PlaceMakers’ bid to bring building supplies into the digital age

PlaceMakers set out to fully digitise the process of buying building supplies. But that required a major transformation of its own systems and culture first.

Data dumps and security breaches: Watch Dogs: Legion is a hack-load of fun

Fancy leading a cyber-rebellion through the streets of London? Then Watch Dogs: Legion is the game for you.

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.

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?

Cloud-based public agencies had an edge in the Covid response – AWS

Whether it is making wage subsidies available for furloughed restaurant staff or expanding hospital call centre support, time is of the essence when it comes to meeting the myriad challenges the coronavirus pandemic has created.

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.

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. 

What’s behind the cloud giants’ local infrastructure push?

Investments by Amazon and Microsoft point to a market with strong growth potential in the digital space, pandemic resilience and faith in our local networking infrastructure.

Azure security innovation breaks into small businesses

New Zealand security firm Gallagher protects some of the world’s most high-security places, from mines to ports and government sites. But what about the local cake shop? When Gallagher looked to tap into the small business market, it needed to transform its customer engagement and management systems in a way that totally blew the doors off.

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.

Datacom increases efficiency with Red Hat Ansible Automation

New Zealand’s proposed health reforms are focused on big data – what’s the business opportunity?

If its recommendations are adopted, the government commissioned review of the health sector would be groundbreaking.

The lead players on developing the business of creativity in New Zealand

What is the tangible business value that technology brings to creativity?

Need to Reduce Your Overall Cloud Spend? Consider a Better Connectivity Model

How does the cloud influence election processes?

Global shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic have escalated calls for sensor-led, as opposed to shovel-ready, projects.

Not just a ‘big business’ thing: Why all organisations must respond to the Privacy Act 2020

It is New Zealand’s first big change to bring privacy to the internet agenda, and both big and small companies will be affected.

What is a Microsoft partner?

Partnership in the Microsoft Cloud - how can I do it?

Microsoft’s New Zealand CSPs – direct v indirect

Umbrellar is largely known as New Zealand's first provider of the Microsoft Azure Stack. Our Partner network also know us as their Cloud Solution Provider.

DDoS attacks a big warning against complacency on cybersecurity – RedShield

The recent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks that hit the NZX and other New Zealand companies have receded, but the lessons on cybersecurity preparedness need to be learnt, says a leading cyber expert who was involved in the response to the attacks.

Will biometrics revolutionise security services?

Cybersecurity has gone far beyond password managers and finger scanning.

VMware and Microsoft team up to smooth your cloud transition

An upcoming live webinar will introduce you to Azure VMware Solution and outline how the offering can simplify your journey to the cloud, by enabling you to seamlessly extend or completely migrate your existing on-premises VMware applications to Azure.

CIO Summit: If data is the new oil, who’s refining it?

We are swimming in data, but poor on insights that can help us improve our businesses. Technology can help, but a more mature approach to data governance and processes is needed, says analyst firm IDC.

The virtual scout hall powered by Salesforce

Adopting Salesforce during the pandemic, SCOUTS New Zealand was able to take scout meetings virtual for thousands of young people and volunteers and lay the groundwork for a data-driven approach to scouting.

Built-in playfulness: What technologists can learn from game design

Xbox’s head of research and design is pushing for a new design philosophy that moves beyond the endless scroll and creates a sense of anticipation and fun.

The hype and the hope surrounding a powerful new artificial intelligence tool

The latest version of OpenAI’s text processing engine signifies a leap forward in computers’ ability to generate coherent language, but comes with a serious risk of bias.

Five fascinating facts from last year’s Microsoft Ignite

From Office to Edge, innovations from the world's leading software provider are telling about the future of the cloud. Here's a recap of Microsoft Ignite 2019.

Traditional network security fails when everyone works remote

Experts recommend we take a more holistic, stricter approach with our security. Could Zero Trust be the answer?

Umbrellar expands its service offerings and business with the power of composable infrastructure

Leading CSP becomes the first to offer Microsoft Azure Stack Hub services hosted in New Zealand.

Tech Week: Infrastructure push should also produce a national digital twin

The bulldozers and jackhammers will soon move in as work begins on a host of ‘shovel ready’ projects. But there’s scope for groundbreaking digital innovation too.