MEDIA RELEASE : TUANZ LAUNCHES SITE WITH SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND INFORMATION REGARDING 5G

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17th April 2020

TUANZ (Technology Users Association of NZ) has for over 30 years been committed to helping users understand new communications technologies and the benefits that these bring for both companies and consumers.

To ensure that members as well as the general public have an independent source of easy to understand information, TUANZ has launched a new resource about the next evolution of mobile communications, known as 5G, on their website.  Here users can find simple explanations of the technology along with links to further detailed information, as well as being able to download a simple fact sheet.  

“We also know that there is a significant amount of misinformation on social media on what 5G is and the unverified health risks associated with this new technology” said Craig Young, CEO of TUANZ.  “ Our new site provides brief and simple explanations of why this risk is overstated and provides links to credible scientific information that debunks any theories.”

Young also has a message to those who consider that the current actions of damaging mobile towers is an acceptable form of protest. “There is absolutely no scientific evidence that 5G, or any mobile network, has in any way contributed to the current Covid-19 pandemic.  In fact, damaging equipment at this time only serves to disrupt those communities, families and whanau who are in isolation in need of being connected for their health and wellbeing, and in particular disrupts and causes harm for children who are now in the new school term, learning from home.”

The information can be found on the TUANZ website from a link on the homepage or at https://tuanz.org.nz/articles-research/5g/. The association is committed to updating the site with new information as it becomes available.

 

TUANZ MEDIA RELEASE: TUANZ to host Connected Marae National Hui in partnership with Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru at end of March

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4th March 2020

TUANZ and Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru are excited to announce that they will be hosting a national hui at the Millennium Hotel in Rotorua on the 26th March on the topic of Connected Marae. The one day hui will be centred around the whakatauki “Titiro whakamuri, kia anga whakamua“ (Look to the past to progress forward into the future).

“The idea for this event arose out various hui and conferences on the topic of rural connectivity, where there has been a recognition that there was a significant gap in the delivery, the lack of connectivity to Marae across Aotearoa.” said Craig Young, CEO of TUANZ.

The Government in 2019 allocated funding to Te Puni Kōkiri and Crown Infrastructure Partners to specifically address this need. However at the most recent NetHui, hosted by InternetNZ, various delegates expressed their concern over the lack of progress and that any national programme would not meet the specific local needs of hapū and iwi.

Mr Young expressed his organisation’s pleasure to be partnering with Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru (NPeW).  “We want to ensure that many representatives of Māori organisations, marae, and other decision makers can come together to kōrero to help in the sharing of knowledge and stories on how to successfully implement connectivity at marae.” says Adam Ellis, CEO, NPeW.   “It will also be one way of gathering shared aspirations for the connected marae programme which can be shared with the broader user community, the media, and decision makers in both Government and the technology and connectivity industry.” 

The overall vision for the day is to collectively identify solutions for the way forward and the stories and ideas shared on the day will be publicly released in the form of a post-hui communique.

The event is also being supported by InternetNZ and Vodafone NZ as partners.

For more information please contact either of the following:

 

Craig Young, CEO TUANZ,

 craig.young@tuanz.org.nz, 021488188

 

Adam Ellis,   CEO NPeW, Director of Technology Mb3 Ltd, 

Tainui – Ngati Koata – Whakatohea

adam.ellis@mb3.nz 022 406 0937

 

Attendees can register for the day at this website.

(https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/2020-connected-marae-hui-tickets-96316424017)

 

About TUANZ

We have a vision that NZ will be in the top 10 countries for the use of digital technology.

We are here to help our members make sense of the digital future. We’re the group helping our members make sense of the digital future through sharing experiences and knowledge about using current and new technology.

We are the voice of our members and all users in a complex digital world. We’re the only truly independent and representative voice for all users, both corporate and individual.

We know that connectivity is key to digital businesses, a growing digital economy and a force for social good.

With our members we are investing in our future leaders to equip them to be the best they can be in their own careers, in our members businesses, and which is bringing vitality to our membership.

 

About NPeW

In 2015 The Nga Pumanawa Education Trust in Rotorua tasked itself with a vision of “Rotorua is a great place to learn where all learners are engaged and excelling in their education supported by great teachers and their whanau.  Their education is enhanced by the provision of a personalised device with assured connectivity at school, at home and in their communities”

Using a collective impact strategy based on a case study out of Stanford University, NPeW took this philosophy and looked to “facilitate change” within critical areas of our community.

With understanding the current state of Rotorua, NPeW facilitated change within 5 functional areas.

We felt capability needed to be built in 5 areas within our community

  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Engagement
  • Measurement
  • Technology.

 

From a technical perspective we understood the issue existed where, although connectivity is abundant in Rotorua the issues remain where those who can’t afford a service fall behind.

A way in which we looked to increase connectivity between whanau was to look at how we could connect our Marae to an internet service that was safe, robust & trusted. 

Then work with individual Marae to contextualise the technology to the needs of their hapu.

NPeW has worked with a number of partners since to continue on leveraging equity in the Rotorua community that leads to sustained change.

Meet the TechLeader – Liz Gosling

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Name: Liz Gosling

Role and organisation: Chief Information Officer, AUT

Tell us briefly what your role involves: I’m responsible for all of the technology provision for AUT’s 30,000 staff and students. I lead a team of 140 people, a providing a wide range of technology services , including 6,500 + desktop and laptop computers, IT and digital plans, networking, audio visual services, innovation, contracts and software licensing, customer relationships and support services, as well as the development teams and infrastructure.  We manage the balance between reliability and innovation, and enable AUT to fulfill its mission of “Great Graduates”.

What impact will technology have for all New Zealanders?  Technology has already had a big impact on the lives of New Zealanders.    A great many of us use apps to help manage our lives; from internet banking to finding our way to places, keeping in touch with our friends and families overseas via video calling, and accessing news, films and music.   Looking forward, I hope that the positive impact of technology will enhance and support our more remote rural communities, and allow them to access the best education, health and specialist services.  

What set you on the path to becoming a leader?  I worked for some great leaders and some poor ones; and learnt from both.  The great leaders showed me how you can lead people, and the poor ones taught me what not to do.  It is vital to be authentic, and the only person you can be is you, so bring your whole self to work.

What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned?  Listen to the team.  No one person can ever have all the answers, but if a group of bright minds with diverse perspectives come together, many problems can be solved. 

How do you motivate your team?  Within AUT, we are all motivated by what our organisation delivers – a brighter future for our students.  That’s a great advantage!  

What inspires you? Knowing that the work we do at AUT makes a difference to our society.

Favourite productivity tip?  Don’t procrastinate; sometimes getting started on things that you don’t much like to do is the hardest thing.   Sort out your priorities and then start with the most important thing.  Deal with email in allotted time slots, not all the time and then apply do, dump or delegate to each one.  

Connect with Liz on LinkedIN.

TUANZ MEDIA RELEASE : Tristan Ilich elected as the new Chair of TUANZ

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6th December 2019

At the final TUANZ Board meeting of 2019, Tristan Ilich was unanimously elected to the role of Chair.  Tristan leads Aurecon’s Data and Telco business in New Zealand with a strong focus on managing key client relationships, as well as developing new market offerings to clients in the areas of 5G and Wireless, IoT, EME, Digital Advisory, and Data & Telco Infrastructure Asset Management. He is deeply passionate about Digital Convergence, Smart Cities, IoT, Rural Connectivity and Advanced Technologies which can create real human, business and social benefits.

Tristan is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) by background, and has 25 years experience in NZ, Australia and the UK.  Tristan is the TUANZ representative on the NZ IoT Alliance (NZIoTA), a cross industry and government collaboration, working together to establish and scale up the IoT market in NZ. Tristan is also a father of five, lifestyle farmer and volunteer firefighter.

The previous Chair, Liz Gosling (CIO at AUT), stepped down as Chair this year as she has other board commitments. During her term she made a huge contribution to leading TUANZ through significant change and set the organisation on a path for future success.  She is staying on as deputy Chair ensuring her experience is retained on the Board.

“I am truly humbled and excited to be taking on the role of Chair at TUANZ. I am extremely fortunate to have the support of a highly diverse and capable board. I am looking forward to working closely with our CEO Craig Young as we continue to transform TUANZ into a future ready organization which continues to deliver value for its members” said Mr Ilich.

At the recent AGM, the results of the board elections were announced with new board members Wendy McGowan of Rural Women NZ, Will Graham, the Chief Customer Officer at Network for Learning, and the Chair of the Wellington FLINT lead team, Zoe Udy joining the Board.

For more information about the TUANZ board please see our Board page .

 

ENDS

 

WHO IS TUANZ?

 

We have a vision that NZ will be in the top 10 countries for the use of digital technology.

 

We are here to help our members make sense of the digital future. We’re the group helping our members make sense of the digital future through sharing experiences and knowledge about using current and new technology.

 

We are the voice of our members and all users in a complex digital world. We’re the only truly independent and representative voice for all users, both corporate and individual.

 

We know that connectivity is key to digital businesses, a growing digital economy and a force for social good.

 

With our members we are investing in our future leaders to equip them to be the best they can be in their own careers, in our members businesses, and which is bringing vitality to our membership.

 

TUANZ Media Release: TUANZ to host symposium looking at the future of TV and media in this converging world

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1st August 2019

TUANZ, the association for users of digital technology and connectivity, is inviting anyone interested in hearing about the future of TV and media to the 2019 Digital Convergence Symposium on Tuesday 6 August.

TUANZ CEO, Craig Young says that the theme of this year’s event reflects the fast-changing nature of media and how users access content in 2019.

“The biggest talking point at the moment is how viewers will watch this year’s various world cups including Rugby, and how the continued convergence of communications and broadcasting will play out after October this year,” says Young.

Attendees will hear from several industry leaders including Carolyn Luey, Consumer Director at Vodafone, Michael Boggs, CEO of NZME and Kevin Kenrick, CEO of TVNZ. Representatives from Spark and Sky TV will also present their views during the afternoon.

New in 2019, the TUANZ Digital Convergence Symposium aims to help users make sense of the digital future where there is an increasing convergence of digital technologies. This convergence reached a tipping point in 2018 in relation to the use of broadband to deliver content to users from broadcasters and companies alike.

Those interested in attending can view the full programme and register for the event by going to the Events page on the TUANZ website.

About TUANZ

TUANZ is the group helping users make sense of the digital future through sharing experiences and knowledge about current and new technology. It is the voice of its members and all users in a complex digital world. TUANZ is the only truly independent and representative voice for all users, both corporate and individual.

—

Companies must plan for the future of digital transformation

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Auckland – The future of work is changing at a staggeringly fast rate as digital transformation, automation and artificial intelligence take over many jobs that were previously performed by people, TechLeaders NZ chairperson David Kennedy says.

While this will make some human-driven roles obsolete, it will also create new jobs that will require different skills. This digital disruption of work happens quickly, which means companies need to be able to move fast in order to keep pace.

“For many businesses, their current staff may not possess the new skills that are going to be required in the future, so they must consider how they will future-proof their workforce,” Kennedy says in a TechLeaders NZ discussion paper just released today.

“One way for companies to ensure they have an adaptable workforce is to adopt a capability framework as a way of measuring and managing their human resources. Capability frameworks focus on continuous learning and future potential.

“Technology leaders from some of New Zealand’s largest organisations have discussed how capability frameworks can enable organisations to keep up with changes.

“The rapid rise in technology is changing the nature of work for many businesses. While these technological developments lead to increased productivity for companies, organisations are now struggling with how to keep their staff employed, engaged and able to do the changing roles required of them.

“The challenge is for businesses to prepare a future workforce which is highly adaptable. This involves ensuring that there is the infrastructure in place for people to upskill on-demand, without major time commitments.

“In order for businesses to manage their future workforce, they need to understand the skills and capability possessed by their current employees, so they adapt them to meet their changing needs.”

Traditionally, competency frameworks have been the way in which many organisations structure and manage their human resources.

Competency frameworks based on a person’s current skills can be cumbersome and complicated. Comparatively, capability frameworks are about continuous learning and potential. Capability frameworks focus on what is someone capable of doing in the future and their ability to get certain outcomes.

The implications of an accelerated pace-of-change needs to be factored in. If a business is changing rapidly, they need to understand how that impacts their staff’s needs. With the half-life of a skill decreasing sharply, they need to have a strategy in place to future-proof their staff.
“We recommend the large organisations should create the CV of the future. They need to articulate what they think are going to be the most valuable skills and attributes their employees may need going forward,” Kennedy says.

This will provide guidance to employees looking to ready themselves for future changes and help attract new talent.

“TechLeaders recognise that there is a need for education providers to offer quick, online and flexible micro-courses to upskill people who are the already in the workforce.

“While NZQA is working to introduce more micro-credentials into the market, education providers should move rapidly to pilot micro-training that may not need full NZQA credentialing to provide value.

“It will be incumbent on large organisations to clearly articulate capability development areas needed to provide guidance to education partners,” he says.

TechLeaders are part of the large NZTech Alliance which consists of more than 20 tech associations that represent more than 800 organisations.

For further information contact Make Lemonade editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188.

Tech Leaders already seeing impact of automation

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Auckland – TechLeaders, a growing group of top executives from the country’s biggest companies and organisations, are backing the pioneering work of the Productivity Commission to try to better understand the impact of technology changes on the future of work in New Zealand.

Techleaders are part of the large NZ Tech Alliance which consists of more than 20 tech associations that represent more than 1000 Kiwi businesses and organisations.

David Kennedy, the TechLeaders chair, says the Productivity Commission was tasked by government to work out how New Zealand can manage the risks of fast-expanding tech changes and gauge the impact on the future of work and the workforce.

“The commission has launched an inquiry into tech change and the future of work in New Zealand, and last week released an issues paper seeking input on the future of the tech landscape for Kiwis,” he says.

“Having seen first-hand the impact that deploying new automation technologies can have on people’s jobs, we have pooled our collective thoughts to help develop best practice to minimise the impact.

“Last year TechLeaders created a simple set of digital principles for organisations working through digital transformation to remind them to put their people first. We believe that the changing landscape is creating a situation where companies must focus more on the human side of technology, both from a customer and employee standpoint.

“It is our strongly held belief that the prosperity of New Zealand is inextricably linked to how well our organisations embrace a digital future and how well they evolve.”

“We also know that skills needed by the work force are changing rapidly so getting the link between education and industry will be important, as will the ability of the education system to adapt and evolve faster.

“It is great to see the government taking this critical area so seriously with things like the Tripartite Forum and now this Productivity Commission study.

“As tech leaders, we are looking forward to supporting the Productivity Commission as it undertakes this work,” Kennedy says.

The TechLeaders form a comprehensive knowledge base from a cross section of New Zealand business, all of whom are actively involved in transforming their businesses, incorporating digital first approaches.

The TechLeaders’ executive is from organisations such as Auckland Transport, Downer, Fonterra, Fletcher Building and Westpac, which are at the tech coal face driving change.

For further information contact Make Lemonade editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188.

Photo: David Kennedy

Be part of Scale-Up New Zealand

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In April, Callaghan Innovation launches Scale-Up New Zealand, a free online platform with verified information on Aotearoa New Zealand’s vibrant innovation ecosystem.

Created from a model that is hugely successful overseas, Scale-Up New Zealand will make it faster and easier for ambitious businesses to find and connect with people and capital and other help they need to grow.  

Scale-Up New Zealand will showcase our innovative businesses, along with the investors, incubators, accelerators, multinationals and others who support or partner with them.  It will also create opportunities for investors and multinationals to connect with innovative New Zealand businesses.

The platform will increase the profile of your company to a local and global audience, and it will make it faster and easier for you to connect with investors, incubators, accelerators and companies you could potentially partner with.  You will be able to use the platform to ask for facilitated introductions to key people and create meaningful connections.

Scale-Up New Zealand will also allow you to conduct market research and validation.  For example, you can analyse other companies in your industry or those in your target market, look at historic funding round information and improve your understanding of market trends in the New Zealand innovation ecosystem.

Learn more and register to be part of Scale-Up New Zealand.

We are TUANZ

TUANZ Media Release : Liz Gosling re-elected Chair of a gender balanced board at TUANZ

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5th December 2018

At the final TUANZ Board meeting of 2018, Liz Gosling was unanimously re-elected to continue in the role of Chair.  Liz is the Chief Information Officer at Auckland University of Technology  where she leads a team of 170 people and is responsible for information technology provision for AUT’s staff and students.  Her role is focused on contributing to the University’s strategic direction, creating and executing ICT strategy, building collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across the University and ensuring that ICT delivers excellent services and value.

“I am thrilled to lead a team of elected individuals from within our base of members who represent the users of digital technology and connectivity in New Zealand.  I’m also incredibly proud to be the Chair of a gender balanced board after the results of the most recent board election,” said Ms. Gosling.

At the recent AGM, the results of the board elections were announced with new board member Theresa Corballis of HP Enterprise. She joins Malcolm Condie from Livestock Improvement Corporation and Vaughan Baker of MyRepublic Group, both being re-elected.  This gives the board of 10 members an equal number of male and female representatives.

“We are also incredibly pleased with the reaction to our new look for both TUANZ and our future leaders programme, FLINT (flint.nz).  We have a proud history and have refreshed our messaging so that people know that we’re the organisation for users of digital technology and connectivity.  We still want to see NZ in the top 10 countries for the use of digital technology and feel re-energized ourselves for the next period of change in the digital environment,” Ms.Gosling went on to say.

Other board members were re-appointed to the following roles:

  • Tristan Ilich, Aurecon – Deputy Chair
  • Jenna Woolley, MIT – Contact Office
  • Malcolm Condie, Individual Member – Finance Chair

For more information about the TUANZ board please see our Board page and  for more information about past board Chairs and members please see Our Past on the TUANZ website.

ENDS

TUANZ Media Release: TUANZ welcomes next steps in holistic review of NZ mobile market

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31st August 2018

Following on from the earlier scope paper covering a review of the mobile market, TUANZ welcomes the broad range of questions raised in the Commerce Commissions Issues Paper released today.

“We are really pleased to see the holistic approach being taken by the Commission in this study.  We have been calling for a fully independent study of the market structure for mobile services and so it’s positive to see the range of questions being raised in this papers.” Said Craig Young , CEO of TUANZ.

“We reiterate that our members have been clear to us that while they recognise that the NZ market has delivered improved competition and that there are areas we are well ahead of in comparison to other countries, they want to see this review as being comprehensive addressing the questions of where we are and what we need to ensure that strong competition remains in this market.” Said Mr Young.

The Chair of TUANZ, Liz Gosling (CIO Auckland University of Technology) reiterated that “As the truly independant representative group of users of these services, we will continue to fully engage with our members to ensure that their views are represented to the Commission as they undertake the next steps in this review.”

 

Ends