2021 Global tech outlook

The deplatforming question – cynical ploy or moral play, the outcome is more regulation

‘We think we are alone in this world – the opposite is true’ – Jimi Hunt on learning to ask for help and building mental resilience

It was 2012 and Jimi Hunt, suffering from depression and anxiety, was desperate to turn his life around.

“Stress less, life’s short!” – coping with the mental impact of a tough year in business

Most offices around the country will be closing up today or next week as the bulk of the country’s workforce starts a well-earned break after a tiring and challenging year.

A Tinder-type service to help fund your not-for-profit? It’s in sight.

For the arts, sports and not-for-profit sector, accessing corporate or government funding is often the difference between merely surviving, and thriving. Now, an online platform is redefining the complex funding application process with the goal of becoming the Tinder of external funding.

The Umbrellar Connect survey – What you learned from a year of crisis and your aspirations for 2021

We may have avoided the public health disaster Covid-19 represented for many countries around the world, but the pandemic put a dent in business for many and reinforced the importance of being adaptable.

Regulating Big Tech: Imagining Facebook without Instagram and WhatsApp

Umbrellar appoints Dave Howden CEO

Open-source: the missing piece in your digital transformation puzzle

Rapidly shifting business conditions are compelling organisations to rethink how they operate.

What does it mean for web design to be “human-centric?”

Enlighten Designs – Creating web environments that respond, link up, inform and empower.

Taking our Kiwi SaaS companies to the next level – we need to build capability

The Covid-19 pandemic may have presented major challenges for our tech companies, particularly when it comes to securing funding to grow. 

Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern talks to Brad Smith, Microsoft President – the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Dialogue

3 transformations of the CEO role

The role of the CEO is changing. Accenture New Zealand’s Strategy and Consulting Lead says today’s CEOs must be able to adapt to specialisation, competition, diversity, and be prepared to earn social trust.

Who is Paul James? 5 things you should know about NZ’s Chief Digital Officer

NZ's GCDO has a pivotal role in the nation's online presence. Let's get to know him a little better.

When remote working is in your DNA

Some businesses struggled through the many challenges wrought by Covid-19 – and who can blame them? Here, Megaport Vice President APAC Josh Munro explains how the Australian headquartered tech company found they’d been built for a crisis like this all along – and were ready to service their clients better and faster, as a result.

The US election and tech – five areas where politics will have major influence

The tech industry's fortunes rest on who wins the White House and who has the power to pass legislation that could radically change how it does business.

Tech investment update – Blue skies on the other side of Covid-19

The November 2020 edition of Startup Investment magazine has been released, with promising signs for New Zealand technology investment on the other side of Covid-19.

‘We’re obsessed’ – Why Umbrellar is going all in with Microsoft

A new SaaS platform being launched this week promises to shave months off business set-up times for aspiring Cloud Service providers - and save customers thousands of dollars as well.

Quantum computing is coming for business – what you need to know

It’s the technology governed by weird physics but tipped to change computing forever. But how far away are we from being able to actually use quantum computers for regular business uses?

“One bizarre year” – Inside the health tech response to Covid

The health sector wasn't prepared for a major pandemic. But it managed to mount a response to Covid-19 that has laid the groundwork for a new approach to public health.

Wine o’clock? How a clever algorithm called Bacchus takes the guesswork out of what to drink

This month, New Zealand subscription service WineFriend turns five. What started as a simple plan to deliver tasty wines to customers based on what they said they liked, WineFriend has evolved into a data-rich platform that fine-tunes and personalises selections with each bottle you try.

What do we need from the Labour government for innovation to thrive?

Government’s innovation approach won’t change overnight - at least not the way things are now, says Aware Group’s CEO.

How Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company is helping the ‘team of five million’ in the pandemic

IoT in the home: Hey Google, can I trust you?

The first major independent survey of Kiwis’ use of Internet of Things gadgets reveals strong uptake of smart devices but lingering concerns about privacy and surveillance. 

The Covid bump – how the pandemic has gifted the video games industry one of its best years

With the New Zealand video games industry on track to become a $250 million export industry, one local games studio sees the pandemic as an opportunity to grow.

“I’m Steve Wozniak. Keep on coding.”

The New Zealand government’s AI partnership with the World Economic Forum

The New Zealand government is joining a cohort of leaders in regulating AI.

The congresswomen with a plan to challenge the power of Big Tech

As a native of San Mateo County, the region of California that spans part of what we now know as Silicon Valley, you’d expect Zoe Lofgren to be a staunch advocate for Big Tech.

Why every creative kid will soon want to study in Gisborne

A tech hub throws opens its doors in 2021, offering those local to Tairāwhiti – and out of region students too – the opportunity to learn and intern in the field of animation.

National’s tech policy: Big on ambition, light on funding

National has unveiled a plan to double the size of the tech sector by 2030 and employ 100,000 extra people in highly-skilled jobs. But with most of the planned funding going into broadband infrastructure, does it have a chance of succeeding?