities that disruption brings, leveraging the company’s strong financial position and stable client base.

The company’s cash position remained solid with the year-end net cash balance at $29.5m, which was a decrease of $13.9m on the previous year with timing considerations and the reduction in bank loans being contributing factors. Capital expenditure for the year totaled $40.8m, which included $15m of investment in further expansion of data centres.

At year end, shareholders’ funds were $166m with the equity ratio at 44% (last year 40%).

Excluding the impact of the Asian divestment resulting in 850 staff shifting to Convergys, our staff numbers increased by 6%. At year end, staff numbers totaled 3,756 with 2,371 in New Zealand, 1,245 in Australia and 140 in Asia.

AppreciationThe company operates in a challenging and fast-changing market with ongoing disruption through new technologies and service models. We have a large customer base whose ongoing business provides Datacom the ability to grow across the New Zealand, Australian and Asian geographies in which we work. The company’s historical and ongoing success all comes down to the quality of staff Datacom can employ and retain. The directors feel the company has been very fortunate to have such talented, dedicated and committed staff over so many years. As the company enters its 50th year, directors can look back with great pride on the company’s ability to employ and retain such a strong and able workforce.

On behalf of the directors and myself I would like to record our sincere thanks to all Datacom staff for their enormous contributions over the 2013/14 year. We look forward to our continued successful and sustainable growth in the coming year.

For and on behalf of the Board

Craig Boyce - Chairman, Datacom Group Limited

Datacom deliversYour directors are very pleased to report a significant increase in profit for the 2013/14 year, comprising a solid year’s trading result and the one-off profit booked on the divestment of the Group’s Asia contact centre business in April 2013. The Group profit before tax totaled $64.7m compared to last year’s $50.9m, an increase of 27%.


Our BusinessDatacom’s Asian BPO business divested to US-based Convergys for $25 million on 30 April 2013

The Solutions business division was created to serve specialised market verticals; this encompasses local government, education, healthcare and payroll

Datacom moves into its 50th year of continuous growth

Our GrowthWe increased staff numbers by 6% to 3756 across New Zealand, Australia and Asia

Significant growth in our client base across commercial and government sectors

Software development continues to grow with more than 800 staff

We now have more than 2,500 infrastructure specialists

The 100% acquisition of Origen Technology adds capability to Datacom’s own custom suite of products and services to address the local government market

Secured a 20% stake in SmartWard, a health informatics company, and created a new business division called Datacom Healthcare Solutions

Acquisition of Xcite assets to provide products and services to the Australian education market

Construction of the third and fourth data halls at the Kapua (Hamilton) data centre completed midyear, due to strong customer demand. Expansion of the Perth data centre was completed successfully in early 2014

The New Zealand payroll business increased its total payee base by more than 12%

Our RankingsDatacom makes up about 11% of the technology sector In New Zealand

We ranked second in New Zealand in the 2013 TIN100 in export earnings in the ICT sector after Fisher & Paykel Appliances

Software development more than five years at number-one market share

Application Management from number five to one in five years

From number five to one in IT Outsourcing in five years

Number one in Systems Integration

Held number two position in Hosted Infrastructure while the market grew


GROUP HIGHLIGHTS

For the year ended 31 March 2014

$881 M 1.29% Total operating revenue

$51.4 M 42.9% Net profit after tax

14% Revenue

12.5% Revenue 11% Profit 10-year compound annual growth rate

Our AchievementsVMware Service Provider Partner of the Year 2013

EMC Outstanding Achievement for Premier Partner 2013

Microsoft South East Asian Platinum Partner 2014

HP Print Partner of the Year 2014


Fifty years of leading changeSince Datacom started life in Christchurch in 1965, we’ve got on with adapting to change and solving complex and challenging IT problems – and doing so at a rate that’s speeding up every year. Technology cycles that lasted five or 10 years now change in less than half the time; a year is an aeon in our line of business. Vendors come and go as their markets expand and evaporate, sometimes in just months.

Ours has always been a locally connected client-centric business and that’s the foundation of how we operate in this disruptive environment. Over the last 50 years we have built very many enduring client relationships. We have opened 23 offices, first throughout New Zealand, then across Australia, as well as in Southeast Asia.

To succeed in today’s rapidly moving and competitive business environment we’ve made a point of hiring the best and brightest. Our people are given a high degree of autonomy to solve the hardest technology challenges for our customers.

There is only one way to provide tangible benefits and efficiencies for our clients from new technology and processes, and that’s to understand these fully ourselves. That is the difference we bring, to have no hesitation in trying out the new on behalf of our clients. This means we can provide a unique partner experience, with an emphasis on openness, on transparency and through collaboration.

We design, build and operate technology platforms, processes and services for business, but it’s the game-changing results of our work that matter to our clients, and to us. The way we see it, each client requires their own individual approach and an element of fresh thinking to ensure we continue to deliver enduring value. Our approach is to diligently apply technology and our deep local knowledge of our customers’ sectors. We know from 50 years experience that this is the best way to effectively and efficiently address business challenges.

Group highlights Outlined in this report is a record of our sustained progress, with the results we have delivered to many clients as well as the growth in market share and our group-wide capability.

To match our clients’ evolving cloud strategies we’ve significantly expanded our data centre footprint. We have evolved our existing lines of infrastructure management and custom software expertise and embraced transformational technologies like cloud, mobility, social media and security.

Datacom has strengthened its position as a top-tier provider in the markets in which it operates. As the largest provider of custom software development in New Zealand, we have added the skills required to enable clients to benefit from today’s developing and rapidly changing technologies, including mobility and cloud.

In April 2014 we acquired the assets of Origen Technology, a New Zealand-based supplier of software and services to the local government sector. This business now operates under Datacom Solutions, the group-wide division formed to focus on providing sector-leading IT products and services to the local government, payroll, education and health care sectors.

We continue to be one of the larger suppliers of advanced customer contact services to government in Australia – combining telephony, internet service, chat and social media to deliver innovative citizen-centric solutions.

We remotely implement, maintain and support complex cloud services infrastructure from our Kuala Lumpur and Manila operations for multiple telcos and service providers in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Our world-class cyber security services mitigate and minimise risks brought on through advanced persistent threats by state-sponsored actors, issue-motivated groups or rogue individuals.

In everything else we do, we know we need to constantly refine and adapt new technologies and services. We can do this because of our comprehensive spread of technology capability from data centres, through infrastructure, cloud and outsourcing services to custom-built software, our own products, business process outsourcing and multiple as-a-service offerings.

Over the years we’ve seen and embraced seismic changes in our sector. As a result, we are accelerating the delivery of new and connecting technologies to governments and enterprise customers, and we are very proud of this fact.

As we move into our 50th year it is an exhilarating time for Datacom and I want to recognise and thank all of those who helped achieve five decades of growth.

The solid foundation they have laid means Datacom can look forward confidently. However as the company evolves in these disruptive times, our principles underlying the delivery of enduring value to our customers remain the same.

Jonathan Ladd - Group CEO, Datacom Group Limited


GROUP CEO’S REPORTFor the year ended 31 March 2014

Datacom Evolution

Every year we push ourselves harder to unlock the value of our people by giving them new technology and tools to solve real world problems for, and with, our clients.

DatacompAnnually we run Datacomp, an internal ‘hackathon’. This year’s Datacomp was bigger than ever before, with 90 competitors from across New Zealand and Australia. The focus was ‘Beyond the Everyday’ – taking everyday objects, making them into smart, connected devices and building a business case around them. The winning team created a solution that monitored beehives in order to increase hive productivity.

Datacomp creates a fun, team-based environment that helps to unlock the potential of our already stellar staff. More important than the solution is the journey the teams take to get there.

Rapid PrototypingOver the last year, Datacom has worked to adopt a new methodology for some projects called ‘rapid prototyping’ or ‘rapid build’.

Rapid prototyping is a methodology used to develop a prototype in a short time. The prototype can then be tested and refined into a finished product. Rapid prototyping enables the customer to quickly understand the ‘vision’, and interact and invest in the process with Datacom.

Rapid prototyping allows our clients to feed back on prototypes during the early stages, dramatically reducing development time, costs, mistakes and change requests.

DATACOM EVOLUTION

Datacom has software engineers, developers, technicians, project managers, architects, dreamers and many more dedicated staff working on complex technology solutions across four countries, 23 offices with our clients and hundreds of teams.


IT Services This map shows our locations with more than 50 employees.Business Services

Data centre

Our Capabilities Software developmentWe offer clients complete engineering capability, spanning design, analysis, development and customisation, integration, testing, support and maintenance of software applications – from the largest mission-critical enterprise applications to cutting-edge web and mobile apps.

IT management Datacom has deep expertise in all hardware, network and data centre infrastructure, hosting, systems administration and outsource services. We operate high-grade enterprise data centres, bringing accessible and secure high-availability computing to our clients at a market-leading cost.

Datacom connectAcross New Zealand and Australia we provide a full suite of integrated customer connection solutions and services, from complete contact centre, sales and technical support, payroll, printing and mail-out services through to innovative customer contact, CRM and QA systems that enhance the performance of your in-house resources.

IT procurement services Including product purchasing and software licensing where our high volume of transactions and our key vendor relationships help ensure great value for money for our customers.

OUR CAPABILITIES

Cloud servicesWe offer infrastructure, platform and software as a service, with flexible commercial terms across public, private and hybrid clouds.

Data centresDatacom has a network of 12 data centres located in all major Australian and New Zealand cities. Seven are owned and operated by Datacom. Five are partner facilities.


DATACOM SOLUTIONS

These sectors represent areas of specific focus on the development and delivery of innovative, end-to-end solutions – often based on Datacom’s IP – to address key client needs.

The company is well placed to deliver innovative, end-to-end solutions – often based on Datacom’s IP – that address client needs.

Before Datacom Solutions was established in 2013, the company had a long-established presence within the education, healthcare and local government sectors.

Industries targeted by Datacom Solutions are chosen based on Datacom’s existing presence in those sectors; our ability to add value to what we deliver to customers in those industries; expected financial returns; and a consideration of overall societal benefits we believe our solutions can help deliver. Often these solutions are based on Datacom’s own intellectual property.

In each market sector the Solutions team has a clear vision of bringing long-term positive change to our clients in that industry, and helping them achieve their long-term organisational and business goals. This approach, combined with our deep local and industry knowledge, is applied to our efforts across these industries. This gives our business – and more importantly, our clients’ businesses – a unique advantage.

The Solutions team will continue to appoint highly regarded industry and sector leaders to its ranks, so that we can apply the best mix of world-class domain expertise:

- Local Government Solutions: Sustainable Councils, Engaged Communities

- Education Solutions: Learning Never Stops

- Healthcare Solutions: Empowering Healthcare, Healing People

- Payroll: Saves You Time and Keeps You Safe

Datacom Solutions

ICT delivery assists rapid deployment for collegeEvocca College is a Queensland-based Registered Training Organisation (RTO) offering nationally recognised qualifications to Australians furthering their skills, knowledge and careers. Evocca provides students flexibility through campus, distance and blended learning options. Training is designed around student needs and built to find the right balance that allows them to study on their own terms, anywhere, and at any time.

This flexible learning approach is a successful model for Evocca, which now offers services from nearly 40 campuses throughout Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Students receive one-on-one tuition, and the ability to start at any time throughout the year and attend colleges in their local area.

ChallengeOperating in a highly competitive environment, Evocca College has a clearly defined goal - to be Australia’s leading RTO. In order to do this, it is vital to quickly build critical mass while retaining quality and brand continuity.

This model is dependent on the seamless rollout of new branches and the trouble-free deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) infrastructure. After establishing their brand in Queensland, Evocca began expanding nationally.

Evocca initially approached Datacom to help with hardware procurement after they identified that they didn’t have the internal resources to support such a fast turnaround when dealing with multiple suppliers. As the success of the business increased, they realised they also needed the support of a responsive ICT partner to ensure the rapid-growth delivery plan.

SolutionDatacom took a lot of care to understand the business needs of Evocca College, including the existing IT environment, hardware infrastructure, applications and performance needs. It was important to work closely with Evocca’s in-house IT team to develop solutions that would meet the high-performance requirements of the business. Through this collaboration, we developed a flexible ‘branch-in-a-box’ approach that enabled the rapid deployment of ICT infrastructure into new branches. The approach is multifaceted, encompassing all the specific requirements to ensure rapid deployment. Equipment – from laptops and desktops, to modems, routers, servers and switches – is preconfigured in our specialised facility and ready to go on demand.

Datacom’s skilled technicians are deployed to complete configuration and build the branch onsite, ensuring it is ready for operation before the opening date.

With an in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of each branch, Datacom also provides feet-on-the-ground technical assistance, both onsite and remotely. This has allowed the business to grow with minimal interruption to existing branches and other sections of the business. It also allows the Evocca ICT team to be more proactive and quickly and efficiently support a complex distributed environment.

Datacom has also helped streamline and support Evocca’s overall operations by providing a third-party logistics solution for warehousing products that are not supplied by us.

PartnershipSince the first branch opened in Queensland in 2012, Datacom has been key in enabling Evocca’s rapid rate of growth. “They take really good care of the relationship and have always been responsive to our needs,” says Zane Beard, Chief Business Development Officer of Evocca College. “Initially, their local presence in Queensland was a key factor for us, but as we have evolved and rolled out branches in other states we have found that their across-the-board IT expertise has been very helpful to our growth plans nationally,” he adds.

CASE STUDY: Datacom Solutions

INDUSTRY: Education

“Evocca College is now one of Australia’s largest educational institutions presently catering for 15,000 students in nearly 40 locations, nationally. This explosive growth has been made possible through scalable, secure, smart technology and in this area Datacom has been a key partner and instrumental to our success.” Robert Gordon – Managing Director Evocca College



INDUSTRY: Local Government

ChallengeThe council manually processed building consent and approvals for more than 3000 inspections annually, which compromised timeliness and data quality. It needed a new inspection and booking solution, as well as a mobile field capture application, to increase efficiency, transparency and flexibility.

SolutionDatacom had already proved its promise to Marlborough District Council in 2013 when it implemented the Customer Connect platform for online services, including LIM and employment applications. This new Software as a Service (SaaS) platform can deliver smart forms to mobile devices and would enable inspectors to work offline and synchronise data to automate back-office tasks.

With 3G coverage, inspectors can now instantly update records and property owners and builders have immediate access to inspection details via the council’s website.

Administrators can assign jobs by seeing availability and routes on the same screen via Google Maps. Email and SMS inspection reminders have become invaluable to customers.

Marlborough District Council’s award-winning digital servicesThe Marlborough District Council services a population of 45,900 and delivers a diverse range of functions and responsibilities in the region.

The project was implemented in parallel with a similar rollout for Palmerston North City Council. The collaborative engagement between both councils to share processes has ensured consistent outcomes.

Result- Booking time for inspections reduced from 3.5 days

to 1-2 days

- Inspectors’ administration time has been greatly reduced

- Significant improvements in quality of data obtained during inspections

- During Building Consents Authority (BCA) accreditation audit, technical experts were extremely impressed with the resulting inspection notes

- Streamlined end-to-end inspection process, ensuring all required information is captured, documented and fully auditable

- The Association of Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) awarded the council the 2014 Web and Digital Project of the Year for this project

Technologies deliveredThe mobile application delivering offline inspections for iOS, Android and Windows 8 is provided as a SaaS and hosted in Datacom’s Orbit and Kapua Data Centres with active disaster recovery. The Datacom SMS gateway delivers inspection reminders by text.

PartnershipDatacom and the council’s IM department maintained open and clear communication, working through issues together to ensure the best outcome for everyone.

“We were impressed with Datacom’s project and development team throughout. The way they worked in partnership towards the end goal was particularly impressive.”

Stacey Young – CIO Marlborough District Council

ChallengeMount Sinai has always aimed to prepare students for the demands of a fast-changing world. In 2011, the students and teachers first started using iPads in classrooms. This was so successful in enabling creative, connected learning that the school began planning a 1:1 iPad programme for all students.

In 2012, the College carried out an extensive overview of its hardware, infrastructure and support needs to ensure the 1:1 iPad programme would be at the forefront of technology use in the classroom. Apart from the obvious technical requirements, one of the crucial building blocks was to enable teachers to effectively integrate iPads into their work.

The school prides itself on the quality of its education and relies entirely on self-funding. Therefore, it was important that the College maximised its investment, requiring a cost-effective, professional learning plan that would enhance the learning experience of both students and teachers, and also satisfy the needs of parents.

SolutionIn late 2012, Mount Sinai approached Datacom to take advantage of their technical expertise in the education sector and gain a deeper understanding of how they could offer the most beneficial, connected learning solutions to teachers and students.

One of the crucial building blocks put in place by the school was an extensive Professional Learning programme to help

target the integration of iPads into classroom programmes. It was here that Datacom was able to use its depth of experience working in the education sector to guide and mentor the college, working alongside teachers, facilitating workshops and tailoring a programme to meet individual needs. While teachers were the major target, parent workshops were also implemented to ensure technology was brought more actively into classrooms and that a culture of ‘learning for all’ was supported.

Additionally, Mount Sinai was able to leverage the broad experience Datacom has working with schools in other states of Australia to develop and implement a flexible programme, centred on the iPad, but also incorporating a range of technologies, including laptops, netbooks and smartboards.

ResultA progressive school, Mount Sinai has gradually moved through a series of learning evolutions, from a lab model to a mobile laptop model and now to a tablet model, featuring the iPad.

As a result there has been a measurable change in the way classrooms are working, with increased interaction between students and teachers; more creativity as students use multimedia tools to collect and present their work; and greater student independence as iPads provide them with information and learning tools at their fingertips.

The teaching faculty has also recognised the benefits in using technology to interact more easily with students and regularly share discoveries of new apps and processes with their colleagues.

The school has been so successful that it has now become a leading example of connected learning, hosting visits from local and international schools. In March 2014, Mount Sinai College became recognised as an Apple Distinguished School.

“We are extremely proud that every child in the College, from Year K to Year 6, has their own iPad. Unlike other educational institutions, the cost of the iPad programme has been fully funded from internal resources with no additional impost to parents. Teaming with Datacom has been great for us in this process, allowing us to expand our knowledge and benefit from the broad experience that they can offer as a mentor and guide in developing a more connected learning environment.”

Richard Prowse – Primary and ICT Coordinator, Mount Sinai College


INDUSTRY: Education

Datacom supports learning that never stopsMount Sinai College is a modern, independent Orthodox Jewish Primary School with 300 students aged from preschool through to Year 6. The Sydney-based school supports a disciplined and collaborative teaching community, incorporating the best of Australian and Jewish heritage to instil social and ethical values that develop respect for self and others.

Bay of Plenty Polytechnic streamlines with OrigenThe Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (Te Kuratini o Poike) has more than 6000 students studying certificate, diploma and degree programmes in its Applied Science, Applied Technology, Business Studies and Design and Humanities schools.

Datacom purchased Origen in early 2014.

ChallengeIn 2009 it became clear to the Polytechnic that its student management system, which was 100 percent developed in-house, carried an enormous risk through support by one main contractor.

ProMIS had been in production for 22 years and was developed to manage information from a number of partners including the University of Waikato, Waiariki Institute of Technology and AUT. This resulted in separate systems maintained internally by one or two key personnel with no central database. The lack of uniformity meant the Polytechnic often had misaligned and out-of-date data.

ProMIS was crucial as it supported the delivery of a range of services to students, staff and third parties. However, it was no longer up to the task of securely managing their information.

SolutionA business case to replace ProMIS was approved by the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic Council in 2011; a subsequent business case to replace the client services part of ProMIS was approved in 2012.

Origen was asked to provide a system that would import identity information from internal Polytechnic systems and external sources, and create and manage identity information in one central hub. It also needed to allow management of identity provisioning rules and schedules, integrate with internal Polytechnic systems or locations, and provide administration, user security and monitoring functions.

Origen divided the project into three components to achieve the desired result – Ozone Client Services Application, Origen.ESB (Enterprise Services Bus – an integration layer messaging service), and custom development of each integration point.

These three pieces of work provided Bay of Plenty Polytechnic with a single point of access for users seeking information from any of the Polytechnic’s systems and also to maintain certain data as allowed. This single point of access – Ozone Client Services – was made more useful with targeted search functions that allowed data about individuals to be retrieved in real time, across multiple feeder systems, into the central database. This data included information on staff, students, the University of Waikato, and third-party identities and their enrolments, polytechnic access and use of facilities. As part of the solution, a ‘toolbox’ provides Ozone-certified training and allows the client to enhance the product using their own expertise as new requirements come up.

Result- Faster and cheaper accommodation of existing systems

- Increased flexibility; easier to change as requirements change

- The ESB solution can be used to set up new integrations, processes, messages, and more, without the requirement for extensive coding and software development

- Automated provisioning of services including Cardax access, library access, printing management and gym memberships

- Self-managed enhancement and maintenance abilities


INDUSTRY: Education

Technologies delivered- Ozone Client Services application

- Origen.ESB

- Ozone Toolbox

PartnershipInitial development on the ESB solution and proposed draft software was done at the Origen offices. However, as the project progressed, the Polytechnic provided onsite facilities for analysts and programmers through the ‘go live’ date and beyond to the 2014 enrolment period.

The onsite work entailed frequent meetings as much of the knowledge resided with one or two key personnel and documentation in several areas required clarification and detailing. Due to the resulting close and harmonious working relationship, complex issues were resolved in a much shortened timeframe.

“The engagement with Origen has been first class . The solution is unique in that there really isn’t anything else like it that can pull and push data as required by specific business rules and triggers, which are somewhat complex in themselves. The development was delivered to our specification, on-time and to budget. Our project was recently entered in the Microsoft Innovation Awards at the Tertiary ICT Conference 2014 where it won the Technology Innovation Award.” Rabindra Das – IT Manager, BOP Polytechnic


Q: What inspired you to develop this system?

I have observed the challenges of care delivery faced by highly qualified staff being diverted from clinical practice to administrative functions. I’ve seen dedicated, compassionate people – exactly the sort of people I would want to care for me if I were sick – burn out and leave the profession because the distractions of paperwork forced them to make errors.

Q: How will you scale SmartWard with Datacom?

Datacom is the ideal fit. SmartWard is a disruptive technology devised and built-on by a small team of very capable people. To scale in the health vertical, we need a delivery and support horizontal. It would take us years to build the structure Datacom already has in place. As demand increases, there is also a pool of talent to draw upon. Much more than this, my interactions with senior management convinced me of the integrity of the organisation, as did my research. I spoke to more than 20 people, current and former customers and employees, competitors and industry insiders, and they all said the same thing: Datacom has integrity, they look after their customers. In healthcare, we want to improve the state-of-play, to drive up standards, and I think Datacom and SmartWard can do that together.

Q: What are the early signs of success?

I estimate more than 200 healthcare professionals have interacted with the system and all have been impressed. They can operate the system largely without training and they see its benefits. Engagement with clinicians tells me that widespread adoption is likely. They want it, which makes sense; we built it with their input. Corporately it is slow-moving – a paradigm shift in the way hospitals engage with and use IT will be slow to start.

Datacom has acquired a strategic stake in SmartWard, a health informatics company. The start-up has the potential to revolutionise the way health professionals care for patients in hospitals and aged-care facilities.

Q: Where do you anticipate the most positive impacts of applying this technology will be felt?

At the point-of-care. Presently we see the diversion of clinical resources from patients to administration. Fundamentally, SmartWard is about moving resources to the interaction of patients and staff. This will have positive impacts on patients, reducing harm and improving the comfort that care provides. The other side of the same coin is the satisfaction healthcare professionals get from caring for people and giving them better outcomes. We hope to see a reduction in stress in hospitals for all stakeholders. We expect this will also have a financial impact through reduction in patient harm by redirecting, not reducing, clinical resources.

Q: What new functionality are you considering?

That is an enormous question to answer as we have a five-year development roadmap before us. That said, our users are our greatest source of inspiration and I am sure they will make some excellent suggestions. One of the best aspects of our ecosystem is that it allows us to quickly respond to stakeholder input – a new suggestion can be incorporated in weeks, not months or years. It’s a dialogue, a collaboration with users, which makes the system truly theirs.

“Datacom is the ideal fit. SmartWard is a disruptive technology devised and built-on by a small team of very capable people.” Matt Darling – Inventor, SmartWard

SmartWard to revolutionise healthcare

SmartWard concluded a highly successful clinical trial in Melbourne in 2013 and, with Datacom’s support, is now ready to take its innovative product to market. The trial, studied by Deloitte Access Economics, forms the basis of a report that found hospitals can achieve cost savings of more than $50,000 per bed, per annum using SmartWard technology. Datacom has exclusive rights to sell, implement and support SmartWard in Australia and New Zealand.

Datacom Healthcare Solutions, a specialist business with a focus on improving health outcomes via SmartWard technology, has appointed clinical expert Dr Keith Joe, a New Zealand-trained Australian resident, as Chief Medical Information Officer. Dr Joe is a practicing emergency physician, the founder and director of GeoHealth Directory and a recent clinical director of the Australian Centre for Health Innovation.

Matt Darling invented SmartWard, which runs on a small computer at a patient’s bedside and other points of care, automates nursing records and manages workflow, while improving the quality of patient care. The system uses ‘smart sensors’ to validate medication and track staff and equipment so they can be quickly located in emergencies. SmartWard triples the amount of time nurses spend interacting with patients, while halving the time spent on documentation.

Mr Darling, who was born and resides in Canberra, developed the IT system as a response to his own experience and observations of acute hospital care.


INDUSTRY: Health


SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

Organisations are continually seeking competitive differentiation by leveraging clever processes and solutions that will help transform their business to meet market requirements.

Datacom’s award-winning software development and system design business takes the right approach by offering innovative, high-end solutions and operational improvement systems that are critical to the growth of a client’s business.

Organisations often experience complexities around their ability to seamlessly integrate new and improved technologies that deliver tangible benefits. With our proven history in the software and integration business, we are recognised as leaders in the Australasian market for delivering highly complex integration projects.

We apply a lean, collaborative development methodology and can assign people to a project for a concentrated period and rapidly deliver to ensure the focus is on critical business objectives and what businesses – and their end-users – need to succeed.

We have the ability to leverage our skill sets around many domains:

- Consulting

- Integration

- Mobility

- Social media

- Cloud

- Security

- Data and analytics

- Application management

- Digital channels and digital commerce

Commitment to knowledge and resultsOur success is largely driven by our unwavering commitment to delivery and to great people with great skills. Our software team consists of more than 800 people on both sides of the Tasman who keep abreast of technology trends, understand new disruptive paradigms, and think ahead to how these can benefit our clients. This approach has enabled us to offer clients a number of defining competencies in the following areas:

- Designing innovative, easy-to-use programmes that combine convenience with savings, and enable clients to move from unsupported platforms to reliable infrastructure within short timeframes

- Designing, building, and implementing next-generation automated provisioning engines

- Designing and delivering customised client service portals

- Intensifying domain knowledge of IP for each industry and providing specialist insight

Business transformation with software and integration

Transformational partnership is in our DNALivestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is a dairy farmer-owned cooperative which provides a diverse range of products and services for the dairy industry. Based at Newstead in the Waikato, it has branches throughout New Zealand, in Australia, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and agencies in South America, the United States, Asia and South Africa. LIC employs more than 400 permanent and 600 seasonal staff and has annual revenue in excess of $170 million. In 2011, LIC embarked on a massive technology transformation and formed the ‘Heart Programme’; the vehicle for delivering its plan.

ChallengeLIC provides products and services to more than 10,000 dairy farmers across New Zealand, and relies on IT systems to manage, process and support data. Its current IT systems showed poor processing capacity, leading to breaches in customer Service Level Agreements (SLAs), higher support costs and negative customer impact. LIC’s production database was a major contributor to poor performance during peak load times.

Key issues that required addressing:

- Poor performance of core and critical systems. The agreed SLA was 10 minutes, but took more than 20 minutes and longer in peak season

- Customer complaints regarding the quality of LIC’s products and services

- Current technologies were nearing end-of-vendor support, with several no longer supported, resulting in performance issues

SolutionTo migrate core infrastructure to modern commodity hardware and software, bringing benefits including a supported, robust and scalable platform, lower cost of infrastructure provisioning, and greater capacity management.

- Stabilise current operational environment

- Optimise current version of DB2 database

- Migrate database platform from SUN hardware to commodity-based Intel hardware and implement virtualisation technologies

- Migrate database operating systems from Oracle Solaris to Red-Hat Linux

- Upgrade IBM DB2 databases and associated software to latest supported versions, DB2 10.1

- Migration of underlying COBOL-based toolsets to latest supported version

Multiple applications running on these new systems had to be rigorously tested. Aging systems were core to LIC’s business and several technical challenges had to be overcome. In a single weekend all data had to be extracted, transferred into the new database and updated, and all applications tested and validated.

This was the first major transformative step in the Heart Programme. With a stable and reliable system in place, Datacom can now migrate LIC’s other systems to the newer technologies.

Results- Tangible cost savings

- Efficiency gains for farmers through reduced synchronisation times during peak periods from 20 minutes to 2-3 minutes

- Lower ongoing license costs for operating systems and development toolsets

- Lower ongoing support costs for hardware platforms (now a commodity service)

CASE STUDY: Software and Integration

INDUSTRY: Farming

Technologies deliveredSeveral key technologies, including IBM DB2 Database Platform, RedHat Linux Operating Systems, MicroFocus COBOL and VMware Virtualisation technologies.

“Our future state would look like data [turning] into information, into knowledge, to support decision making anywhere, anytime.” Dave Scullin – LIC Chief Information Officer

PartnershipThrough ownership from concept to delivery, Datacom delivered and earned LIC’s trust and respect, elevating the company from preferred vendor to strategic partner.

This high-profile project was delivered on time and within budget and exemplifies a successful multi-vendor implementation. It has led the way for future initiatives to follow the same methodologies introduced by Datacom. LIC entrusts Datacom to help define its strategic roadmap in technology transformation.


SolutionSince 2002, Datacom has provided software support and development services to ensure both availability and currency of the systems. During the tenure of the relationship, in addition to ensuring the system has a high level of availability, Datacom has undertaken several system refreshes and upgrades, as well as adding new functionality.

The latest example of this additional functionality is the 2012 project, Settlement Before Interchange (SBI). This industry-led project has reduced settlement risk with interbank payments being made before customer accounts are updated, and has allowed transactions to be processed by banks during the day rather than via an overnight process. As part of this, a new interface was added to ESAS, which allows banks to pay each other in ESAS for the net value of funds from customer transactions that are included in files sent between those banks. The implementation of SBI involved the Reserve Bank and eight other banks and was one of the most significant changes in retail banking in New Zealand for many years.

Datacom ensured that the Reserve Bank was able to fulfil its part of this major project by developing a new interface to ESAS that met industry requirements. The performance demands of this interface required Datacom to design and build a multi-threaded, event-driven message processor. Limitations on concurrency imposed by an external component had to be overcome by implementing a ‘sliding window’ mechanism.

As a result of this change, 700 settlement files are transmitted each day and the average monthly settlement value exceeds $60 billion. Many bank customers can see transactions posted to their accounts during the day, rather than having to wait for overnight batch processes to run.

PartnershipDatacom has a working relationship with the Reserve Bank that spans 12 years. Our enduring association is a reflection of our commitment to the organisation’s functionality and success. As part of the recent implementation, we will continue to work with the Bank to ensure the mission-critical system is fully supported and processes are further strengthened to reduce risk and ensure the highest quality outcomes are achieved.


INDUSTRY: Government

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is the nation’s central bank and wholly owned by the New Zealand government. The three main functions of the bank are management of monetary policy to maintain price stability, promoting the maintenance of a sound and efficient financial system, and meeting the currency needs of the public.

Delivering high reliability and system integrity to Reserve Bank

“The Bank and Datacom have worked together for over 10 years. The parties are constantly working together to make sure that the highest standards of system availability and integrity are achieved. The parties are in contact daily, ensuring goals are clear, feedback is given and progress is monitored.” Mike Wolyncewicz – Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services Group, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

ChallengeThe Reserve Bank provides mission-critical banking and settlement services via two systems: ESAS (the Exchange Settlement Account System), which processes payments between financial institutions; and NZClear, which processes securities and cash settlements. The average daily value of payments is $25 billion in ESAS and $8 billion in NZClear. The NZClear system holds about $187 billion of fixed-interest securities and equities for its members. The systems process in real time and operate for 23.5 hours each business day.

These systems have a continuous uptime requirement with key links between New Zealand financial organisations and the Continuous Linked Settlement (CLS) system, which is used by many banks for settlement of foreign exchange transactions. Any downtime has immediate impact of transactional flows and is unacceptable. These systems are arguably among the most important in New Zealand.



INDUSTRY: Aviation

ChallengeThe airport wanted to promote itself as a shopping destination and leverage its 400,000-plus monthly website hits by driving traffic to retail partners.

SolutionSince designing the airport’s international award-winning website in 2008, Datacom has become a highly valued partner.

In 2013, in conjunction with a design agency, Datacom redesigned the retail section of the website. A centralised CRM system was implemented to capture user details while building a single view of the customer. An extranet was created to facilitate communication between the airport and its retail partners. In 2014, the new retail site won Australia/New Zealand Sitecore Site of the Year in the Business Transformation category.

A powerful vision and a personalisation strategy that aligned 100 percent with key business outcomes has enabled Auckland Airport to comprehensively enter the world of Customer Engagement Management.

Auckland Airport’s new website boosts online trafficAuckland Airport is one of New Zealand’s most important infrastructure assets and contributes around $14 billion to the economy. More than 14 million travellers pass through the terminals annually and of all international visitors to the country, 74 percent arrive or depart through Auckland.

Result- 400% traffic increase to retail partners

- 84% increase in content consumption on the retail section, giving invaluable insights into product and brand popularity

- Bounce rate reduced by 13%

- Since inception, more than 24,500 visitors have clicked on a link to a retailer’s website

- 9000 have used ‘click to call’ and ‘click to email’ from a product page

Technologies delivered- Sitecore Customer Engagement Platform and Analytics

- Rules-based Personalisation

- Campaign Management

- Email Campaign Manager

- MS Dynamics CRM Connector

- Engagement Automation

PartnershipWhile Datacom has worked primarily with the airport marketing team for the traveller and corporate website, it also worked with business owners to deliver targeted sites and services. On all the projects the Airport Online Manager and business owners worked in close collaboration with Datacom to ensure seamless delivery.

The rapidly changing environment required Datacom to be nimble and responsive as the projects progressed while still delivering engaging, robust sites that integrate with many systems and services that power the platform.

“The new website has enabled us to showcase the retailer offering in a much more engaging and enticing way. Importantly, it is also driving active leads to our retailers and they are seeing the real value of digital.”

Ajay Dutta – Online Manager Auckland Airport


INDUSTRY: Finance

The enhancements to the RealMe services provide two key services. These are a secure, centralised authentication solution for end users accessing the online services of government, and the ability to send pre-validated identity and address information over the internet in real time to establish a new relationship with a service provider, available in both public and the private sectors. Previously this required you to front up in person with identity documents or for copies of original documents to be sent by mail.

ChallengeRealMe represents a thought-leading, robust, secure, and privacy-protecting solution. The value of the RealMe assurance service is its ability to guarantee the link between an individual and the information they are asserting online. As with any new innovative service, it faces the challenge of building services offering RealMe at the same time as building the customer user base.

SolutionAs the solution vendor for the igovt services since 2004, and more recently the RealMe solution, Datacom has been in a unique position of observing these challenges and the business barriers they create. To assist in addressing these issues, Datacom decided to invest in developing simple, fit for purpose integration solutions for igovt /RealMe from 2007.

Datacom provides RealMe integration through new cloud productIn 2011, NZ Post entered into a formal, long-term partnering arrangement with the Department of Internal Affairs to enhance and expand existing igovt services, focused on the area of authentication and identity verification. In 2013 the service was rebranded as RealMe along with a technology upgrade to ensure long-term availability and scalability. Kiwibank, on behalf of New Zealand Post, was engaged to deliver service development and sales for the private sector. Marketing, customer experience, and improved accessibility via the Post Shop retail network were delivered by NZ Post.

These products initially started as on-premise, locally installed solutions. However with a significant change in the way organisations procure software, Datacom has brought an innovative software as a service (SaaS) solution for RealMe integration to market, called the Cloud Identity Integrator. As a SaaS solution, the Cloud Identity Integrator lowers the bar even further for organisations wanting to explore the possibilities of RealMe.

The Cloud Identity Integrator was a progression from the successful on premise solution, the Identity Integrator. Hosting Identity Integrator in the cloud lowers capital cost for organisations and further reduces the complexity of implementing RealMe.

Originally developed in 2009, the Identity Integrator has a range of satisfied customers across government and the private sector. Taking the base Identity Integrator product, Datacom spent two months making it multi-tenanted and cloud-ready. It was then subjected to a range of audits and tests from external parties to ensure it passed high security and privacy standards.

NZForex, part of the OzForex group, was the first customer to go live with Cloud Identity Integrator. They were particularly interested in the cost savings offered by using RealMe to on-board new customers, but wanted a quick and low capital spend approach to integrating. After being introduced to Datacom by the RealMe business development team, NZForex with the Cloud Identity Integrator team worked together to get their integration up and running quickly and simply, with a minimum of fuss.

Result- Reduced time to market for organisations keen

to differentiate their brand by adopting RealMe

- A robust technical solution that has been scrutinised to very high levels of both security and privacy

- Pre-developed integration libraries and a simple commercial model provide hassle-free onboarding

Technologies deliveredCloud Identity Integrator provides a simplified application integration interface. Pre-configured for SAML 2.0 integration with the RealMe assertion service, and run on a secure platform hosted by Datacom, applications interact with Cloud Identity Integrator simply through browser redirects. Messages received from Cloud Identity Integrator are easily decrypted using a library, of which Python, Perl, PHP, .NET and Java implementations are currently provided.

PartnershipDatacom has had long-standing relationships with both NZ Post and New Zealand government agencies. Over decades, we have proven our ability to work with large-scale projects in a way that maintains the privacy and security of both the organisations we service and their customers.

“We believe our customers will welcome the additional convenience. For customers with a RealMe identity they no longer have to fax or scan identity verification documents to sign up for the service. By streamlining the onboarding process further it improves our efficiency, reduces administrative costs and minimises risk from the transaction process.” Neil Helm – OzForex Group CEO

ChallengeCrowe Horwath offers a suite of online tools to their customers to help them with their financial and non-financial business performance measurement and visualisation.

These tools were developed by an internal team of developers eight years ago and have gradually evolved. Crowe Horwath sought to partner with an organisation that could take ownership of these tools and manage them externally.

In July 2012 Datacom’s application management team met with the tool developers in Brisbane to become familiar with the tools, code and documentation and have been managing them ever since.

Crowe Horwath were looking to transform these products by offering customers integration with the Xero and MYOB online accounting solutions.

A streamlined payment engine was also required to replace a subscription-based model.

Crowe Horwath’s elite suite of business toolsCrowe Horwath Australasia is the largest provider of practical accounting, audit, tax, business and financial advice to individuals and small and medium businesses in the region. The company has more than 80 offices and 3000 staff. Crowe Horwath International delivers services in more than 100 countries and is ranked among the top 10 global accounting networks.

SolutionDatacom migrated the tool environment to one which was much more stable, reliable and secure.

The team used web meetings to understand the requirements for the integration and payment engine and liaised with Xero and MYOB to obtain the appropriate partner certificates on Crowe Horwath’s behalf.

Result- Crowe Horwath are able to focus on their

strategic direction of their online services

- Quick turnaround time and good stakeholder engagement

- Crowe Horwath is expecting an increase in business thanks to the new functionality

- More efficient subscription/payment handling

- Better availability and reliability of the tools

Technologies delivered- ASP.NET 4.5, WPF, Flash

- SQL 2008, SSRS

- Xero and MYOB APIs, web services

- Datacom Payment Gateway

PartnershipDatacom’s application management team is now considered part of the extended Crowe Horwath team. After completion of development, Datacom continues to work closely with Crowe Horwath to answer any accounting-related requirements and ensure the tools align with their specific business needs.

“The support provided by the Datacom team is excellent and they should be commended. They are responsive, creative and understanding of the long term objectives.”John Swete Kelly – Principal,Business Advisory, Crowe Horwath


INDUSTRY: Finance





INDUSTRY: Printing

ChallengeThe official report of proceedings of the House is a core Office function, running on the Hansard Production System (HPS). In early 2013 the Office realised its system needed an overhaul – under performance and inconsistent output limited its use. The document automation and conversion functionality was overly complex and built on outdated Microsoft Word technology.

SolutionDatacom’s proven track record in government projects and expertise in delivering Business Automation systems built on SharePoint were key in our selection. We proposed a solution that provided an extendable, user-friendly and reliable architecture to service the long-term future of HPS. The foundation was built on the same infrastructure and platform as Parliament’s new OurHouse Intranet (built in partnership with Datacom).

Datacom’s assessment of HPS requirements and user stories were mapped to the functionality provided ‘out of the box’ from SharePoint 2013. The solution was designed using ‘configuration before customisation’ methodology; highly extendible and an excellent fit. It also maximises the technology investment, providing a consistent user experience and minimising additional infrastructure and licensing costs.

ChallengeCanon’s Field Service team consists of around 50 mobile technicians who travel throughout New Zealand to maintain and repair printers. The team required a refresh of their mobility platform to improve job update and response times in the field. The solution could not be delivered on their existing mobile devices. These were replaced with Windows 8 tablets rather than handhelds and laptops for advanced mobility and reduced IT footprint.

SolutionDatacom’s Christchurch-based team of mobile developers created an application to run on Windows 8 tablets, leveraging our mRoute frameworks. The solution sends jobs to the field team and tracks progress and completion. Once the job is done, the team can record what parts were required for the job and request parts to replenish vehicle stock. Job update times became near-instant.

Canon purchased Windows 8 tablets through Datacom’s procurement service and leveraged our existing Enterprise Management solution, mRoute, to keep track of tablets in the field. Devices connect to the internet when necessary to feed data back to mRoute, but are fully operational and incur no data loss when taken offline. The solution is based on a Software as a Service model for ‘breathe in, breathe out” adjustment of services, and is hosted in Canon’s secure area of Datacom’s cloud.

Hansard revitalised for better public serviceThe Office of the Clerk is the New Zealand House of Representatives’ secretariat. It provides advice on procedure and parliamentary law, as well as professional and administrative services. The Clerk is the chief executive and is supported by a senior management team that leads 120 staff.

Canon leverages Datacom frameworks for mobile workforceCanon New Zealand is a local arm of the global company known here for its consumer-marketed cameras and printers, as well as business solutions for corporate and government clients. Print is one of the company’s specialties.

Result- Faster and more reliable publication of Hansard, which better meets MP’s needs

- Latest generation of SharePoint 2013 functionality including Document Automation, Scheduling and Task Management, Search, and Office Integration

- Relies on a modest but high-performing infrastructure footprint already provisioned for Parliament Intranet

- Hansard users have a fully integrated solution that automates the current business process, while enabling users and administrators to manually intervene where necessary

Technologies delivered- Hansard Production System

- SharePoint 2013

- Integration with Parliament’s Electronic Document Management System

Datacom engaged with Canon in mid-2013 and the application was live by year’s end. We continue to provide ongoing service desk support for the application.

Result- Significantly improved real-time turn-around

of job acceptance and job resolution updates

- Improved usability by combining multiple data entry screens into a single instance

- Improved usability and system reliability

- Enhanced end-to-end latency in job updates

Technologies delivered- Native Windows 8 application with mRoute Studio

- Datacom’s mRoute Enterprise management system

- SaaS solution hosted in Datacom’s cloud

- Ongoing service desk support

“As project sponsor, I found Datacom fantastic to work with. The new Hansard Production System was delivered on time, on budget and to our specifications.” David Wilson - Office of the Clerk

PartnershipThe key to building and maintaining a strong partnership with the Office lies in our ability to communicate effectively through peer-aligned engagement, building a high level of trust. Datacom worked proactively with the Office to ensure a cohesive partnership and the advocacy of ICT services with the system’s end users.

PartnershipDatacom took on the project from end-to-end to ensure that Canon could get on with business as usual, delivering the technical design, artistic design, layout design, build, and ongoing support.

Datacom was trusted to drive the direction of the project because of extensive knowledge of Canon’s business and requirements, and proven ability to deliver mobile applications on all kinds of platforms.

“The team at Datacom really took the time to understand our business, the way the technicians work and how our existing system worked. This resulted in the delivery of a much improved solution, in time and within budget. ‘ALLY’ as we call it within Canon is faster and much easier to use. It frees up our technicians to do what they do best, spending more time with our customers.”

Lee Fairbairn – Head of Service Canon New Zealand

Mobile solution helps Comvita optimise its supply chainComvita is an international natural health products company with a strong New Zealand heritage. The company is committed to the development of innovative natural health and wellbeing products, backed by credible scientific research.

Manuka (leptospermum) honey is at the core of the Comvita product range and the company is the largest manufacturer and marketer of this uniquely New Zealand resource.

The company was founded in 1974 by Claude Stratford and Alan Bougen – a range of bee products was initially sold out of Stratford’s basement at his Paengaroa home in the Bay of Plenty. Comvita sells its products online and through retail stores in 18 countries internationally.

ChallengeComvita is focused on supply chain optimisation, and full traceability is an absolute imperative for the company to ensure product provenance and authenticity.

Datacom was engaged to manage the project part way through its first phase of development. The initial phase of the project involved creating a system to track honey from honey boxes to the drums the honey is extracted to.

After successfully delivering the first phase of the project, Datacom won the bid to manage the development of phase two of the project. Winning the development work was attributed to the quality of project management in phase one and Datacom’s ability to deliver a proof of concept that focused on ease of usability for beekeepers.

The second stage of the project involved designing and building a custom mobile application to be used for inventory management, traceability of honey to hives and to provide visibility of hive maintenance. The application also provided Comvita with information to allow them to control batches of honey from different areas.

SolutionDatacom proposed a custom Android application running on handheld scanners. The Intermec mobile devices were chosen for their usability and rugged rating.

Beekeepers would use the handheld device to efficiently record their hive maintenance work and any movement of equipment between Comvita locations. Visibility of hive maintenance data would enable Apiary Managers to employ appropriate management techniques to optimise hive performance and production.

Comvita Management and Supply Chain staff now have real-time visibility of hive management at their branches and the supply of honey before it reaches Comvita for processing.

Results- Increased control of hive management

- Increased visibility of hive productivity

- Improved overall traceability and visibility

Technologies delivered- Intermec CN51 handheld devices

- Custom Android 4.2.2 application


INDUSTRY: Farming

“Ensuring product authenticity requires the capability for full visibility of honey products back through the supply chain to the hive. This is being achieved with our Apiary Management System. In addition, Comvita also understands the potential of new technologies to further enhance productivity.” Colin Baskin – General Manager Supply Chain, Comvita

PartnershipDatacom and Comvita worked together to deliver a solution tailored to end users who are not technologically savvy. The combined Datacom and Comvita project team worked to support users through a major change to their day-to-day business to incorporate the new technology. Beekeepers are now starting to reap the benefits of using the solution and have commented on how pleasing it is to get the right information, enabling the right decisions.



INDUSTRY: Manufacturing

ChallengeTo reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel vehicles, Ballance developed GoClear – a clear, colourless liquid that is injected into the exhaust system of diesel vehicles, where it converts nitrogen oxides into water vapour and nitrogen gas. The GoClear website was receiving minimal traffic from its target audience. Ballance wanted to be innovative in promoting the brand and differentiating itself using a location-based smartphone app. With limited budget and no experience in the mobile space, Ballance sought an experienced partner.

SolutionAfter reviewing provider offerings, Datacom was chosen to deliver based on its pre-existing relationship with Ballance and its honest approach. This project was an ideal opportunity for Datacom to demonstrate its rapid user-centric build approach, which involves getting the right people together for a highly pressured and restricted period of time. Both teams had to get out of BAU environments, so we bunked up in a bach and set about injecting innovation into a bespoke app.

Using a co-design and iterative approach, Android 4.0+ and iOS7 apps were designed through user feedback and testing. End-users and Ballance staff evolved their thinking to create a specific application that has huge environmental potential.

Truck drivers use the app to locate service stations that sell GoClear and take their fuel cards.

Innovative approach benefits BallanceBallance Agri-Nutrients is New Zealand’s leading specialist, providing farmers with nutrient management advice, products and technology. The 100 percent farmer-owned co-operative also produces a range of industrial products, including GoClear, which is manufactured at the company’s plant in Taranaki.

Result- Bespoke app deployed to iOS and Android

within three weeks

- Intelligence and creativity drawn from Ballance and Datacom created a solution using a modern methodology

- Engaged the business and its wider community from the outset

- Commitment to Ballance’s roadmap of customer-centric innovation

- Proved our promise to Ballance – we are now looking at phase two of the app

Technologies delivered

- iOS7 application

- Android 4.0 + application

PartnershipThe highly interactive and engaging relationship between Datacom and Ballance created a solution that could be retrofitted into a useable app in a very short period of time. Commitment from both parties encouraged a strong and vibrant working relationship.

“The customer focus, creative thinking and speed of the Datacom team made the app development process a joy. Can’t wait until the next time.” Terry Smith – Process and Chemicals Manager, Ballance

ASB launches collaborative social intranet ASB is one of New Zealand’s largest banks. It employs approximately 5000 people and has more than 1.3 million personal, rural and business customers.

The bank has a proud history of innovating with technology and was the first in New Zealand to launch internet banking and to roll out two-factor authentication. There was no question that the organisation’s new intranet and collaboration platform would need to be state-of-the-art.

ChallengeASB wanted to create a dynamic platform where employees could share, collaborate and harness the creativity and productivity of the entire organisation. The dream intranet had five essential requirements. Key to success was a platform that would reflect ASB’s heritage of technological innovation, provide an online community where staff could connect, collaborate and share and establish mechanisms to ensure product and service content would remain up-to-date and accurate. It also needed to deliver a corporate communications platform to break down barriers and promote engagement, and link disjointed applications through data integration. The site also needed to reflect ASB’s distinctive culture and support deeper engagement.

From inception, the vision was to create a virtual collaboration space that rivalled the impressive working environment created at ASB’s new head office at North Wharf in Auckland.

SolutionDatacom has a long-running relationship with ASB and in October 2013 we pitched for and won a competitive RFP. ASB had already selected Microsoft SharePoint 2013 as a base platform for its intranet solution. With extensive SharePoint experience, we were able to quickly pick up the project and add functionality with our own social intranet tools.

The Datacom team embedded themselves at ASB’s North Wharf head office and, together with people from across the bank, began to put together an intranet that would inspire staff and deliver on the bank’s core values.

ResultIn September 2014, Datacom and ASB delivered a ground-breaking project – one of the first truly Enterprise Social platforms in New Zealand. The social intranet solution works hard to maintain the features of a traditional intranet, with tools to help ASB’s people be more efficient and effective. At the same time, it creates an environment that allows people to become active participants in ASB, rather than passive consumers of information.

Employees have the ability to post feedback on news, events and content pages and share their own updates through the newsfeed. The intranet has improved employee engagement levels with organisational material and provides a more engaging method of delivering CEO communications through a new blog that allows social interaction. Personal homepages (MySites) have allowed people to share their skills and knowledge on both work and non-work matters. Importantly, the social intranet has provided the impetus for ASB to look at how it collaborates with people wanting to take full advantage of a system that gives everyone a voice, no matter what their role or location in the business.

Within the first month of operation ASB has seen:

- Many conversations started by ASB people from across the spectrum of the bank, different geographical areas and levels of the organisations

- Information within the conversations support a more collaborative environment and a desire to share information and knowledge

- Two-way feedback – five CEO blogs have resulted in over a hundred comments from staff, providing insights ASB has never had access to before


INDUSTRY: Finance

Technologies delivered- Microsoft SharePoint 2013

“I’m really excited about the new site – there is a heap of potential for us to work more collaboratively as a region in a way we have never been able to do before – it could be a game changer.” ASB Branch Manager and intranet user

PartnershipDatacom staff set up shop in ASB’s office on the North Wharf in Auckland, and worked collaboratively with the ASB team to ensure that the intranet met the organisation’s expectations and needs.

Courtesy of ASB Bank


Cloud solutionsThe migration to cloud continues unabated and at a breath-taking pace. By 2020, Forrester Research expects the market to be worth nearly $160 billion globally.

As a proven and dynamic operating environment, cloud is with us to stay – it offers business benefits to a diverse range of organisations. While cost efficiencies have been a key reason for the shift to cloud, it also supports business agility in a robust and safe environment.

Datacom’s real-world experience in implementing and supporting cloud solutions is highly sought after and this has made us a valued business partner in many sectors.

IT Management When applications move to the cloud, management services are still required. Applications need to be updated, patched, optimised and supported. Roll-outs need to be planned and training implemented. Business customers require visibility and governance around change, security and all the other activities that sit with a portfolio of software, infrastructure, and data assets. Datacom is investing in processes and reporting to ensure a seamless, single-pane-of-glass IT management service can be delivered across hybrid environments.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)Our own private cloud platforms for commercial customers (DCS – Datacom Cloud Services) and government agencies (DCSG – Datacom Cloud Services for Government) now host more than 8000 virtual machines and well over three petabytes of storage across New Zealand and Australia.

These environments are underpinned by enterprise-quality infrastructure sourced from Cisco and EMC. Government agency customers such as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in New Zealand and Victorian State Emergency Services in Australia, and multiple commercial organisations, entrust Datacom platforms with their entire data and application portfolios.

Datacom is also an accredited implementation and support partner of Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon AWS services.

These services offer different performance, reliability and price profiles from our own. Some customers have placed their entire workloads in these environments, while the optimum arrangement for others is a hybrid approach with workloads spread across multiple environments.

Australian-located Amazon, Azure, and Cisco cloud offerings are imminent and will accelerate the acceptability of these services to businesses in Australia. Datacom is developing its skill base through training and international deployments, and is currently taking part in the Azure Australia partner pre-release testing.

Software as a Service Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings are emerging and gaining traction. For many years, companies using out-of-the-box software on their own platforms have been concerned about reliability, vendor risks, and the availability of ongoing support. That said, we see the rapid adaption of Microsoft’s Office 365 and we expect this to increase over the next 12-18 months as customers become more accustomed to cloud services being delivered out of country.

Datacom’s SaaS offerings are hosted in local Datacom-controlled virtualised Tier 3+ data centres with full disaster recovery and 24/7 support. Customers are able to flex their usage and cost up and down at will. In addition, our platforms host SaaS offerings designed specifically for and owned by closed user groups.

THE CLOUD

Application development With appropriately architected software, public hyper-scale clouds such as Amazon’s AWS and Azure offer unique speed to market, scalability, and cost advantages. Datacom’s development teams are quickly building the skills necessary to work in all the common Platform as a Service (PaaS) environments – Azure, AWS, OpenStack, and CloudFoundry. In this last period we completed our first implementations of Hadoop, and Redhat. OpenShift open-source technologies are increasingly being used.

Office Productivity as a Service In 2014 we introduced Office Productivity as a Service (OPaaS), a new cloud service offering. Datacom OPaaS is a managed suite of services that provide an enterprise-class messaging and collaboration solution for public and private sector clients across Australasia. Datacom’s solution allows customers to migrate to an enhanced messaging system based on the latest Microsoft technologies, along with rich email and collaboration options.

31 organisations including agencies and authorised parties rely on Datacom Cloud Services for Government.DCSG stores 2 petabytes of customer data.

CASE STUDY: The Cloud

INDUSTRY: Entertainment

ChallengeThe Brisbane Festival wanted to tailor its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) environment to suit business needs. With a fluctuating workforce, they needed a system that could accommodate these rapid changes and enable staff to securely and efficiently access the server remotely, as well as have continuous access to a reliable help desk service.

SolutionBased on Datacom’s reputation as an ICT service provider to various arts organisations, Brisbane Festival turned to us to tailor a solution.

Datacom implemented a hybrid cloud and offsite server solution to ensure business continuity. We also assisted in providing an enterprise-grade internet service with no user contention for faster access and unrestricted email size.

Brisbane Festival’s flexibility to perform Brisbane Festival is firmly established as the city’s biggest annual cultural event. This world-class festival showcases Brisbane as a cultural hub, featuring arts performances such as theatre, music, comedy and circus.

To facilitate flexible working patterns, Datacom installed a wireless network within the office, moved the team from traditional desktop workstations to a notebook environment and managed the installation of ancillary hardware. Every aspect of the ICT rebuild was managed in collaboration with the client, from implementing a one-stage authentication remote access to liaising with other service providers to ensure a seamless integration of hardware.

ResultBrisbane Festival’s new and improved ICT environment has enabled staff the flexibility to move around the office and collaborate away from their desks, while still being connected to the server. It has also helped to increase productivity by minimising administrative tasks and enabling staff to focus on daily business functions. The Brisbane Festival now partners with Datacom for all its ICT needs, including the provision of all managed services.

“Datacom focused on ensuring the transition to a new ICT environment went as smoothly as possible. We found the team really great – we always knew where everything was up to and if anything came up that wasn’t as expected we worked together to create a solution. They were the best choice because they could offer us the stable and flexible ICT environment we were looking for within our targeted market value.”

Julia Herne – Administration Manager, Brisbane Festival


INDUSTRY: Aged care

ChallengeUnhappy with their managed telephony solution deployed into six smart villages, Summerset went to market with a request for proposal [RFP]. Technology had evolved organically, rather than in a planned fashion, and the environment was high-touch, often resulting in poor service. A step change was needed to maintain the technology environment.

The Summerset approach was to provide fibre in villages for access to managed internet, voice, video and other care services. The problem Summerset faced was how to reliably deliver services across that fibre infrastructure.

SolutionDatacom proposed to consolidate and simplify the environment, providing ITIL-founded business maturity. The solution would pull together Summerset’s disparate VoIP platforms into a single managed solution hosted in the Datacom cloud, with resilient managed internet available to Summerset corporate users and residents.

Summerset’s centralised solution in aged careSummerset Group is the third largest retirement village operator in New Zealand and has developed 18 villages in just 17 years. The group provides retirement homes, villas, apartments and aged care facilities.

Datacom provided a calling platform based on a Mitel VoIP solution with SIP connectivity from WorldXchange. For Summerset, this meant that they no longer needed a discrete solution in each location. Instead it was centralised; new WAN connections were deployed and connected back to Datacom data centres. The cost reduction from only having to manage a single solution, rather than one per village, is significant. This viable solution continues to be deployed beyond the initial six villages.

Result- After working through some initial teething issues,

Datacom consistently delivered quality results

- RFP scope expanded several times to cover additional villages and technologies

- Datacom is evolving Summerset’s service offerings and identifying areas to provide value

- Datacom is working to provide cloud services to Summerset

Technologies delivered- Voice over IP (residential and corporate)

- Managed Internet (residential and corporate)

- Wireless Networking (residential)

- Network Management (residential and corporate)

- PSTN/SIP Connectivity (residential and corporate)

- WAN Circuits (via Chorus, Vodafone and FX Networks)

- Datacom Cloud Services

PartnershipThe Summerset partnership is unique in that the organisation is comprised of two components, corporate and residential. Datacom’s experience with delivering managed services to corporate customers is well proven, while the foray into the residential sector presented a new opportunity for Datacom.



INDUSTRY: Horticulture

ChallengeIn early 2011, when Zespri was on track to triple revenues by 2025, a deadly virus struck New Zealand kiwifruit vines. Shortly after, the Christchurch earthquake struck and a tsunami hit Japan. These natural disasters posed a real threat to the kiwifruit industry and prompted Zespri to review its disaster recovery plan.

From orchard to consumer, Zespri relies on its IT systems to support every aspect of business. The company wanted to run a lean IT operation insulated from disasters while providing instant unlimited scalability and enhanced customer experience.

SolutionZespri chose Datacom and Microsoft as its long-term partners. Zespri knows that Datacom’s best-of-class capability, scale, and resource depth made it the first choice to consult, transform, build and manage its IT resources in the cloud.

Datacom rigorously evaluated Zespri’s broad business aspirations. As trusted advisor, and with key strengths in technology independence, Datacom recommended Azure as the right public cloud service. This decision was based on cost, experience with platform as a service (PaaS) and software as a service (SaaS) solution, and the existing strategic alignment and expertise within Datacom.

“Datacom has the flexibility, technical knowledge and can-do attitude to enable Zespri to work towards our aspirational target of 100 percent public cloud.” Andrew Goodin – Global Manager Information Systems, Zespri International

Zespri International is one of the world’s most successful horticultural marketing companies, with sales revenues of NZ$1.35 billion. It is the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit, selling into more than 53 countries and managing 30 percent of global volume.

Zespri’s world first in public cloud

When SAP met business requirements in a test performance in the cloud, Zespri migrated its SAP development environment into Azure using approximately 100 Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines running in the western US Azure data centre.

In November 2014 Datacom successfully shifted all Zespri’s SAP production applications to Azure in a world-first. Zespri intends to move 100 percent of its IT infrastructure into Azure. As a provision, all applications unable to run in Microsoft’s cloud can easily run in a Datacom data centre. Zespri can now rest assured that they can continue to run in the event of a disaster.

Results- Improved resilience through implementing

a disaster recovery plan for Zespri’s line of business applications

- It took just over one month to migrate Zespri’s SAP development environment into the Azure cloud

- To date, 200 virtual machines have been commissioned in Azure with the performance proving acceptable

- Zespri has reduced IT costs by US $700,000 to US$1 million

- SAP performs well on Azure, with response times under one second and improving

- The speed at which new initiatives can be brought to market has improved Zespri’s global reach

Technologies deliveredMicrosoft Azure and SAP development environment migrated to the public cloud. Services migrated or underway include SAP/SharePoint (internet, intranet, net applications, email, data services platform). Approximately 300 servers and all Zespri enterprise applications globally will move from on-premise into Azure. The ongoing service management has transferred to Datacom.

PartnershipAround nine months ago Datacom embarked on a long-term partnership with Zespri. Datacom consulted with Zespri as independent advisors and recommended Microsoft Azure as the platform of choice. Datacom has a solid, long-standing partnership with Microsoft.

Based in Mount Maunganui, Zespri is 100 percent grower-owned and employs approximately 280 people in New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America. It is now also New Zealand’s first truly global, 100 percent Azure engagement solution for all enterprise infrastructure and applications.




ChallengeThe Ministry for the Environment had an ‘owned and operated’ service delivery model for its information technology. This model created a number of challenges, as the IT team required a large range of generalist IT skills, rather than specialist skills. This created single points of failure for specific aspects of the management of the Ministry’s IT, and staff were focused on the running of the IT environment rather than on how IT could better enable the Ministry to achieve. The Ministry also had old, outdated equipment and was in need of a refresh of its technology.

Additionally, all the servers were located in Environment House in Wellington, which meant the Ministry carried a high degree of business risk with regards to business continuity.

This not only created challenges with ongoing maintenance and support, but also restrained any disaster recovery and business continuity for the Ministry.

SolutionIn alignment with New Zealand Government’s ICT Strategy and Action Plan to 2017, Land Information New Zealand and Datacom were able to extend their partnership into the Ministry for the Environment to align and integrate their respective IT service delivery models.

As part of the transition of the Ministry’s IT service delivery model to align with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), Datacom worked with the Ministry for the Environment to relocate its applications to Datacom’s Cloud Services for Government platform. The 70+ virtual machines now share a common resource pool allowing for greater resource and capacity management and addressed the Ministry’s business continuity risk.

“The key to the success of the transition has been that Land Information New Zealand and Datacom were able to extend their partnership relationship into the Ministry. Aside from just managing our IT environment, Datacom have contributed valuable time and strategic advice about how the Ministry can transform the way IT services are provided. They have taken their role in this partnership very seriously and this value-add has enabled us to make some real progress in what is a substantive business transformation for the Ministry.” Neil Hurley – ICE and PMO Directorate, Ministry for the Environment

The Ministry for the Environment’s mission is environmental stewardship for a prosperous New Zealand. The Ministry is the Government’s principal advisor on the environment in New Zealand and on international matters that affect the environment.

Ministry mitigates risk and modernises

Datacom and the Ministry transitioned all production support services and infrastructure management services in the first quarter of 2014. This meant the Ministry could consolidate IT services and re-focus on how IT supports and enables the wider organisation. Datacom provided a roadmap for future initiatives and business enablement, and took the first steps on that journey by providing a proof of concept for Desktop as a Service.

The Ministry now has a more dynamic IT environment, giving them greater flexibility, as well as access to additional resource pools. Rather than focusing on its IT infrastructure, the Ministry is now free to spend more time focusing on how IT can help enable the Ministry achieve its outcomes.

Results- Provided more depth – there are no single points

of failure

- Enabled the Ministry to leverage services delivered by Datacom to LINZ such as service desk, infrastructure support and desktop services

- Delivered a modern, scalable platform

- Cost effective service because Datacom was already providing these services to LINZ

- Delivered on first steps of reducing IT business risk – business continuity, security, and operational management

Technologies delivered- Infrastructure as a Service hosted

in the Datacom cloud

- End-to-end IT service management model including service desk, desktop support and infrastructure support

- Currently providing a proof of concept for a Desktop as a Service solution for the Ministry

PartnershipBefore going into this project, Datacom and LINZ had a strong existing partnership. The intent and spirit of that partnership has been wholeheartedly accepted by the Ministry for the Environment. This enabled a seamless transition of services. The relationship that Datacom, LINZ and the Ministry have developed demonstrates Datacom’s flexibility in allowing and enabling the LINZ contract to be extended to another party when it is in the best interests of all. As a trusted advisor Datacom has looked for efficiencies across all the Ministry’s IT and has acted on the Ministry’s behalf on projects outside of our core services. The Ministry for the Environment is not involved in day-to-day

environmental management. The focus is on providing environmental management systems, including laws, regulations and national environmental standards; national direction through national policy statements and strategies; guidance and training on best practice; and information about the health of the environment.


Junior Explorers simplifies with LimeLiteJunior Explorers is dedicated to educational, home-based care for children from birth to five years old. The organisation operates in Hamilton, Tauranga, Te Puke, Papamoa, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington and outer areas.

ChallengeJunior Explorers’ existing servers were site-based and at end-of-life. There was also a lack of standardisation across all their offices and users were limited in their mobile and remote access options.

For small to medium businesses, having a simple, lightweight and reliable IT environment is essential and even liberating. Junior Explorers didn’t have the time or resources to be constantly managing their IT; the organisation needed an on-demand, ‘set-and-forget’ solution.

SolutionDatacom spoke to Junior Explorers to understand their needs and assess the scope of opportunities available. Datacom suggested a cloud-based infrastructure that could be accessed from anywhere on multiple devices back to a central system, and standardised across all offices to enable efficiency gains.

The solution, implemented in May this year, is based on Datacom’s LimeLite technology. LimeLite is a desktop as a service solution that looks and behaves like a regular desktop PC, with software and data hosted in Datacom’s New Zealand data centres and streamed to a variety of devices.

LimeLite provides Junior Explorers with a highly stable IT environment and remote and mobile connectivity. The organisation now has full helpdesk support, all new desktop equipment in Hamilton and Tauranga, and improved application protection with data stored off-site. Having a reliable, on-demand IT environment in place enables Junior Explorers to focus on the needs of the families it supports, rather than the needs of an ageing server.

The solution also gives Junior Explorers peace of mind, as IT costs are now fixed and the solution was completed with zero upfront cost.

Results- All offices now have the same shared structure

- Educators are more mobile and efficient

- Standardisation of document and processes are enabled across all locations

Technologies delivered- LimeLite, Datacom’s desktop as a service solution

for small to medium businesses

- Data is hosted in Datacom’s Kapua data centre

- The solution involves thin clients, Citrix, managed backup, managed Wi-Fi, Internet, Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office

“For us to migrate from our server to the cloud was a big decision and one we don’t regret. The whole process from start to finish has been handled professionally by the entire team at Datacom. At all times we were kept in the loop with constant updates via emails, phone calls and, where appropriate, meetings.” Jenni Ellis – Director, Junior Explorers


INDUSTRY: Education

PartnershipDatacom had an existing relationship with Junior Explorers which began when it first started expanding. In our discussions we talked about the direction in which the organisation was heading and issues hindering progress.

Datacom investigated various options available to Junior Explorers and worked out the best, most financially viable solution – it had to be adaptable, easy to use and affordable.

Throughout the process, Datacom delivered on its promise and adapted quickly to changes in customer requirements. The owner of Junior Explorers was impressed by how Datacom handled the transition to LimeLite, and says the cloud has enabled the organisation to centralise and simplify. The company now enjoys a more efficient and user friendly IT environment.




INDUSTRY: Design

ChallengeAs part of the focus on efficiency, and in line with its five-year ICT strategy, the Queensland State Government has implemented a plan to refurbish its ICT systems to create a time and cost-effective experience for government agencies and the community. A key part of this strategy is to move from owning technology assets to an ICT cloud service model, which will eliminate the need for costly upgrades and enhance user functionality.

QGCIO completed a six-month trial of operating in a total cloud environment, which included shifting from XP to Windows 8. The trial tested the boundaries of a large enterprise operating within the cloud to ascertain if this solution could be applied across government operations. QGCIO is assessing the findings.

ChallengeMore than 45 franchise-operated design centres offer a broad range of print solutions, including brochures, posters, banners, stickers and business merchandise. The centres complete the artwork, which is then uploaded electronically to the print facility for production and distribution. However, issues with system reliability and performance prompted a review of the company’s IT delivery model.

SolutionFollowing a system review, Worldwide Printing Solutions decided to appoint a specialist IT service provider to host their applications on a reliable and resilient platform, enabling them to deliver the highest levels of service to franchisees. They sought a provider who could not only assist with initial hosting requirements but with whom they could develop a longer-term partnership to address the company’s broader IT challenges.

In late 2012, Worldwide Printing Solutions conducted an extensive market evaluation of potential IT providers. Datacom was selected and the decision was made to move Worldwide Printing Solutions’ applications to Datacom’s Perth cloud node.

End-to-end solution for cloud trialThe Queensland Government Chief Information Office (QGCIO) is part of the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts. The office sets Information and Communication Technology (ICT) strategy, policies and standards as well as facilitates strategic relationships with industry partners for cost-effective outcomes.

Worldwide Printing Solutions customises the cloud Worldwide Printing Solutions is a specialist graphic design and printing company that delivers more than 120 million print items to 35,000-plus customers across Australia annually. The company has adopted an innovative hub-and-spoke operating model, which incorporates design centres in Australia with a centralised, Perth-based printing and distribution facility.

SolutionDatacom created a functioning cloud office, including desktop management, new Active Directory (AD), Domain Name Services (DNS), internet gateway services, web filtering, identity management, cloud storage, mail and apps in compliance with security requirements.

Datacom was instrumental in managing the integration of all cloud services and worked closely with QGCIO throughout their trial to ensure a flexible and responsive project delivery.

ResultWith the assistance of Datacom in managing and trouble-shooting integration issues, the trial provided QGCIO with useful insights into the benefits and challenges of large, complex enterprises operating within the cloud. Initial results have found ongoing operating costs dedicated to ICT have been significantly reduced, with the need for expenditure on hardware almost eliminated. The Datacom solution provided their staff with enhanced functionality, particularly in regard to fast and easy remote network access and greater flexibility for storing, searching and sharing files. Following the trial, Datacom’s limited help desk management role has now been expanded for QGCIO.

ResultDatacom completed a thorough audit of Worldwide Printing Solutions’ existing IT environment, reviewing hardware infrastructure, applications, performance and physical office connectivity requirements. We then ran a series of workshops to validate the information and discuss various solutions.

Working closely with Worldwide Printing Solutions enabled Datacom to provide a customised cloud solution. We incorporated a comprehensive backup and recovery solution to protect all data that resides on the cloud platform, as well as network management services to ensure reliable connectivity of national offices to cloud.

“From the initial face-to-face meetings, right through to final sign-off, the project was well scoped and planned and delivered within time and budget. Datacom’s technical lead went above and beyond to ensure a smooth migration and instilled within us the confidence that the job would be done right.”Conrad Goodman – Worldwide Printing Solutions

“The trial was about testing whether a government department could operate fully in the cloud and so we pushed the boundaries of our ICT services to see what would and wouldn’t work, and to test troubleshooting solutions. Datacom worked with us to integrate the cloud system so that it all worked end to end.” Alby Cartner – Senior Consultant, Technology Architecture, QGCIO

Technologies delivered- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) hosted on Datacom’s Perth cloud node to support their critical applications

- Software licensing via a monthly ‘pay as you use’ licensing arrangement

- Professional Services to migrate applications and associated data to the cloud platform

- Provision of telecommunication services

- Managed Services to support network infrastructure


The business-enabling transformation of Southern CrossThe Southern Cross Health Society is New Zealand’s largest non-public funder of elective healthcare services, with a 61 percent share of New Zealand’s private health insurance market. The not-for-profit Friendly Society is operated solely for the benefit of its 815,000 members. In the 2014 financial year, Southern Cross processed 2.9 million claims, paying $695 million for elective healthcare services. This included more than 155,000 surgical operations, 370,000 specialist consultations and 784,000 GP visits.

ChallengeHealthcare is a complex sector facing multiple pressures, such as an ageing population, new and expensive technologies and growing expectations around quality, service and treatment options.

Southern Cross is aware that to keep pace with the amount of strategic change constantly required, their infrastructure and software portfolio must also remain streamlined, efficient and compatible.

Business changes over past decades had left Southern Cross with a complex mix of IT environments. Modification was required and, with that, a strong outsourcing partner that could provide infrastructure surety, synergies for a shared service model and the ability to provide a cohesive delivery service.

SolutionPlans for such a comprehensive IT group consolidation meant that Southern Cross looked for an experienced partner to operate IT services under defined, flexible Service Level Agreements (SLAs), with a clear focus on business and service outcomes.

After a rigorous selection process in 2003, Datacom was selected for its breadth and depth in IT and infrastructure services, and for its flexibility and cultural alignment. With contract and commercial finalisations still underway, Datacom showed its pedigree and commitment to Southern Cross by having its team present by early 2004.

While technology was viewed as a strategic enabler in the transformation cycle, the real key to success was establishing systems so the business could focus on better member outcomes.

This 10-year tenure has seen Datacom cement its relationship with Southern Cross through a significant track record of service delivery of complex programmes.

Time has not stood still as the society’s business has continued to evolve successfully with new business initiatives creating further opportunities for Datacom to show its worth as a trusted strategic partner.

Results- A 2012 formal audit on ITIL best practices and

industry standards on the Datacom outsourcing agreement had zero audit comments

- An effective 25% reduction in PC and 34% reduction in server costs over the past five years due to economies of scale offered by Datacom and the accepted support volumes

- The formal benchmarking of the then eight-year-old outsourcing engagement revealed an overall 6% price benefit on the lowest benchmark, while highlighting a strong and positive relationship

- Unsurpassed stability in our Southern Cross facing delivery team, with a median staff retention rate of 5.5 years and Gallup staff satisfaction scores well above four (on a scale of 1-5)

Technologies deliveredDatacom’s long-term engagement with Southern Cross has seen state-of-the-art technology portfolios delivered over the decade.

CASE STUDY: Information Technology Management

INDUSTRY: Health Services

“We work in a constant cycle of change and over the decade there has developed a close fit between our organisations, culturally we are really closely aligned. Datacom are proactive in ensuring that we have an IT environment that makes us proud.” April Walker – Head of Information Systems and Business Change, Southern Cross Health Society

PartnershipBy building a long-term relationship with Datacom, Southern Cross Health Society has been able to focus on delivering business-enabling transformation. With a highly open and collaborative engagement, Datacom has maintained a consistent team, which is focused on delivering services to Southern Cross.

COMMERCIAL

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION

2003 2007 20102004 2008 20112005 2009 20122006 2013 2014

IT Services RFP Bid and awarded to Datacom

Huntly BCP Site Move to Orbit DC

Windows 7 deployment

SAN Refresh SAN Refresh

eCommerce High AvailabilityBritomart relocation

including 2 data centre moves

Virtual Server provisioning catalogue

Test/Dev provisioning structureAMP Tower

PBX Support VOIP roll-out

WAN RFP and Contract. Move from Telecom to Telstra

Diamond re-platform from SUN to Red Hat. Large licensing saving

DPUP - Diamond re-platform

Member Portal software development

Ellenco Pet Insurance added

Resource unit commercial model and new schedules agreed

Technology One Financials - replacing Oracle

Contract renewalOracle licensing saving circa $1m

eCommerce (Providers, Advisers, MySouthernCross, eClaiming)

Contract signed

GCP initial design Group Consolidation project (GCP). Multiple infrastructures and systems combined to form single SX environment

PWC ITIL Audit and EUC Benchmark

Contract renewalIT Management

Datacom’s IT Management delivers a complete range of services – from cloud and network services, aggregation and world-class data centres through to end-to-end outsourcing and transformational project and consulting capabilities.

With our deep expertise and neutrality, we focus on each client’s success, ensuring genuine business transformation and operational excellence. This means 2500-plus infrastructure specialists across New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia apply their experience and industry-leading practice to each client’s unique requirements.

We are recognised for our openness, innovation, breadth of service and proven track record in building long-term partnerships. Working with all suppliers, product vendors and cloud providers to integrate and aggregate services assures our clients’ optimum business outcomes.

IT MANAGEMENT





INDUSTRY: Transport

ChallengeHarbour City Ferries (HCF) inherited ageing and obsolete equipment from the previous incumbent when it took over the operation in 2012, and quickly found that unreliability, outages and equipment failures critically impeded daily operations. Worse still, the infrastructure was incapable of supporting the development of any new cutting edge services for Sydney’s travelling public.

Unable to update and renew the total environment due to tight capital expenditure budgets and demanding uptime requirements, HCF was looking for smart ways to transition its most essential applications to new, high performing infrastructure, and to keep lower priority applications functioning as well as possible until they could be transitioned or retired.

SolutionDatacom worked with HCF to demonstrate how a hybrid cloud solution could support service transition – with rapid initial deployment for the most critical business systems and then a staged migration of other applications and services as it was operationally and financially possible.

The hybrid cloud approach would provide HCF with the ongoing flexibility to deploy the right applications to the right environment – public or private cloud – with a level of scalability and cost-effectiveness not possible before.

“When this project was first proposed, Hybrid Cloud solutions were still quite rare. Datacom were able to demonstrate real cloud expertise and experience, giving us the confidence to undertake this transition. The trust we put into Datacom was well and truly rewarded with a very successful project outcome.” Adam O’Halloran – IT Manager, Harbour City Ferries

Harbour City Ferries (HCF) maintains and operates Sydney’s ferry services on behalf of the NSW Government. Around 650 staff are committed to ‘putting the customer first to deliver a world-class ferry service’, delivering 170,000 services each year across Sydney Harbour and its waterways.

‘Into Tomorrow’ – Harbour City Ferries revamp infrastructure

With a complex, poorly documented existing environment and small windows of opportunity to migrate the real-time systems that support ferry operations, planning was paramount.

Datacom and HCF first identified legacy applications that needed to be carefully managed in the cloud environment rather than being tied to physical hardware, and then started to identify other workloads to move to the cloud.

Datacom’s robust cloud methodology underpinned the entire project through nearly six months of strategic designs, proof of concepts and staged deployments – work that was critical in minimising downtime and potential deployment issues.

Focusing on the oldest infrastructure first, Datacom created a private cloud environment and transitioned Microsoft Windows-based workloads from the HCF unsupported infrastructure into the Datacom cloud. To maximise hardware utilisation and improve scalability in the IT environment, Datacom’s cloud provided ‘right-sized’ virtualisation of all servers.

This had an immediate impact on reliability, reducing the number of outages being experienced.

Datacom also transitioned HCF’s telecommunications arrangements to increase performance and deliver

improvements to the network infrastructure that enhanced the end-user experience. They also helped implement other changes such as implementing a disk-to-disk backup environment over a disaster recovery site to support vastly improved continuity of service.

An ongoing managed support programme ensures new services can be quickly and efficiently delivered as required, which will continue to deliver productivity improvements for users.

ResultsHCF received immediate operational benefits from reduced downtime and improved reliability, and it is continuing to benefit from financial improvements with reduced support costs on the ageing infrastructure and the gradual shift from capital to operational expenditure as more workloads are transitioned to the cloud.

Datacom’s commitment to ‘proving the promise’ and ability to work with multiple providers meant that the end-user experience at HCF during the project was never affected and any challenges encountered were quickly resolved.

The project has given the business the confidence to look at new technology. We can now provide end-users with faster access to current applications like Office 365 to achieve their work tasks on different devices from anywhere – even the middle of the harbour.




ChallengeFive years after their last upgrade, the growing OperaQ team was running out of server and storage space, and was experiencing increasing issues with their aged desktops and devices. They needed to maximise the flexibility and speed of internal operations to enable them to focus on their core business of producing opera. The challenge was to find a solution that took into account their location, spread across several floors in the Queensland Conservatorium, and the out-of-office-hours nature of their work.

SolutionFollowing a decade-plus collaborative relationship with Datacom, OperaQ turned to us for advice. As long-time sponsors of OperaQ, we wanted to recognise their meaningful contribution to the arts in Queensland and transition our relationship from trusted advisor to partner.

OperaQ free to focus on the artsOperaQ is opera’s custodian in Queensland, working to protect and enhance the art form and enrich the cultural landscape through innovative and world-class performances.

We recommend the installation of Exchange 2013, Lync 2013 and Windows 8 SOE with Datacom Endpoint Manager as the most functional and practical solution to address OperaQ’s requirements. To provide the most holistic approach, we also supplied new desktops, monitors and laptops to maximise the functionality of the new software. We oversaw the installation of a new server, which we remotely configured within our facilities before a smooth, onsite implementation.

ResultAs IT service providers, we believe companies should be able to focus on their everyday business, without having to spend valuable time and resources managing IT functions. The seamless transition and installation process has provided OperaQ with greater connectivity, reliability and flexibility, which has given them back valuable time. Datacom moved from our previous role of providing strategic advice and support to take on IT service desk management, which has freed up key staff to focus on their core roles. The partnership continues to create operational efficiencies for the OperaQ team.


INDUSTRY: Primary

ChallengeWine businesses often require additional support during seasonal peaks. This, and a business with 1200 users across four time zones in Australasia, presented significant challenges in providing a single, consistent, 24/7 service. A central desk with strong SLA levels was required, to allow the team to focus on project delivery and development, and improve the visibility of workload and operational efficiency.

SolutionDatacom’s flexible and proven service delivery capabilities allowed us to deliver a single, 24/7 service desk. Outsourcing gave Pernod Ricard Winemakers the flexibility to scale operations depending on demand and give all regions consistent service quality, regardless of seasonal peaks.

A single IT Service Management (ITSM) platform provides a single change-and-release capability, allowing greater visibility, efficient review, online change approval, and a single history of activity. Running for more than a year, the service continues to develop, while consistently meeting SLAs.

A trans-Tasman service delivery modelPernod Ricard Winemakers is the premium wine division of Pernod Ricard, the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits.

Result- First Point of Contact Resolution (FPOC) continues

to improve with an average of 88%, against a target of 80%.

- Time required to provision service requests reduced by 30%

- All Pernod Ricard Winemakers business users experience the same high-quality service

- Greater visibility of service desk performance against clear and defined SLAs

- Greater ability to undertake core business activities

- IT teams now work in a more structured and managed environment

- Fixed and visible costs and positive measurable outcomes

- Support can adapt to meet changing business needs

Technologies deliveredThe service desk is delivered from Datacom’s Auckland team, using our national ITSM platform from which we manage incident, request, problem and change and configuration items. The Pernod Ricard Winemakers IT teams have direct access to the ITSM platform to view and manage tickets. Custom, real-time reporting is provided.

“Datacom has provided our business with a very efficient and flexible solution, which we continue to develop. Datacom personnel and the solution have allowed us to improve our overall maturity and perfect the way we manage first-line support. This relationship is proving very beneficial for Pernod Ricard Winemakers and we are confident that it will continue to flourish.” Marc Andre – IT and Corporate Procurement Director Pernod Ricard Winemakers

PartnershipOur collaboration ensures the service desk is closely aligned with business needs, and its performance is regularly reported upon. A strong working relationship between Service Delivery Managers (SDMs) has brought a greater understanding of how to gain the best for business users, and a pragmatic approach to solving problems and realising opportunities. Building on the sound and successful partnership, Datacom is extending its delivery to Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

“An efficient and effective IT platform underpins every area of activity at Opera Queensland. The support provided by Datacom ensures OperaQ is kept up-to-date and functioning efficiently without draining the precious resources we need to realise our strategic ambitions. Datacom assists us with what they do best, to enable us to do what we do best – provide great opera for all Queenslanders.” Russell Mitchell – General Manager, OperaQ

Datacom streamlines printing for UWA studentsThe University of Western Australia (UWA) is a leading Australian university with an international reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and research. Home to almost 24,000 students, UWA has nine faculties and schools and supports a number of research institutions and centres. The university has achieved top-100 listing in the 2014 Academic Ranking of World Universities.

ChallengeUWA had historically maintained a disparate campus printer fleet, which was difficult to manage and difficult for students to navigate. Multiple printing systems were managed by multiple support areas around campus, with little data readily available regarding print volumes and service costs. Depending on where the student was located within the university, there were several different methods for accessing and paying for printing. The process was expensive and cumbersome and a source of dissatisfaction and complaint for students.

UWA needed to offer students a consistent, high-quality printing experience and, with this in mind, they approached Datacom.

SolutionDatacom gained a detailed understanding of student printing requirements and the issues to be overcome before recommending a Managed Print Service and the implementation of 120 new student printers across some 100 campus locations. Each new device has a Virtual Cash Controller terminal, which allows students to swipe their student card to access and pay for print jobs sent to a central print queue. This means that each time a student prints from anywhere on campus, the experience is identical, their printout can be released from any print location, and a consistent charge is made.

By enabling the alignment of printing costs and providing in-depth reporting, UWA can track charges against the cost of the new service. The UWA Client Services team now has full visibility of printer utilisation, allowing rationalisation and reallocation of printers within the fleet to better meet needs, and has a detailed record of the Student Printing Service cost.

The contract is flexible and can be added to, as and when required, as older devices come up for renewal, making it easy and inexpensive for new faculties or other departments to join the fleet.

UWA now has a fit-for-purpose printing fleet that is inexpensive to manage and offers students a state-of-the-art service. This not only helps reduce the university’s overall operating costs but also supports the ongoing objectives of operational excellence and improving the student experience at UWA.

“Datacom quickly understood what was important to UWA in designing a consolidated student printing service, and the service delivered has been exceptional in meeting student needs. The Datacom Managed Print Service is relatively hands-off for UWA staff, which has alleviated the printing support workload for multiple IT and admin teams across campus, significantly reducing costs. We are very happy to have partnered with Datacom to deliver a service that is having a positive impact on the UWA student experience.”Alison Trpevski – Associate Director Client Services, IT Services, The University of Western Australia


INDUSTRY: Education

Technologies delivered- 120 new student printers

- Virtual cash controllers

Results- Inexpensive, fit-for-purpose printer fleet

- Detailed reporting for full visualisation of printer use

- Significantly enhanced student user experience

- Overall operating costs reduced

PartnershipDatacom provided two full-time, onsite engineers at UWA – one to install new devices and maintain the printer fleet, and the second to organise and swap out all paper and consumables. They act as a single point of contact for the entire UWA fleet, which means they can centrally manage everything onsite.



INDUSTRY: Engineering

ChallengeWith large and complex global engineering projects, Cardno is dependent on ready access to detailed documentation and plans that require large amounts of storage. Cardno’s legacy storage platform was aging and becoming a bottleneck in the continual growth of important data and services. In order for normal business activities to run efficiently on primary systems, Cardno had to run manual processes to move data to third-tier archiving devices. The IT department identified the need for a scalable, cost-effective technology to manage existing and future requirements.

SolutionDatacom has been working with Cardno since 1998. Based on this sound relationship, combined with an existing understanding of their technology, Cardno chose Datacom – confident in our ability to deliver a cost-effective storage solution that would meet current and future needs, and deliver it within their critical timeframes.

ChallengeQTC operates a complex business across multiple sites, which requires an agile and responsive information and communication technology (ICT) system. In addition to frequent travel requirements, their team is split geographically, with production managers spending significant time at QPAC theatre and other locations while finance, marketing, philanthropy and corporate development employees are located at the main office at West End.

In order to operate more efficiently, maximise their time and eliminate unnecessary administrative functions, QTC required an ICT solution that would facilitate staff connectivity and provide greater oversight of where key staff were located. As their longstanding IT service partner, they approached Datacom to implement an enhanced internal communication system that would enable them to deliver on their aims and operate as an efficient and flexible business.

Global engineering company’s cost efficient storage solution Cardno is an infrastructure and environmental services company with specialist expertise in the development and improvement of physical and social infrastructure for communities around the world. Cardno’s core business is the delivery of consulting services to governments and government institutions at all levels, and private clients ranging from individuals through to multi-nationals across the entire range of civil engineering, environmental and international development assistance activities. Cardno employs around 8000 people in 290 offices worldwide and has its head office in Brisbane.

Fast-paced entertainment world requires seamless staff connectivityQueensland Theatre Company (QTC) is the state’s flagship professional theatre company. The company has a strong focus on encouraging theatre as an art form and runs a detailed programme of regional tours, workshops and events designed to spark an appreciation of theatre at all levels – from school and community groups right up to internationally acclaimed productions.

We implemented the latest HP 3Par solution that not only delivers greater levels of performance and functionality at a lower cost of ownership, but also maximises Cardno’s storage to facilitate further expansion over the life of the equipment. IT staff can now step back from time-consuming manual tasks to focus on beneficial business projects.

ResultDatacom put in a lot of work to understand Cardno’s business and performance needs, IT environment, hardware infrastructure and applications, and worked closely with their IT department to validate information and discuss various solutions.

SolutionIn the time-poor, competitive entertainment industry, people constantly juggle a variety of tasks and projects and need their ICT systems to work seamlessly with their day-to-day functions. Datacom’s unique understanding of the QTC’s business requirements allowed us to recommend Microsoft Lync 2010 for its user practicality and focus on connectivity.

The enterprise edition allows maximum flexibility and adaptability for QTC employees and facilitates secure communication with employees offsite. In addition, a second server located in a DMZ allows secure remote and mobile access, providing further functionality for busy QTC staff.

As a result, the QTC staff have an ICT solution that has enabled them to keep pace with their busy and demanding industry. They’re able to see at a glance where their staff are, arrange conferences and meetings and keep in touch with staff who are working offsite or touring regional Queensland. This means they can dedicate more time to their core business: developing relationships with stakeholders, customers and fostering theatre in Queensland – an immeasurable benefit.

“The project was successful because of Datacom’s due diligence, thoughtful design and rapid and efficient implementation. Cardno carried out a post-implementation review which showed we were utilising the new technology to the best of its abilities. And, again, we can give credit to Datacom for understanding our needs and delivering the right solution that they backed with a guarantee of success.” Darren Millar – Global IT Manager, Cardno

Technologies deliveredDatacom implemented Microsoft Lync 2010 to allow Queensland Theatre Company to collaborate more effectively.

PartnershipDatacom’s collaborative approach and in-depth understanding of QTC ensured that from initial consultation right through to completion, the implementation of Lync did not impact on their business-as-usual operations and integrated smoothly with existing software.

“Datacom understand our business issues and identified a practical solution that is tailor-made to meet our requirements. They address our specific needs and explain business solutions simply and clearly.” Michael Cullinan – Chief Financial Officer



Agility through IT consolidationCrowe Horwath New Zealand has the largest accounting, audit, tax and business advisory footprint in New Zealand. With 22 offices across the country and a substantial presence in more than 100 countries, Crowe Horwath pride themselves on being part of the community.

ChallengeCrowe Horwath had a vision to operate as a truly national business by consolidating its IT platforms to provide common access to client records and services from any location. The 22 offices ran out of six business hubs throughout New Zealand, each with its own IT systems, localised support and no ability to share capacity or data. This produced an inefficient and costly use of IT resources, a lack of integration and no consistency across software packages.

The business couldn’t tap into the potential from each region and had to regularly reskill its 600-plus staff. This impacted on client billing and job rotation, making the process inefficient, costly and the business less agile. Of the six business hubs, five were in need of new server systems and upgrades – an outsourcing model was the next logical step.

SolutionDatacom transitioned the six regional hubs to a single IT platform by migrating all existing systems to our cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform. It became apparent workload requirements would be different and the costs involved would change significantly – lead times were adjusted to suit.

Citrix and thin client were implemented to remove reliance on desktops and create a consistent experience across the organisation. Crowe Horwath sought to streamline its numerous accounting applications and Datacom provided its knowledge and experience to deal with the primary software vendor, APS.

Crowe Horwath can move work to where capacity or capability exists, allowing them to offer better and different services to their growing portfolio of clients, with greater control of IT spending.

A national, fully managed service desk was created to bring measurable delivery across all locations and services. The introduction of an external service desk required a different mindset, as staff were used to having IT support on site. Improvements are being made to make the desk more interactive and deliver faster solutions; both companies acknowledged that utilising this service has been a big learning curve for staff.

Results- Server farms reduced by more than 50% after moving to Datacom cloud IaaS platform

- Built-in flexibility by removing redundant IT systems has enabled access to the latest technology and systems without additional expense

- APS databases reduced from six to one

- Crowe Horwath can scale up and down depending on business requirements and has improved customer experience

- Consistent and transparent service to staff regardless of location has enabled better resource sharing across the group

- Staff have guaranteed access to help by using Datacom’s support services compared to the previous in-house situation

- Clear leadership lines have created stronger and more inclusive investment decisions rather than multiple individual views


INDUSTRY: Finance

“The Datacom team are not just vendors. They are seen as an extension of us.” Matt Stark – National IT Manager, Crowe Horwath

PartnershipBy working closely with key stakeholders and building solid relationships, Datacom has become a trusted partner of Crowe Horwath. Open collaboration with both IT and staff achieved the right solutions. Two-way due diligence allowed Crowe Horwath to understand our expertise and delivery capabilities, while we ensured we understood their business requirements.

“The Datacom team are great to work with, their level of professionalism and expertise round storage and data security is a big step forward for our business.” Phil Mulvey – New Zealand CEO, Crowe Horwath


DATA CENTRES

Datacom has been involved in building and managing data centres for decades. Throughout that time, the expertise of our staff has ensured our facilities have remained operational around the clock and through the multiple natural disasters that have occurred across the region. This heritage of tried-and-true experience flows through to our operations today.

Looking ForwardReliable, secure data centres are a vital piece of the infrastructure that sits behind most mission-critical IT systems. The pressure on these facilities to achieve higher and higher availability continues. Increasingly, IT systems are influencing activity in the physical world in real time. Any unplanned disruption to these systems threatens chaos and, in some situations, lives. Even in a low-risk, paperless office environment of medium size, a disruption in IT service of 60 minutes is seen as an unacceptable possibility.

As servers and storage becomes denser and data centres become larger, the concentration of criticality means that higher and higher standards are appropriate. Compounding the pressure, the emergence of big-data technologies that can analyse considerable data in real time is encouraging even more ambitious IT systems, which often come with even higher risk profiles. The appetite for increased computer power is coupled with organisations seeing the risk of malicious damage as a possibility that they can no longer ignore.

Data Centres

Neutral Ground Datacom operates all its data centres on an open and neutral-ground basis. We encourage our competitors to make use of the facilities and we provide no barriers to access. We don’t enforce any linkages between data centre occupancy and other Datacom services. Also, unlike some other centres we do not restrict the supply of telecommunication services or impose an inter-customer cross-connect tax.

As a consequence of these policies, and the relatively large scale of Orbit and Kapua, we are beginning to see the establishment of cross-connected systems feeding on each other. Both these centres house multiple third-party telecommunications and cloud computing nodes, as well as Datacom’s own commercial and government network and cloud facilities. For existing and potential customers with their own equipment in these centres, this provides a raft of convenient and competitive options.

Uptime Institute AccreditationThe Uptime Institute is recognised worldwide for its data centre tier rating standard. Lesser known is that they also have a data centre operational process standard, which is claimed by successfully passing an onsite audit undertaken by Uptime Institute. Data centre availability is driven by both the resilience of the infrastructure and the robustness of the surrounding processes. Importantly the tier rating does not consider the supporting operational processes. The audit looks at operational and maintenance processes.

The audit was undertaken during July 2014 across the Orbit and Kapua data centres. Datacom achieved an almost world-beating 95.6 percent compliance with best practice – one of the highest scores ever achieved. Orbit and Kapua are the only data centres in

New Zealand and Australia to have successfully achieved this credential. Customers can be assured our processes are of the highest standard.

Abel Smith upgrade: Seismic strengthening project We have been updating our Wellington Abel Smith Street premises to a high-level earthquake rating. The various earthquakes we’ve experienced over the last few years have not impacted this centre – the substantially increased strengthening makes us confident it is in very good shape for the future. In addition, we have refurbished the two floors of office space and now have a contemporary environment to house 170 staff.

Upgrades, improvements and customer savings

Multimillion-dollar Perth upgradeA recently completed multimillion dollar upgrade of the Perth data centre delivers additional capacity and extends the breadth of data centre solutions that are already available to clients.

Auckland’s Orbit PUE continues to improveWe are always looking at how to make things work better. This is evidenced in the 12-month rolling PUE at Orbit, which is now down to 1.45 and below the original design target! We will keep working for ongoing improvement.

Fixed power prices at Orbit and Kapua Following an extensive process, we are very happy to share the results of our recent power tender. Our newly negotiated contract has enabled us to reduce the average power cost across the Orbit and Kapua sites by 17.8 percent.

Centre Locations:

- Auckland

- Hamilton

- Wellington

- Christchurch

- Brisbane *

- Sydney

- Canberra *

- Melbourne

- Adelaide *

- Perth* 3rd party

7 owned facilities6 partner facilities2500 racks managed6.5Mw of IT load supportedKapua expansionThe Kapua data centre, which opened in February 2013, is located in one of the lowest earthquake-risk zones in New Zealand and is ideally situated as both a primary and disaster-recover site (paired with Auckland). Initial uptake of the first two data floors of 368 rack positions was brisk and soon after opening, the construction of two additional data halls was commenced. Construction was completed in June 2014 and the first of those halls is now fully fitted out and operational.

Also this year, Kapua and Orbit achieved the following independent certifications:

- PCI DSS independently certified

- ISAE NZ 3402 independently certified

- Uptime Institute – Management and Operations Stamp of Approval

- TIA-942 Tier 3+ independent assessment

3rd Party ArrangementsDuring the last 12 months, Datacom Australia signed a national agreement with NEXTDC that will enable us to provide co-location services in NEXTDC data centres, expanding our existing capability and enabling access to dual solutions in each capital city of Australia. These facilities are linked to our local fibre rings and provide excellent cost-effective, multi-data centre DR options to customers.

Against this backdrop of increasing criticality and pressure to provide additional capacity, Datacom has been working over to strengthen our offering on the following fronts:

1. Expansion

2. Earthquake strengthening older facilities

3. Partnering with third-party data centre providers to ensure: access to the absolute best facilities available in each region; each of our own facilities has an economical distant but not-too-distant disaster recovery pairing option

4. Upgrading data centre systems to provide increased resilience

5. Replacing near-end-of-life plant

6. Improving operational processes within data centres

7. Improving transparency of operations through improved reporting and real-time instrumentation

8. Improving connectivity between data centres and hyper-scale cloud providers.


Datacom houses Ministry’s new infrastructure environment The Ministry of Education (MoE) is charged with building a world-leading education system in New Zealand and in 2013 the Government provided approximately $12.2 billion to fund education.

Outsourcing cuts cost for Mighty River Power Mighty River Power is one of New Zealand’s largest electricity companies. Its core business is based on renewable electricity generation and it is one of the world’s largest geothermal power station owners. The company operates a centralised IT department across all its divisions.

ChallengeEarthquakes centered around Seddon last year shook Wellington, where the Ministry’s production environment was housed, prompting an audit of the resiliency of its core production systems. The audit illustrated vulnerability in the Ministry’s existing data centres and disaster recovery strategy. To minimize recovery risks the Ministry released a tender to relocate critical systems to a high-grade, purpose-built data centre.

SolutionThe Ministry chose Datacom’s Kapua Data Centre in Hamilton as its primary centre, realising the Tier 3+ facility would provide a flexible and cost-effective service, delivered by an experienced and proven IaaS provider.

The project was designed to be a ‘lift and shift’ of all the Ministry’s racks, however, it was decided to relocate and pre-stage equipment prior to the Easter holiday move.

The four days allowed for an early install and set up of eight instances of Datacom-leased 48RU racks for the Ministry’s own storage and Tape Library racks. Significant time was invested in planning, pre-staging of equipment, networking, upfront testing of its shared testing environment and communicating with key stakeholders.

The next step is a lift and shift of the Ministry’s disaster recovery environment to the Datacom Orbit Data Centre; its 10 racks will be moved over one weekend.

ChallengeMighty River Power was relocating its Hamilton office to a new building, which meant moving the server room. The organisation decided outsourcing the service would be the best solution, providing cost savings, removing the maintenance of a dedicated server room and enabling the organisation to tap into a higher-grade facility.

SolutionMighty River Power selected Datacom as its preferred partner and visited Hamilton’s Kapua data centre, the most resilient in New Zealand. The organisation found Kapua a higher-grade facility than it could build itself and the cloud-ready environment suited its needs.

Mighty River Power currently owns the infrastructure and rents rack cabinets and is achieving a range of benefits through outsourcing, including scalability and lower total cost of ownership.

Results - Efficient relocation to Kapua Data Centre

had minimal impact on Ministry business

- Mitigation of risks associated with existing infrastructure in Wellington

- A more resilient service with greater flexibility and outcomes

- Establishment of key infrastructure alongside Datacom Government IaaS services enable simpler migration to this foundation in the future

Technologies deliveredDatacom delivered data centre relocation services, including the use of power, cables, network connections and rack cabinets.

Results- The 12-hour move was successfully completed

well within the approved change window

- Kapua exceeded Mighty River Power’s expectations, and outsourcing provides security due to scale

- Mighty River Power originally required an additional rack, but subsequently determined this was no longer needed and cancelled the order at no cost. This level of flexibility illustrated the immediate benefits of working with Datacom in a co-location model

- Shifting its infrastructure to the Datacom facility has freed up staff to focus on more pertinent tasks

PartnershipMighty River Power’s project team managed the end-to-end migrating of its servers, while Datacom’s data centre team built and executed the migration plan. This great partnership resulted in Mighty River Power winning the PMINZ Public Sector Project of the Year 2013 award, with the judges particularly impressed by solid planning that ensured the project’s successful delivery.

Technologies deliveredCo-location services, which included the use of power, cables, network connections, rack cabinets and off-site tape backup services.

CASE STUDY: Data CentresCASE STUDY: Data Centres

INDUSTRY: GovernmentINDUSTRY: Energy

“Datacom’s managed infrastructure facility, with its energy efficient power, earthquake proofing and security, meets all the Ministry’s requirements to reliably support its business.”Steve Catlow – Senior Manager, Operations and Infrastructure Services, Ministry of Education

PartnershipDatacom and the Ministry formed a strong collaborative partnership, working closely together following a detailed implementation plan with clear roles and responsibilities, escalation paths, back-out and communication plans.

“The team was extremely open and transparent to work with and they always offered practical advice – quickly. The whole way through the project – from the Kapua tour to the RFP process, to the shift into Kapua, to the bill arriving – expectations were clearly met. The project was without surprise or issue. This firmly cemented that selecting Datacom was the right decision.”

Brendan McAnnalley – ICT Operations Manager, Mighty River Power


DATACOM CONNECT

Datacom Connect arms organisations with service solutions, tools and channels to address the continually evolving expectations and demands of their customers.

We value customer experience, innovation and contemporary technology that, with expert application, drive successful performance for organisations that desire to lead from the front.

Understanding what matters to customers is crucial to the success of our clients’ businesses. Our specialist customer intelligence services go beyond simply evaluating the customer experience to uncovering business-critical data and insights. Our aim is to provide performance-enhancing solutions that deliver quantifiable, bottom-line business benefits and improve operational efficiencies, enabling our clients to proactively strengthen their brand and reputation.

Our customer service solutions include:

- Multi-channel contact centres; in hours, after hours and 24/7 platforms

- Managed telephony services; Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) technology

- Campaign support; outbound advertising, product recall, mystery shopping and consumer education campaigns

- Process improvement and reengineering; business process, service design and workforce planning consultancy to drive efficiencies, continuous improvement and quality assurance

- Back-office processing: forms, applications, registrations, payroll and debt processing

- Customer-intelligence solutions: customer-experience analytics and social media monitoring, engagement and analysis delivering rich customer insights

We are a trusted partner for a number of government departments and agencies, and have proven experience in the design, delivery and continuous evolution of citizen-experience platforms. We offer a suite of services that enable government to engage efficiently and effectively with the community.

Datacom Connect for intelligent solutions

Datacom – tackling security threats head onThere’s never been a more dangerous time to store data, yet all of us do just that. Data of every kind grows at an incredible rate in the cloud, in the enterprise and on mobile devices.

Multiple news reports have amply demonstrated the increased threat through hacks and leaks of information from public and private entities. Keeping that data safe has become an enormous business challenge. Edward Snowden’s audacious data leaks highlighted the “insider threat”.

In this rapidly changing landscape we know that the end users, business and governments are getting serious about their security planning. Our answer to the growing security threat has been two-fold. First, to beef up our security teams right across our organisation to ensure that we have experts on call around the clock and in every location. Second, we have invested in growing a world-class team of security specialists.

The conventional “one-size-fits-all” product-centric approach to security simply can’t keep pace with advances in technology and the rapid evolution of threats.

Datacom Technical Security Services (DTSS) is an expert and rapid response provider of penetration testing, application code reviews, security architecture, database security and threat intelligence. It was founded by highly skilled former Australian Government Defence cyber intelligence and information security specialists.

DTSS works to mitigate and minimise risks posed by those looking to disrupt business operations, covertly steal data of economic value or damage the reputation of a targeted organisation. We take action and provide advice before threats occur, to strengthen organisations’ defences, and react to incidents at short notice.

A growing client base for DTSS ranges from household-name publicly listed organisations through to federal, state and local government agencies.

With detailed knowledge of contemporary cyber threats, DTSS provides integrated cyber security strategies and practical technical advice, ensuring valuable and sensitive business data and assets are protected across Australia.

DATACOM SECURITY


A lean-driven transformation Founded in 1850, the University of Sydney is Australia’s oldest university and one of the most prestigious in the country. Ranked as the 27th most reputable university in the world, it comprises 16 faculties and schools.

ChallengeThe university’s administration Campus Infrastructure Services (CIS) is responsible for 13 campuses and their 720 buildings and grounds. CIS covers building engineering, maintenance, leasing, security, car parking, lost property and building works, as well as student services.

In early 2013, CIS was suffering a negative reputation; clients considered its processes inefficient and its suppliers inaccessible. Specifically, the customer contact centre had abandon rates of more than 30 percent, repeat enquiry numbers were high, and wait times for requested services were up to three weeks.

The eight-member contact centre dealt with up to 300 enquiries per day and resolution was highly dependent on the knowledge of individual staff. Processes were inconsistent and not documented. CIS Operations Manager, Kevin Duffy, recognised that the key to great customer service is providing an accessible first point of contact. He also wanted a system that would support ongoing improvement and independently measure and proactively manage third-party performance.

SolutionThe Datacom project team worked closely with CIS stakeholders to fully understand contact centre requirements; reviewing processes, procedures and existing data. Problem areas and customer needs were identified for improvement, as well as immediate and future opportunities for change. As a result, the project established two contact teams – one processing calls and emails, the other managing the front desk.

All procedures were formally documented and supported with industry-leading COPC best-practice principles. Performance management, recruitment and training identified the best staff to manage the front desk and contact centre and a system was implemented to measure efficiency and resolution rates. Technically, the IVR (phone menu) was redesigned and re-scripted to improve customer experience. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system was introduced, as were real-time monitoring and reporting tools, knowledge sharing structures and live-process performance software.

ResultsThe CIS project delivered a holistic management approach in aligning service-to-resolution processes, and customer and organisational needs. It delivered a platform that constantly provides the opportunity to improve business effectiveness and efficiency, as well as the capability to strive for innovation and integration with technology.

In a vote of confidence in the CIS contact centre, 40 percent of the venue services workload was successfully incorporated with no increase of headcount. This has freed up venues staff to focus on increasing lease occupancy rates, which is forecast to generate $10 million per annum for the University.

Employees have reported increased job satisfaction due to greater knowledge and capabilities to self-resolve issues – this is supported by the retention of all employees identified as desired talent.

CASE STUDY: Datacom Connect

INDUSTRY: Education

“Datacom went out of their way to understand how Sydney University CIS services work and how they could best support the business. The result has been a collaborative team effort. Datacom walked us through each phase of the process and provided ongoing communication through regular project meetings. Their closed-loop solution offers us a great degree of flexibility and has improved the efficiency of our operations, eliminating past bottlenecks and helping us to retain key staff.”Kevin Duffy – CIS Operations Manager, Sydney University

PartnershipIn reviewing the university’s short and long-term objectives, Datacom worked closely with CIS stakeholders to fully understand their requirements. From that point through to implementing a broadly successful new contact centre, the two teams became closely aligned. Sydney University is now looking at extending the partnership into a second phase in which the two teams will collaborate to increase the efficiency of on-campus venues.

Ministry for Primary Industries overhauls its contact centre servicesThe Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was created following the amalgamation of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Fisheries, and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.

ChallengeMPI’s vision is clear: to grow and protect New Zealand by maximising export opportunities for the primary industries, improving sector productivity, increasing sustainable resource use, and protecting New Zealand from biological risk.

Bringing three agencies together brought some significant challenges as MPI sought to upscale its customer service through streamlining its process to one single point of contact, providing a consistent experience.

MPI wanted to build stronger relationships with its partners and improve the experience of those using its General Enquiries service. On average the General Enquiries channel handles 3500 to 4000 calls per month; this was one key area the ministry had targeted for improvement.

MPI sought a partner that could offer a high level of technical expertise cost effectively, and operate across multiple locations with 24/7 service delivery.

SolutionMPI evaluated providers on their ability to understand the Ministry’s service requirements, plus their reputation in the market, technical expertise, multiple-site organisation, cost structure, and management personnel structure. Datacom Connect came out on top. Datacom began working with MPI during the first half of 2013. As part of the voice-only service delivered by Datacom, all MPI general enquiries phone calls are routed from its existing 0800 telco provider into Datacom Connect’s Interactive Intelligence (ININ) telephony platform. The calls are then handled by our Wellington team of agents. Trained contact centre professionals handle calls, quickly triage them and route them back to MPI individuals or directorates as appropriate.

The service went live to callers in early June 2013, at first accessible only during business hours. This was extended to a 24/7 service when Datacom Connect also took over the provision of MPI’s Exotic Pest and Disease service in March 2014. This service enables members of the public and industry experts to report anything suspicious relating to animal, insect, plant or marine pests or diseases.

Datacom offered MPI better reporting about customer feedback, and had input into maintaining the currency of a client-developed, shared knowledge base.

Results- Improved performance reporting aimed at providing

a better, more accurate view of the contact centre. This includes 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds

- Flexible service and effective response time during a crisis, including setup of a temporary 24/7 service prior to the contact centre becoming officially an around-the-clock service

- Improved customer experience through a reduction in misdirected calls, which in turn has led to fewer complaints

- MPI’s focus has been on continuing to provide high levels of customer service while exploring new ways to lower average call handling times

Technologies delivered

- MPI’s own Excel-based knowledge base

- Datacom ININ telephony solution



“Datacom ranked highly in understanding our requirements, and have been responsive to any plans, changes or enhancements we looked to implement. The General Enquiries service has been excellent and has met agreed SLAs.” Tim Grace - Team Leader MPI Customer Enquiries

PartnershipDatacom offered MPI an open and supportive relationship by demonstrating quick and efficient response times. Datacom’s communications focus allowed MPI to have accurate information where possible and be flexible to changes as the situation required. MPI was keen to be involved in ensuring the contact centre was equipped with the correct levels of knowledge and understanding, and the contact centre was supported through the establishment of an MPI Customer Enquiries Team. This team was a second-tier support to the contact centre. These two teams provide a seamless service in the way they supported the customer. The shared aim is to ensure that if an enquiry needs to be passed between organisations, it is done in such a seamless way the customer will not be able to tell.




INDUSTRY: Energy

INDUSTRY: Energy

ChallengeAEMO was interested in the potential adoption of Social Media as a communications, relationship building, and community management channel for their internal and external stakeholders. Their objective in this situation was to identify the best way to build an over-arching Social Media strategy, through gaining better understanding of the existing industry (digital) landscape and capturing the online public perception of the AEMO brand across a range of social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Forums, Blogs, and others.

AEMO approached Datacom to perform a full-spectrum independent Social Media audit that both captured information stated above and provided in-depth insights, and recommendations on ways to approach an effective over-arching Social Media strategy build.

SolutionDatacom mapped and planned a comprehensive approach in order to capture a 360-degree view of their social presence. The audit helped AEMO gain deep understanding of their

ChallengeBased on increasing customer demands, the QBCC was keen to expand their contact centre operations to open on a 24/7 basis. This was necessary to help ease office hours volume and to provide better customer service. With this criteria in mind, they went to tender in early 2014.

SolutionAfter winning the tender, Datacom and QBCC quickly developed a tailor-made 24/7 customer experience solution that enabled the launch of a shared client platform – this includes all payment transactions, allowing contractors and home owners to renew licences and raise insurance at a time that suits them. The project was delivered seamlessly and smoothly, without any reduction in service.

Social media monitoring solution provides the Australian Energy Market Operator with valuable strategic industry and customer insightsThe Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) plays an important role in supporting the energy industry in Australia to deliver a more integrated, secure, and cost effective national energy supply. AEMO operates the energy markets and systems and also delivers planning advice in eastern and south-eastern Australia.

Customers win with contact centre partnershipThe Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) was established in 2013 as the state’s industry regulator, replacing the Building Services Authority. A statutory body, the QBCC is part of the portfolio of the Minister for Housing and Public Works. As construction is one of the four pillars of the Queensland economy, the Commission has an important task in serving customers, contributing to economic growth and regulating the industry.

online brand equity, key industry influencers, and sentiment towards the brand. Datacom also performed comparative analysis of AEMO against international and domestic like-minded organisations in Social Media. Based on this audit, Datacom was able to provide AEMO with tactical and strategic considerations to help educate the way forward. These findings have helped key members of the AEMO Communication & Corporate Affairs team build a business case to encourage the potential for a deeper Social Media adoption across the organisation.

ResultDue to the in-depth knowledge and valuable analysis delivered from the Datacom audit and insights, AEMO is now in a more confident position to use Social Media as a key communications and stakeholder engagement channel to support existing channels. Datacom will also be working in collaboration with AEMO to help launch a new product in the social space, and ensure an effective Social Media strategy is in place to support its ongoing stakeholder engagement plans.

Result- QBCC has a 24/7 solution that allows for a consistent

customer experience

“Allowing our customers to conduct their business with us at a time that’s convenient for them is providing a better, more flexible service, and we are pleased to have Datacom on board to support this exciting development.” Steve Griffin – QBCC Commissioner

“As an organisation that continues to evolve and adapt, AEMO need to continually provide value to our stakeholders. AEMO engaged Datacom to provide an audit on our social online landscape to see how we can continue to add value within a constantly changing energy landscape. The final report was of a high quality and recommendations were clear.”Joe Adamo – Group Manager, Communication & Corporate Affairs at AEMO

PartnershipDuring our eight-year relationship with the State regulator, Datacom has provided hosting, infrastructure and management services. By leveraging our longstanding partnership, we were able to ramp up a 24/7 solution for QBCC in a very short space of time.

Dell uses Parallels Automation Managed Support Services In January 2011, a competitive process culminated in the selection of Datacom as a support services supplier on behalf of Parallels. While the company began working in conjunction with Parallels’ own support team, 2012 saw the launch of its Parallels Automation Managed Services offering. The first customer of this new service was Dell, one of the largest PC vendors in the world, with considerable cloud-based services.

ChallengeAs part of an ongoing process to move services and popular applications to the cloud, Microsoft launched Office 365 in mid 2011. Dell soon considered adding Office 365 to its own cloud services lineup. “I managed the launch of Dell Office 365, and it was my job to get a syndication platform to provision the software,” says Bastien Casset, Dell’s Programme Manager for Dell Office 365.

“We looked at the cost of implementing a solution and at speed to market. Although we compared several solutions, Parallels was the fastest and most cost effective option for us. It also came highly recommended by Microsoft.”

Dell committed to using Parallels Automation to connect with publisher partners and provide a customer interface for subscription management and self-service provisioning. However, this created a new business challenge for Casset and his team.

Parallels Automation is a platform to automate and simplify cloud service delivery. “With Parallels Automation, we’d found a solution that could sit at the centre of our third-party subscription reselling model,” says Casset. “It could handle all the provisioning and all the management. The business could not operate without it. But, since this was a third-party solution, we knew from the outset Dell IT would not support it directly.”

To get the most from Parallels Automation and maintain continuity of this critical platform, Dell needed a capable and experienced support services provider.

SolutionWhile Parallels recommended Datacom, Dell considered several managed services companies. However, it was Datacom’s experience with Office 365, in addition to Parallels Automation, that led Casset to us.

“Training staff to support customers and manage Office 365 on Parallels Automation would have been a time consuming and expensive task for Dell,” says Clark Hobson, Vice President at Datacom. “By working with us, Dell could focus on the business decisions and go-to-market activities associated with launching cloud services, with absolute confidence the technology would be there to support them.”

The Parallels Automation managed services package includes technical engineering support for the platform, business engineering support to provide new and updated cloud services, change management services to retain old functionality while introducing new elements, and ongoing monitoring and alerting.

Datacom was recently tasked with moving Dell’s environment to a new location. This involved migrating large virtual machines without putting stability and data integrity at risk. Datacom completed this process in under 10 days. “The migration Datacom did for us was really fast, given the size of our VMs,” says Casset.

With the proven abilities of Parallels Automation and the extensive support of Datacom, Dell launched its syndicated Microsoft Office 365 offering with great success. “Parallels Automation offers all the features we need, including provisioning, billing and account management,” says Casset. “Meanwhile, Datacom is a dedicated support provider who can manage the entire platform so Dell IT is not involved.”

The success prompted Dell to ask Datacom to provide additional services, including a small outbound sales team. Integrating sales, support and management activities in one team has led to a boost in Office 365 license sales of approximately 15 percent.

“Today, we are 100 percent dependent on Parallels and Datacom to provide a great experience to our customers,” adds Casset. “I would recommend Parallels Automation to anyone looking to resell cloud solutions, and Datacom to anyone who needs professional, proactive support.”

CASE STUDY: IT Management Asia

INDUSTRY: Computer Technology

Technologies delivered- Parallels Automation

- Parallels Automation Managed Support Services from Datacom

Result- Datacom’s managed services allow Dell

to concentrate on core business activities

- A direct relationship with Parallels allows Datacom to access information from the Parallels team

- Parallels Automation is a single platform that can handle provisioning, billing, and account management for Dell Office 365

- The combination of Parallels Automation and a managed services provider experience accelerate time to market

“Datacom is always willing to help with these important projects, and helps us on a day-to-day basis by staying on top of software updates at Parallels and Microsoft.”Bastien Casset – Programme Manager Dell Office 365, Dell

PartnershipDatacom’s attitude to support is complete, comprehensive, and proactive. “We do whatever is required to manage the environment effectively,” says Datacom’s Clark Hobson. “For Dell, this includes assistance in provisioning cloud services and maintaining performance, resolving any technical issues that may arise, and extending support to Dell’s customers.” Dell’s reliance on Datacom is a reflection of our commitment to them.


PAYROLL

Today, organisations require innovative services that enable market differentiation, and ultimately transform the way in which business creates sustained value for all stakeholders.

Datacom understands that services need to be dynamic, pre-emptive and scalable and that smart and practical technology can drive cost efficiency while meeting the evolving customer expectations.

Datacom’s first-class Payroll and Human Capital Management services leverage our expertise and economies of scale to help drive operational excellence.

We write our own software and run our own systems locally in Australia and New Zealand. We run the payroll for thousands of organisations and have a solid understanding of local requirements and regulations.

Our software developers continuously improve on our payroll applications; this ensures that every time you connect to one, you will be using the latest version of our software.

We have the ability to apply fresh thinking to complex payrolls, with excellence in:

- Delivering cost and service efficiencies for back-office HCM/payroll

- Interpreting awards and collectives based on our detailed understanding of industry rules and precedents

- Implementing, maintaining and supporting payroll services for a wide range of industries

Payroll and Human Capital Management

Icebreaker reduces costs by outsourcing payrollAs the New Zealand brand that pioneered outdoor merino wool apparel, Icebreaker has been evolving to become a multi-channel integrated business with 19 company-branded retail stores, over 4000 wholesale customers, direct eCommerce and over 400 employees worldwide. Sales have tripled in the last six years with sales projected to exceed $200m in 2014, with 80 percent of these sales now in Europe and North America. The company is committed to a business model that doesn’t put profits ahead of the environment and is seeking to double sales within the next five years through global expansion across all channels.

ChallengeAbout four years ago, Icebreaker was set up to operate as eight relatively independent country- based teams supported by a small global head office in Wellington, NZ and a design and online hub in Portland, Oregon, USA. The company was starting to contemplate regionalisation to gain operational efficiencies and enable greater investment in its direct-to-consumer channels. The primary focus for the small Wellington-based global human resources team was a single minded one - to align and systemise paper-based and resource intensive human resources processes across the global network and create a platform for growth.

As an important part of this objective, they began to consider how best to outsource the processing of their New Zealand payrolls to reduce the error rates and costs. Their in-house small business payroll system solution was outdated with limited reporting. They wanted to leverage the benefits of online employee and manager self-service, including online leave management.

SolutionIcebreaker chose to partner with Datacom and signed up to a managed service for their three fortnightly NZ payrolls, including two salary based payrolls and an hourly rate retail payroll. With a smooth transition to the Easipay solution and a positive response from the team, it was a straight forward and logical decision to bring their Australian payroll processing from a competitor to Datacom when Datacom expanded their EasiPay payroll offering a year or two on to cover all states in Australia.

This decision was also well timed with Icebreaker’s decision to regionalise finance for their New Zealand and Australian markets. The responsibility for coordinating the Australian payroll which had previously sat with the Australian Finance Manager was easily integrated into the responsibilities of the existing Global HR Payroll & Systems Coordinator located in Wellington.

This was definitely a case of the right timing; Datacom Payroll had a team of developers that were rapidly building the Australian legislative requirements into the existing DataPay and EasiPay products.

Icebreaker agreed to work with the timeline of Datacom Payroll and were one of five clients involved in the pilot phase of the project, which went live in July 2013.

Icebreaker has a dedicated Datacom consultant available to solve any issues that may come up for the global HR and Finance teams. Their employees and managers across both New Zealand and Australia are using the self-service portal to maintain their payroll information, manage their leave requests and share pay-slips and payment summaries. Part-timers are also submitting their hours through the system.

ResultsWith the decision to outsource its payrolls to Datacom, Icebreaker are now benefiting from the single point of contact and the same software solution for both their New Zealand and Australian payrolls and managers working across both geographies are grateful for only having to learn and use one type of system.

CASE STUDY: Payroll

INDUSTRY: Retail

They also report the following positive outcomes:

- Better control of payroll with one person now spending about 10% of their week coordinating both the New Zealand and Australian payrolls

- Cost saving as a result of the reduced workload for both the human resource and finance teams and online leave request approval process

- Reduced error rates as a result of the file upload functionality as well as access to payroll expertise

- Happier employees as they can now access their payroll information through the self-service portal at their own convenience (including payslips and leave balances)

Technologies delivered- Outsourced EasiPay payroll with employee

and manager self-service

PartnershipDatacom’s consultant worked closely with the Icebreaker team to understand the complex requirements that Icebreaker needed to comply with for retail staff, and to ensure the DataPay system was set up correctly to pay their team in accordance with the Australian Retail Award requirements.

Datacom’s relationship with Icebreaker was strengthened by the process of working together to achieve the desired goal – a centralised, pragmatic and hassle-free payroll solution.

“It’s great dealing with a local company that can provide cost-effective payroll services for both our New Zealand and Australian teams in an easy-to-use system. Our managers, with people in both countries, also really appreciate having only one system to learn and I’m particularly grateful for our consultant’s dedication to helping us navigate the complexities of both the New Zealand and Australian payroll environments.” Emma Ludvigsen – Global Head of HR Service, Icebreaker


CASE STUDY: Payroll

CASE STUDY: Payroll

INDUSTRY: Insurance

INDUSTRY: Aviation

ChallengeAn outdated payroll could not support the company’s unprecedented growth. With limited reporting functionality, poor user friendliness and the manual processing of timesheets, Partners Life sought a system with greater functionality.

SolutionDatacom Payroll came highly recommended to Partners Life. Since early 2013, we have been collaborating with Partners Life to simplify Human Resources (HR) and payroll activities. Following a rigorous analysis and design process, including the configuration of leave rates and entitlements, payment components, payroll authorisation processes and reporting requirements, Datacom built a payroll/HRIS system using DataPay, DataESS and DataHR.

The solution was demonstrated as part of our two-day training programme, covering all aspects of payroll, ranging from the creation of a new employee through to finalising a payroll and generating reports. The new system makes the viewing, accessing and reporting of employee information straightforward. The DataPay timesheet import functionality expedites the accurate processing of a growing payroll, and the custom report writer built into DataPay allows Partners Life to efficiently create ad-hoc and standard reports. This assists the management of a growing workforce and complex remuneration requirements.

ChallengeEagle Air was faced with a legacy payroll system. Additional pressures from specialist support and maintenance agreements for the hardware and software meant that business continuity was at risk.

Eagle Air needed to upgrade its payroll system while ensuring minimum disruption to business activity. To assist, Datacom provided replicas of key outputs to avoid impact to functions outside of payroll processing.

SolutionDatacom’s pre-existing relationship and proven record of payroll solutions, meant that Eagle Air could seamlessly migrate to the DataPay solution. Our project team handled 95 percent of all activities, involving client approvals and training. Data migration, validation and testing were completed in the background of normal business activities, allowing Eagle Air to operate seamlessly.

DataPay is date effective and provides access to data changes in real time. This provides the client with instant access to results and improved our support capability by being able to review live scenarios and provide step-by-step guidance.

Payroll upgrade supports Partners Life expansionPartners Life insurance has undergone rapid growth since its inception in 2010. The company currently supports 152 staff, with brokers working throughout New Zealand.

Eagle Air enhances payroll systemEagle Air is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air New Zealand and operates on its domestic route network. Eagle Airways connects thousands of people across New Zealand with more than 130 flights per day, and employs more than 240 staff.

Result- Staff empowerment and better response time in the

application and approval of leave requests with ESS

- Payroll software never needs updating – every time Partners Life accesses cloud-based DataPay, DataESS or DataHR, it accesses the latest version of the software

- Excel timesheets, which contain data for all employees, are imported in one batch making payroll processing effortless

- Improved and efficient reporting via the custom report writer and its drag-and-drop functionality

- Easy access to Datacom support team

- Using DataHR functionality, employees can record work permit information that assists in updating employment contracts and keeps Partners Life safe from prosecution

Result- Ease of access by removing need to use Citrix

as an access point to payroll

- A simplified report-writing interface using drag-and drop-features means report writing is no longer the domain of SQL proficient users

- Improved internal communications. Staff don’t need internal payroll team to confirm annual salary for bank loan applications; this is now available on-line

- Better response times as employees are now able get customised information when required

- Time is saved with online services. Employees have access to their own information, and can bypass payroll staff for details such as IRD numbers, and bank account information

- The DataPay solution is compliant with statutory legal and taxation requirements so the client is not required to make additional changes

Technologies delivered- Payroll application – DataPay, DataESS and DataHR

“We received excellent support from Datacom and the implementation process was seamless.” Allan Hamilton – HR Administration Manager, Partners Life

PartnershipA high level of interaction and engagement with Partners Life enabled Datacom to provide a solution that supports expansion. As business continues to grow, Partners Life is well serviced by the DataPay support team for day-to-day queries. DataPay, DataESS and DataHR are cloud-based and never date, allowing Partners Life access to the latest features.

Technologies delivered- Payroll Application - DataPay

“Datacom are a proactive payroll system provider, with a reliable and quick service who have demonstrated a very good understanding of our business”. Martyn Vincent – Finance Manager, Eagle Air

PartnershipEagle Air wanted minimum disruption to business. We took the entire project on board, from start to finish, so they could focus on the day-to-day and not worry about payroll or the project.

CASE STUDY: Payroll

INDUSTRY: Telecommunications

ChallengeOver the past several years the telecommunications industry has undergone significant transformation, including the ongoing rollout of the UFB network and the separation of Chorus from Spark (previously Telecom New Zealand). This separation included a transitional agreement for certain systems and services, which provided Chorus with time to establish its own capabilities. With the agreement ending, Chorus needed to implement its own payroll system, while ensuring minimal disruption to the business. Recognising the reduced risk of outsourcing, Chorus sought a service provider with expertise in payroll solutions.

SolutionDatacom was chosen as the preferred outsourcing partner because of its pre-existing relationship with Chorus and for our experience and knowledge in payroll solutions. We worked together to deliver a flexible and customised solution that would address the immediate requirements of Chorus’ newly de-merged operations.

Chorus implemented its preferred payroll system and developed end-to-end processes to deliver a fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

Datacom worked alongside Chorus during all phases of the project to support the migration, validation and testing of the new payroll system and processes. Datacom now operates an 8.30am to 5.30pm support service for the fortnightly payroll. Now transitioned, Chorus continues to pay all of its employees accurately and reliably and without interruption.

Customised payroll solution benefits ChorusChorus is New Zealand’s largest fixed-line communications infrastructure company. It maintains and builds a network of local telephone exchanges, cabinets, and copper and fibre cables. Chorus supplies more than 90 percent of all fixed network connections to retail service providers.

Chorus has approximately 1.8 million lines connecting homes and businesses and is responsible for installing most of the government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) fibre. By June 2014, approximately 261,000 premises and 353,000 end users were within reach of a UFB connection.

Result- Seamless transition from Sparks’ payroll system to

Chorus’ own payroll system operated by Datacom

- The solution allows Chorus to take full advantage of specialised outsourced payroll resources while retaining full control of its data and processes

- The turnaround and response times that Datacom provides ensure Chorus’ data is accurate and up-to-date

- Ease of communication between the human resources and payroll teams allows Chorus to provide a high standard of service to employees for any pay-related queries

Technologies delivered- The payroll platform used is SAP

- Datacom (ITM) is providing Chorus with infrastructure and network support, including application development, support and services

PartnershipDatacom became a key part of the Chorus project team from the outset by being involved in the design, build, testing and implementation phases of the project. Our ability to offer a flexible solution ensured we designed a service that would work for Chorus. Our strong collaboration built trust and a real sense of working together to achieve a common goal.

“The Datacom team has become an integral part of Chorus, providing the payroll knowledge and response times of someone sitting in-house.” Rayleen Tuffery – ERP Specialist HR, Chorus


CASE STUDY: Corporate Social Responsibility

INDUSTRY: Athletics

ChallengeIn mid 2013, Special Olympics Australia approached Datacom looking for a way to assist friends, family and supporters to interact easily and more closely with the athletes.

SolutionDatacom utilised their skilled volunteering hours to develop a mobile solution for Special Olympics Australia. This solution provides access to information for the general public on the organisation, as well as ways to donate, engagement opportunities, and profiles of competing athletes. This information is readily accessed over a mobile phone and is a conduit during peak periods of interaction, such as during major Special Olympics Australia competitions.

ChallengeOne in five young Australians aged 8 to 17 experiences cyber-bullying each year, according to new research commissioned by the Abbott Government. It was released this year by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher MP at the National Centre Against Bullying conference.

The research found that the majority of cyber-bullying incidents were dealt with through reporting to a school, with 72 percent of schools reporting at least one incident in 2013.

SolutionThe ThinkUKnow programme works to educate parents, teachers and carers about the risks faced online and provide help in creating a safer online experience for young people. It was developed in partnership with the Australian Federal Police, Microsoft Australia and Datacom and since the programme commenced as a pilot in 2009, more than 28,000 parents, carers, teachers and community members have participated.

Special Olympics adapts mobile solutionSpecial Olympics is dedicated to supporting people with intellectual disabilities of all ages to reach their full potential through regular sports training and quality competition.

Founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1963, the global Special Olympics movement supports more than four million athletes in 170 countries. It has a vast network of volunteers and delivers in excess of 44,000 competitions annually. In Australia, Special Olympics has been transforming the lives of people with intellectual disabilities since 1976.

ThinkUKnow educates to combat cyber-bullying

ResultBy working in tandem with Special Olympics and maintaining close stakeholder management throughout the process, Datacom was able to deliver a flexible and agile solution.

Launched in December 2013 around the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games in Australia, the solution consists of the app (available through Apple App store), along with a mobile content server that allows Special Olympics to easily change content without the need for timely and expensive developers.

Additionally, our charitable support for Special Olympics includes donating our corporate box at Sydney Olympic Park Allphones arena to be used as an auction item for fundraising events, workplace donations and awareness-raising activities through our national conference.

ThinkUKnow shows parents and carers how to open the lines of communication and discuss the dangers of the internet. This programme is an essential interactive training opportunity for parents, carers and teachers and an excellent example of what can be achieved when law enforcement and industry work together to ensure those at the frontline of protecting our children online are fully informed and have the tools to do so.

In the past year, the programme has grown to include the partnerships of local law enforcement departments, Neighborhood Watch and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Result- ThinkUKnow Presentations for the first six months

of 2014 set a new record with 160 presentations delivered to 4,332 participants. The figures for the 2013/14 financial year were 279 presentations to 8,427 participants, also a new record

- ThinkUKnow Australia won the online safety programme award for Outstanding Prevention Initiative by National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse (NAPCAN)

- Datacom contributes 50 hours each month of contact centre time to manage the booking process between schools, law enforcement and industry volunteers. Datacom has 50 registered trained volunteers to deliver the information sessions

“We greatly appreciate Datacom developing the app. Their proficient management and dedication throughout the entire project resulted in a product that exceeded our expectations.” Gail de Raadt – National Business Partnerships Manager Special Olympics Australia

The Australian Minister for Justice The Hon. Michael Kennan MP at a ThinkUKnow Perth event this year.


INDUSTRY: Education

- Datacom’s development team in Kuala Lumpur provides services for the development of the CRM system and geo mapping of volunteers used by the contact centre. The geo-mapping tool has improved the efficiency of identifying volunteers to support a required session by targeting available volunteers within a 25 km radius of their home and work

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

At Datacom, we are committed to making a meaningful contribution to communities and recognise the interests of stakeholders beyond our shareholders – the broader community.

Datacom in the community

We seek to do this through the support of cultural and educational institutions and charities, via financial grants, in-kind donations, sponsorships and through supporting the volunteer activities of our employees. We encourage our team members to become actively involved in their local communities.

The London Benchmarking Group (LBG) verified Datacom’s Group 2014 investment in the community at NZ$782,828.

Beyond our CSR partnerships in local communities, Datacom supports higher achievements in every aspect of the economies in which we operate. We do this through the efficient application of IT and creation of sustainable employment for more than 3660 people.

$783,000 2013 contribution NZD


Datacom supports ‘Generation Tech’

ChallengeThe IT industry in New Zealand has a significant constraint – the sector is quickly scaling, but the pipeline of young New Zealanders who view IT or computer science as a desirable career is limited.

It is essential that there is a rapid cultural and educational shift; the industry is looking at a significant skills shortage and Datacom has focused on addressing this growth limitation as a way to contribute to a higher-achieving tech sector and New Zealand economy.

In the 2014 academic year we implemented a programme of teaching IT in Auckland schools. The objectives were to test where it is possible to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools, and to lift the profile of IT as a profession in the minds of students while they are forming views about their careers.

SolutionDatacom’s IT in Schools initiative is in its pilot phase. One of our highly skilled staff teaches after-school classes in six Auckland schools, with some of Datacom’s young software developers acting as teaching assistants.

Students who attended the after-school classes had significantly better results than the 2013 average for the same Programming and Planning standards. In the Level 1 Programming course, for example, failure rates in all schools averaged 34.2 percent. In the six schools Datacom was involved in, the non-pass rate was cut by two thirds to 10.3 percent. Students were also more likely to achieve grades of Merit or Excellence in the Datacom-led classes.

Key here was self-determination by the school and we have provided a jump-start so teachers can then go on and teach these subjects with assurance.


INDUSTRY: Education

Results- 83 classes run across three school terms

- 145 hours of volunteer time

- Nine Datacom volunteers involved

- Six schools – Marist, Lynfield, Long Bay, Auckland Girls’ Grammar, St Mary’s, Mt Roskill

- 16 teachers upskilled

- In its inaugural year the students’ grades exceeded the Auckland average

- The programme is set to be expanded from six to 12 schools in 2015

PartnershipSchools have a relationship of trust and confidence with their families, but keeping up with technologies and opportunities is very hard for schools. If schools don’t signal that IT is as challenging and rewarding as engineering, science and law, New Zealand won’t have enough bright, motivated young people to help maintain and grow its burgeoning ICT sector. Datacom’s long-term commitment to supporting the education sector is one that is based on trust, and one where engaging with young people and their families makes the difference.

@ Heart - Red Cross - Queensland Animal - Welfare League - Auckland City Mission - AUT

Foundation - Cancer Council - Western Australia - Canteen - Jeans for Genes - Conservation

Volunteers Victoria - CREST - Cure for Life Foundation - Department of Conservation - Endeavour Week -

Fight Cancer Foundation - Foodbank Volunteer Day - Bunong Scholarship Fund - Guide Dogs Australia -

Homeless Connect - IHC - Independent Living Service - Institute of IT Professionals - World’s Greatest Shave

- Leukemia Queensland - Logic Plus - McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation - MercyCare -

Motutapua Restoration Trust - Breast Cancer Society New Zealand - New Zealand Cancer Society - Nikau Foundation - NZ Blood Service - Parkerville Homes

- Pelican and Seabird Rescue - Cancer Society - Queensland Theatre - RSPCA - NSW Bush Fire Appeal - Special Olympics AU - Special Olympics NZ - Starlight

Foundation - Starship Foundation - ThinkUKnow - Victoria University - Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust

Leadership for Life - Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust

We work to be a force for good in the

communities in which we operate


Datacom 50 years in the making1962 First minicomputerLincoln Laboratory builds the LINC PC, to the great interest of the scientific community. It is widely accepted as the first minicomputer.

1963 Digital releases PDP-5Digital (DEC) uses a stripped-down version of the basic LINC to produce the PDP-5, which was low-cost for the time at US$27,000. While only 116 were produced, the PDP-5 inspired a number of better-known computers.

1965 ICL 1900 series computersICL 1900 series is released. The 1902 mainframe computer ordered by Datacom is from International Computers and Tabulators, one of the few non-American competitors to IBM.

1965 Datacom foundedYoung accountant Paul Hargreaves founds Datacom in Christchurch, along with the late Dr Bernard Battersby. The company is then called Computer Bureau Limited. A group of clients put up £30,000 capital for the company and an order is placed for an ICL 1902 computer, which doesn’t arrive in New Zealand for a year.

1968 Expansion into WellingtonThe company becomes CBL and expands into Wellington. It forms around a group of local companies, which become shareholders.

1969 Expansion into Hamilton

1970 Expansion into AucklandHargreaves leaves his family’s accounting firm to become a full-time executive for CBL. The company also expands into Auckland through the acquisition of Fletcher Computer Bureau.

1971 Holding company establishedA holding company is established – today known as Datacom Group – and takes up shares in the four separate companies in Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland. Hargreaves becomes executive director.

1971 Commercial microprocessorsIntel revolutionises computing by releasing the first commercial microprocessors, making computers smaller and faster.

1974 COBOL payroll launches

1977 Home computingPre-assembled computers such as the Apple II begin hitting the market, paving the way for home computing.

1979 Oracle’s first SQLOracle offers the first commercial SQL relational database management system.

1981 MS-DOS is releasedMS-DOS, the first Microsoft operating system, is released on the IBM personal computer.

1981 Datacom introduces User-11 to New ZealandDatacom introduces the first 4GL to the market. The software development business flourishes.

1983 DEC home PCsDEC responds to the IBM PC by releasing three of its own home computers.

1983 Microsoft launches Windows 1.0

1983 Datacom brings Oracle database technology to New ZealandDatacom introduces the technology to the NZ Dairy Company – now Fonterra.

1984 CBL becomes Datacom

1989 The internet in New ZealandA cable is built that connects the University of Waikato to the world. Actrix, the first ISP, launches and offers dial-up services to New Zealanders.

1989 Merger with CCLDatacom merges with CCL computing services company and adds payroll and facilities management divisions.

1989 Datacom founder becomes shareholderOne of Datacom’s founders, John Holdsworth, becomes the company’s majority shareholder and chairman of the board.

1989 Frank Stephenson becomes CEODatacom director of nine years, Frank Stephenson, is appointed CEO.

1991 First large outsourcing contractDatacom signs its first large outsourcing contract in Auckland with Telecom Directories.

1992 Datacom Wellington absorbs NZ Post’s IT departmentThis is Datacom’s first large outsourcing deal in Wellington and boosts staff numbers by 90.

1994 Datacom opens its first office in Australia Opening in Sydney expands NZ-based services to Microsoft Australia.

1996 Expansion into AsiaDatacom builds contact centres in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

1997 Datacom’s first managed services contract in AustraliaThe contract is signed with P&O Services, with a large part of service delivered from New Zealand.

2000s Personal computingThe widespread availability of personal computers and broadband internet means cloud computing begins to gain in popularity.

2000 Cloud payroll roll outDatacom launches Netpay, its first cloud payroll product in New Zealand.

2000 Datacom opens in MelbourneDatacom operates out of a small shared office in Melbourne.

2002 Asia operations transformedMichael Browne consolidates Datacom Asia into Malaysia.

2003 Acquisition of Connect Interactive Business SystemsThe acquisition merges the contact centre businesses and creates the process division now known as Datacom Connect.

2004 Gold Coast business beginsDatacom acquires a business on the Gold Coast and begins operating in the area.

2005 Datacom acquires NetOptions Through the acquisition of Brisbane service provider NetOptions, Datacom becomes firmly established in Queensland.

2006 Datacom expands into South Australia

2007 CEO Frank Stephenson passes away New Zealand CEO Frank Stephenson, who ran and grew Datacom New Zealand for 18 years, passes away.

2007 Datacom expands into Western AustraliaDatacom expands into Western Australia and acquires a third data centre in Sydney, through Hansen Professional Services, and a company called Relate to extend application and web capability.

2007 Apple launches the first iPhoneThe launch begins the era of the smartphone, which quickly becomes one of the biggest product categories in consumer technology. Later, Apple launches the first iPad and popularises tablet computing.

2007 Expansion into TownsvilleWith the acquisition of Agire, Datacom expands into Townsville, Northern Queensland.

2008 Canberra, ACT, office opens

2009 Expansion into the Philippines

2009 Orbit data centre opens in Auckland

2010 Michael Browne’s contribution to DatacomMichael Browne, with Datacom since 1992, becomes Datacom’s Group CEO. Browne passed away later that year.

2010 Jonathan Ladd appointed group CEO Jonathan Ladd had been a director on the Datacom Group Board for four years and continues to be today.

2010 Perth data centre opens

2010 Christchurch data centre opens Christchurch data centre opens a week before the big September quake and stays open throughout the thousands of aftershocks that follow.

2011 Exponential growthDatacom sees employee numbers hit more than 4000 across the group.

2011 Datacom VMware Cloud launches

2011 Technology centre opens in Queensland

2012 New Zealand Post sells 35% stake in Datacom to New Zealand Superannuation FundThe New Zealand Superannuation Fund invests globally to help pre-fund New Zealanders’ superannuation entitlements. The fund is managed by a Crown entity.

2012 Datacom acquires Victoria businessDatacom acquires a specialist human capital management and SAP consulting business in Victoria, which enhances our enterprise people, payroll and talent management portfolio in the region.

2013 John Holdsworth steps down from boardJohn Holdsworth relinquishes chairmanship and the Holdsworth’s family remains the majority Datacom shareholder.

2013 Kapua data centre opens The centre in Hamilton opens and the first halls are quickly taken up.

2013Asia contact centre business soldDatacom sells its Asia contact centres, but continues to service the region with higher-level IT services.

2013 Datacom acquisitionsDatacom acquires Tauranga-based company Origen Technologies, which specialises in creating software for local government. The company also acquires IP and assets from XciteLogic.

2014 Datacom takes a stake in SmartWardDatacom acquires a 20% stake in health informatics company SmartWard; its software solution is designed to save medical professionals time and increase patient care.

2014 Cobol engine switched off as cloud dominates payroll

2014 Datacom approaches its 50th year

Timeline: Datacom - 50 years in the making

HISTORY

TIMELINE: Datacom - 50 Years of Progress

HISTORY

Eddie Cornish, CCL Founder Kapua data centre which opened in Hamilton in 2013

John Holdsworth, majority shareholder

CCL Board: John Holdsworth, George Tuffin, Merrill Holdsworth, Denis Rowe

Paul Hargreaves, Datacom founder

Jonathan Ladd, Group CEO

Prime Minister John Key at Orbit data centre opening


2014$000

2013$000

Revenue 881,239 869,839

EBITDA 89,959 79,534

Profit from continuing operations before income tax 64,672 50,905

Tax 13,268 14,935

Profit from continuing operations after income tax 51,404 35,970

Total assets 377,406 374,196

Shareholders’ funds 165,977 141,902

Return on average shareholders' funds 33% 26%

Earnings per share $8.35 $5.82

Net asset backing per share $25.92 $22.13

Financial Reporting

900,000

800,000

700,000

600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0

10 11 12 13 14

Revenue $000

5,000

4,500

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

10 11 12 13 14

Employee Numbers

65,000

60,000

55,000

50,000

45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

10 11 12 13 14

Profit Before tax $000

55,000

50,000

45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

10 11 12 13 14

Profit After tax $000


FINANCIAL SUMMARYFor the year ended 31 March 2014



STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIONFor the year ended 31 March 2014

A summary of Datacom’s financial position is provided in these pages, without the accompanying notes that form part of the full financial statements.

Consolidated Parent Company

Note2014

$0002013

$0002014

$0002013

$000

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

Sale of goods 299,062 336,573 – –

Rendering of services 557,134 526,037 937 834

Rental income 247 278 383 1,750

Other revenue 4(a) 3,892 3,333 21,997 15,843

REVENUE 860,335 866,221 23,317 18,427

Cost of sales (330,714) (346,380) – –

GROSS PROFIT 529,621 519,841 23,317 18,427

OTHER INCOME 4(b) 19,467 3,618 1,728 272

Employee benefits expense 4(c) (390,901) (365,600) (2,308) (2,196)

Other expenses 4(d,e) (91,531) (102,934) (1,875) (2,357)

Finance costs 4(f) (3,421) (4,173) (774) (1,826)

Share of profit of an associate 18 312 153 – –

Fair value gain on investment in associate at time of business combination 20(c) 1,125 – – –

PROFIT FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAX 64,672 50,905 20,088 12,320

Income tax expenses 5 (13,268) (14,935) 317 1,865

PROFIT AFTER TAX FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 51,404 35,970 20,405 14,185

PROFIT FOR THE YEAR IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO:

Equity holders of the parent 50,819 35,229 20,405 14,185

Non-controlling interest 585 741 – –

51,404 35,970 20,405 14,185

* The accompanying notes form part of and are to be read in conjunction with these financial statements.


Note2014

$0002013

$0002014

$0002013

$000

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Other comprehensive income to be reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent years

Foreign currency translation gain/(loss) (12,361) (1,662) – –

Income tax effect – – – –

NET OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME TO BE RECLASSIFIED TO PROFIT OR LOSS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS (12,361) (1,662) – –

Other comprehensive income not to be reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent years

Revaluation gain/(loss) on land and buildings (338) 1,254 – –

Income tax effect – – – –

Net other comprehensive income not to be reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent years

(338) 1,254 – –

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR, NET OF TAX (12,699) (408) – –

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR, NET OF TAX 38,705 35,562 20,405 14,185

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO:

Equity holders of the parent 38,401 34,950 20,405 14,185

Non-controlling interest 304 612 – –

38,705 35,562 20,405 14,185

EARNINGS PER SHARE FOR PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ORDINARY EQUITY HOLDERS OF THE PARENT

$ $

Basic earnings per share 7 8.35 5.82

Diluted earnings per share 7 8.04 5.57



Employee Equity

Benefits Reserve

IssuedCapital

AssetRevaluation

Reserve

ForeignCurrency

TranslationReserve

RetainedEarnings

TotalNon-

ControllingInterest

TotalEquity

$000 $000 $000 $000 $000 $000 $000 $000

CONSOLIDATED

AS AT 1 APRIL 2012 127 8,789 5,628 4,216 109,852 128,612 7,344 135,956

Profit for the year – – – – 35,229 35,229 741 35,970

Other comprehensive income – – 1,254 (1,533) – (279) (129) (408)

Total comprehensive income for the year – – 1,254 (1,533) 35,229 34,950 612 35,562

TRANSACTIONS WITH SHAREHOLDERS IN THEIR CAPACITY AS OWNERS

Revaluation transfer on disposal – – (2,366) – 2,366 – – –

Ordinary/employee shares repurchased & cancelled – (95) – – (821) (916) – (916)

Equity scheme expenses 71 – – – – 71 – 71

Dividends paid 100 – – – (15,632) (15,632) (305) (15,937)

Vested Australian shares – – – – 140 140 – 140

Increase (decrease) in non-controlling interest – – – – (7,307) (7,307) (5,667) (12,974)

AS AT 31 MARCH 2013 198 8,694 4,516 2,683 123,827 139,918 1,984 141,902

Profit for the year – – – – 50,819 50,819 585 51,404

Other comprehensive income – – (338) (12,080) – (12,418) (281) (12,699)

Total comprehensive income for the year – – (338) (12,080) 50,819 38,401 304 38,705


Revaluation transfer on disposal – – (430) – 430 – – –

Ordinary/employee shares repurchased & cancelled – (73) – – (600) (673) – (673)

Acquisition of minority interest – – – – – – 187 187

Equity scheme expenses 53 – – – – 53 – 53

Dividends paid – – – – (16,131) (16,131) (241) (16,372)

Vested NZ/Australian shares – 1,729 – – 982 2,711 – 2,711

Increase (decrease) in non-controlling interest – – – – – – (536) (536)

AS AT 31 MARCH 2014 251 10,350 3,748 (9,397) 159,327 164,279 1,698 165,977



STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITYFor the year ended 31 March 2014


Employee Equity

Benefits Reserve

IssuedCapital

RetainedEarnings

TotalEquity

$000 $000 $000 $000

PARENT

AS AT 1 APRIL 2012 127 8,789 38,461 47,377

Profit for the year – – 14,185 14,185

Total comprehensive income for the period – – 14,185 14,185


Ordinary/employee shares repurchased & cancelled – (95) (821) (916)

Equity scheme expenses 71 – – 71

Vested Australian shares – – 140 140

Dividends paid – – (15,632) (15,632)

AS AT 31 MARCH 2013 198 8,694 36,333 45,225

Profit for the year – – 20,405 20,405

Total comprehensive income for the period – – 20,405 20,405


Ordinary/employee shares repurchased & canceled – (73) (600) (673)

Equity scheme expenses 53 – – 53

Vested NZ/Australian shares – 1,729 982 2,711

Dividends paid – – (16,131) (16,131)

AS AT 31 MARCH 2014 251 10,350 40,989 51,590




Note2014

$0002013

$0002014

$0002013

$000

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash & cash equivalents 9 34,685 54,227 484 11,331

Trade & other receivables 10 142,258 123,871 1,432 1,501

Finance lease receivables 13 2,171 4,666 – –

Current tax assets 827 – 1,391 250

Inventories 12 13,369 17,012 – –

193,310 199,776 3,307 13,082

Assets classified as held for sale – 7,863 – –

Total current assets 193,310 207,639 3,307 13,082

NON-CURRENT ASSETS

Property, plant & equipment 14 133,702 122,196 25 19

Investment properties 15 – – 4,186 3,852

Other financial assets 11 778 314 770 280

Investment in subsidiaries 19 – – 29,234 24,863

Investment in associates 18 – 1,565 – –

Intangible assets 16 35,541 28,212 48 27

Finance lease receivables 13 3,640 3,786 – –

Deferred tax assets 5 10,435 10,484 – –

Other receivables 10 – – 59,381 53,116

Total non-current assets 184,096 166,557 93,644 82,157

TOTAL ASSETS 377,406 374,196 96,951 95,239

CURRENT LIABILITIES

Trade & other payables 21 73,769 74,627 1,035 3,527

Interest bearing loans & borrowings 22 11,360 28,180 121 7,146

Provisions & employee entitlements 24 55,595 48,943 560 308

Current tax liability 4,949 6,237 – –

Dividends payable 6 6,911 6,497 6,911 6,497

Total current liabilities 152,584 164,484 8,627 17,478

Liabilities directly associated with the assets classified as held for sale – 8,339 – –

Total current liabilities 152,584 172,823 8,627 17,478



STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIONFor the year ended 31 March 2014



Note2014

$0002013

$0002014

$0002013

$000

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

Other payables 21 2,265 1,722 1,702 456

Provisions & employee entitlements 24 4,681 5,927 – –

Deferred tax liabilities 5 4,039 4,367 195 237

Interest bearing loans & borrowings 22 47,860 47,455 34,837 31,843

Total non-current liabilities 58,845 59,471 36,734 32,536

TOTAL LIABILITIES 211,429 232,294 45,361 50,014

TOTAL NET ASSETS 165,977 141,902 51,590 45,225

EQUITY

Equity attributable to equity holders of the parent

Issued capital 25 10,350 8,694 10,350 8,694

Retained earnings 159,327 123,827 40,989 36,333

Other reserves 25 (5,398) 7,397 251 198

Parent interests 164,279 139,918 51,590 45,225

Non-controlling interest 1,698 1,984 – –

TOTAL EQUITY 165,977 141,902 51,590 45,225


For and on behalf of the Board, which authorised the issue of the financial statements on:

J C Hagen DIRECTORDated: 6 August 2014

C D Boyce CHAIRMAN Dated: 6 August 2014



Note2014

$0002013

$0002014

$0002013

$000

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

CASH WAS PROVIDED FROM:

Receipts from customers 843,229 860,887 1,049 3,824

Rent 278 278 383 1,750

Dividends received 2 118 21,674 15,432

Interest received 2,880 2,030 54 13

Income tax refunded – – – 302

Proceeds from insurance claim – 3,348 – –

Total cash provided 846,389 866,661 23,160 21,321

CASH WAS DISBURSED TO:

Payments to suppliers & employees 766,239 766,306 4,332 7,044

Income tax paid 16,065 16,677 866 –

Rent/operating leases paid 16,814 16,019 – –

Total cash disbursed 799,118 799,002 5,198 7,044

NET CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 26 47,271 67,659 17,962 14,277

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES


Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment 214 15,526 – 13,603

Disposal of subsidiary 19 14,085 – – –

Total cash provided 14,299 15,526 – 13,603


Purchase of property, plant & equipment 41,977 51,402 452 179

Acquisition of subsidiaries 20 4,173 6,481 – –

Investment in associates 18 – 700 – –

Total cash disbursed 46,150 58,583 452 179

NET CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES (31,851) (43,057) (452) 13,424



STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWFor the year ended 31 March 2014


Note2014

$0002013

$0002014

$0002013

$000

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES


Loans drawn 17,475 28,452 4,900 20,700

Net proceeds from employee share scheme 459 (17) 459 –

Finance lease receipts 3,720 4,999 – –

Total cash provided 21,654 33,434 5,359 20,700


Borrowings – subsidiaries – – 5,435 21,247

Repayment of borrowings – principal 21,146 14,601 7,000 3,000

Interest on borrowings 2,307 2,741 709 1,872

Finance lease repayments 8,713 2,609 – –

Acquisition of additional equity in subsidiaries 20 543 8,577 4,151 1,579

Repurchase of shares 600 876 600 876

Dividends paid on ordinary/employee shares 15,717 9,175 15,717 9,175

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests 241 305 – –

Total cash disbursed 49,267 38,884 33,612 37,749

NET CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES (27,613) (5,450) (28,253) (17,049)

Net increase (decrease) in cash & cash equivalent (12,193) 19,152 (10,743) 10,652

Cash & cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 43,447 23,562 11,331 488

Cash as part of acquisition/disposal of subsidiary (348) 536 – –

Net foreign exchange differences (1,436) 197 (104) 191

CASH & CASH EQUIVALENTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR 9 29,470 43,447 484 11,331




DIRECTORY

New Zealand Australia Asia Datacom Board of DirectorsC.D. Boyce (Chairman)

S.J. Holdsworth (Deputy Chairman)

A. Hawke

J. Holdsworth

J. Ladd

C. Steele

B. Sutton

Secretary: R. Keall

Datacom Senior Leadership Team Mike Askew – Director, Australia and NZ

Scott Bennett – Director, Software Australia

Richard Byfield – Director, Datacom Technical Security Services

Alexandra Coates – Director, Systems VIC

John Gill – CFO New Zealand

Andrew Goodwin – Director, Systems Asia

Scott Green – Director, Auckland IT Management

Mark Hilton – Director, Systems NSW

Clark Hobson – Vice-President North America

Vernon Kay – Director, Auckland Software & Integration

Nanda Kumar – CFO, Australia/Asia

Basil Lenzo – Director, Systems WA

Erica Lloyd – Director, Communications

Peter Mahoney – Director, IT South Island

Mark McWilliams – Director, Investments

Kevin Murphy – Director, PaySystems

Mark Muru – Director, Wellington IT Management

Rob Purdy – Director, Cloud and Enterprise Tools

Glenn Scown – Director, Systems QLD

Stacey Tomasoni - Director, Connect Australia

Lisa Thorburn – Director, Systems ACT

Alastair Turrell – Director, Wellington Software & Integration

Darren Williams – Director, Systems SA

Scott Wilson – Director Datacom Business Services

Datacom Group ExecutiveJonathan Ladd, Group CEO

Greg Davidson, CEO New Zealand

Theresa Eyssens CEO, Australia Systems

Kirsty Hunter, MD Connect and Asia

Robin Keall, Group CFO

Steve Matheson, Group COO

Jonathan Usher, MD Solutions


BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVES

Auckland

Datacom Federal Street

210 Federal St Auckland 1010

PO Box 6041Auckland 1141

Ph: +64 9 303 1489Fax: +64 9 303 3375

Datacom Wellesley Street

101 Wellesley St Auckland 1010


Ph: +64 9 356 2490Fax: +64 9 357 2904

Datacom Greys Ave

Level 2, 48 Greys Ave Auckland 1010


Ph: +64 9 366 1150Fax: +64 9 309 3494

Datacom Vincent St

106 Vincent St Auckland 1010


Ph: +64 9 303 1489Fax: +64 9 303 3375

Datacom Albert Street

L20, 135 Albert St Auckland 1010


Ph: +64 9 303 1489Fax: +64 9 303 3375

Waikato

Datacom Hamilton

115 Rostrevor St Hamilton 3204

PO Box 9144Hamilton 3240

Ph: +64 7 839 1318Fax: +64 7 839 1721

Datacom Napier

143 Dalton St Napier 4110

PO Box 583 Napier 4140

Ph: +64 6 835 0793Fax: +64 6 834 0211

Datacom Rotorua

1231 Ranolf St Rotorua 3010

Ph: +64 7 347 0897Fax: +64 7 343 7912

Datacom Mt Maunganui

15 Totara St Mt Maunganui Tauranga 3116

Ph: +64 7 578 2810Fax: +64 7 578 2857

Datacom Tauranga

L1, 115 The Strand Tauranga 3110


Ph: +64 7 577 9646Fax: +64 7 577 9647

Wellington

Datacom Jervois Quay

68 Jervois Quay Wellington 6011

PO Box 6376Wellington 6141

Ph: +64 4 460 1500Fax: +64 4 460 1511

Datacom Abel Smith St

Level 1 84 Abel Smith St Wellington 6011

PO BOX 6376Wellington 6141

Ph: +64 4 385 9012Fax: +64 4 382 4777

South Island

Datacom Christchurch

67 Gloucester St Christchurch 8013

PO Box 13510 Christchurch 8141

Ph: +64 3 379 7775Fax: +64 3 365 3819

Datacom Dunedin

Level C1 Meridian Mall 267 George St

Dunedin 9016Ph: +64 3 474 0931

Datacom Nelson

31 Bullen St Tahunanui 7011

Ph: +64 3 546 5558

Datacom Invercargill

WHK House, 173 Spey St Invercargill 9810

Ph: +64 3 211 3382

South Australia

Datacom Adelaide

24 Crittenden Rd Findon SA 5023

Ph: +61 8 7221 7900Fax: +61 8 7221 7999

Queensland

Datacom Brisbane

Riverside Corporate Park Level 1 25 Donkin St South Brisbane QLD 4101

Ph: +61 7 3842 8888Fax: +61 7 3842 8899

Datacom Gold Coast

Level 2 146 Bundall Rd Gold Coast QLD

Primary Ph: +61 7 3842 8888Fax: +61 7 3842 8899

Datacom Townsville

Unit 3 264-278 Woolcock St Townsville QLD 4812

Ph: +61 7 4728 7800Fax: +61 7 4728 7431

ACT

Datacom Northbourne Ave

Level 1 212 Northbourne Ave Braddon ACT 2612

Ph: +61 2 6112 0200Fax: +61 2 6112 0299

Victoria

Datacom City Rd

190 City Rd Sth Melbourne VIC 3205

Ph: +61 3 9626 9600Fax: +61 3 9626 9699

Datacom Cremorne St

101 Cremorne St Richmond VIC 3121

Ph: +61 3 9907 9700

Western Australia

Datacom Perth

Level 2 184 Adelaide Terrace

East Perth WA 6004Ph: +61 8 6466 6888Fax: +61 8 9221 3570

New South Wales

Datacom Sydney

1 Julius Avenue North Ryde NSW2113

Ph: +61 2 8875 3500Fax: +61 2 8875 3400

Malaysia

Datacom Kuala Lumpur

Level 2 1 Tech Park, Jalan Tanjung Bandar Utama 47800 Petaling Jaya

Ph: + 60 3 7721 1000

Philippines

Datacom Manila

Level 23F IBM Plaza 8 Eastwood Ave Eastwood City Cyberpark

E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. (C-5) Bagumbayan Quezon City 1110 Philippines

Primary Ph: +63 2 802 6600



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