Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
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Auckland – The Internet of Things (IoT) will soon become critical to helping New Zealand raise its productivity and prosperity, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says.
Much of the current hype around IoT has been derived from consumer IoT such as fitness trackers and intelligent fridges. The real value to be had from the Internet of Things is in enterprise and government applications.
A collaborative national research project is underway to better understand the potential benefits (and risks) of IoT for the New Zealand economy. The project, being managed by NZTech, brings together major tech users, tech firms, the government, academia and industry groups such as TUANZ and InternetNZ, all who have an interest in the potential impact of IoT for New Zealand.
IoT impact of how Kiwis work
Muller says IoT is becoming a growing topic of conversation both in the workplace and outside of it. It’s a concept that not only has the potential to impact how Kiwis live but also how they work.
Fast broadband is becoming more widely available, the cost of connecting is decreasing, more devices are being created with wi-fi capabilities and sensors built into them, technology costs are dropping, and smartphone penetration is sky-rocketing.
Research project important
Putting all these rapid developments into the mix is creating a perfect platform for IoT to take off, Muller says, this is why the research project and a better understanding of how to apply IoT are needed.
“While IoT is a rapidly developing technology, understanding of its potential is still relatively limited. By undertaking a collaborative research project with the government, the tech sector and tech users we have an opportunity to raise the profile of IoT and highlight its potential,” Muller says.
“The research will also help us understand opportunities that IoT could create for different sectors, and any barriers or challenges that may need to be addressed to accelerate deployment.
“IoT presents a massive opportunity for technology to drive New Zealand’s economic growth. Yet to accelerate deployment and uptake, a better understanding of the opportunities is needed.
“While the research won’t be completed until mid-year, some initial observations give us cause for optimism. While current uptake is very low, with only around 10 percent of New Zealand businesses having deployed or currently planning to deploying IoT type technologies, New Zealand has all the ingredients for a business environment that will support accelerated growth.
“Compared to the G20 nations, New Zealand scores well for IoT readiness due to ease of doing business, government stability, regulatory quality, a good innovation ecosystem and education system.”
Initial economic analysis has identified potential economic benefits in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the New Zealand economy through the deployment of IoT in sectors as diverse as agriculture, utilities, manufacturing, logistics and smart city services.
IoT examples
Some of the interesting uses of IoT in New Zealand that the research has identified include:
Connected Cow sheds: The faster milk is cooled the better quality it will be. Cooling milk uses about 30 percent of the total energy costs for running a dairy farm. IoT sensors and actuators can manage the temperatures at each stage of milk flow. Real time alerts are sent by text message or app notification if problems are identified. This enables the farmer to resolve the problem quickly to minimise milk loss.
Smart street lighting: Saves a city money in energy costs and reduces pollution by intelligently trimming and dimming individually addressed lights. Auckland Transport is installing around 40,000 smart LED streetlights which can individually respond to local light conditions saving millions.
Better health and safety: Wearables for employees can manage that employee’s site access levels, improve awareness and adherence to health and safety requirements, and enable better utilisation of staff in real time workforce management.
The research will be published in June this year. Global researcher IDC forecasts there will be 30.4 billion connected things worldwide by 2020.
| A Make Lemonade release | March 19, 2017 ||
Co-venturing Wellington and Auckland universities will rub collegiate shoulders with world’s major production engineer
General Motors subsidiary Holden’s arrival in Newsroom as founder-backer of the online information enterprise is GM’s second venture into the New Zealand information sector.
It was New Zealand’s major data processing proprietor when it owned Databank through another of its subsidiaries, Electronic Data Systems.
Databank at this time was considered the southern hemisphere’s pre-eminent non-governmental data processing operation in terms of capacity.
GM’s return this year to the New Zealand information sector carries value through the early involvement in it also of the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington.
GM internationally is accelerating its recruitment of information technology graduates and its ground-floor involvement with the two universities will give it a special advantage in talent-spotting.
The auto manufacturer originally entered the information sector when it acquired Electronic Data Systems from Ross Perot of US presidential race fame.
With Electronic Data Systems now came New Zealand’s Databank at that time the world’s first and most successful nationwide cheque-clearing cooperative.
General Motors began to shed its non-core investments such as Electronic Data Systems and thus Databank as Asian manufacturers continued to pour on the competition.
Its new cat’s paw into the public dissemination sector of the information business in New Zealand through the Newsroom co-seeding also presents a valuable opportunity to the two universities involved, the ones in Auckland and Wellington.
This will be to take advantage of the commercial collegiate opportunity of rubbing shoulders as co-venturers with a research and development investing production engineer of this magnitude.
A constant problem for New Zealand universities has been to get on a working level with this category of production engineering multinational.
The indirect solution via the Newsroom joint involvement indicates a working opportunity that has consistently eluded New Zealand universities in the co-development sphere.
If the association looks a fruitful creative mix in automotive/academic terms then the news venture promoters could well find themselves with sufficient additional investment allowing them to take their foot off the paywall accelerator.
New Zealand browsers continue to exhibit a reluctance to pay for a service that they consider part of the free model.
| From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk | Fidy 17 March 2017 ||
Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing has appointed Rob Scoines as general manager for its New Zealand operation.
Mr Scoines, who most recently served as general manager for Logistics at Sanitarium Australia, brings 40 years of experience in a variety of roles such as accounting, HR and manufacturing in different locations, including Auckland. As general manager for Logistics, he led Sanitarium Australia to be considered a preferred supplier by its trading partners over the past 10 years.
"We’re the country’s number one breakfast food manufacturer and this offers the church a unique opportunity to make a positive impact in the community."
“I believe Rob will bring excellent leadership to this role,” said Sanitarium CEO Kevin Jackson. “He has what it takes to grow a high-performing team as we continue sharing our message of health and hope for a better life in New Zealand.”
Beyond the workplace, Mr Scoines accomplishes remarkable feats of endurance in ultra-marathon events and his passion for making a difference in the community is well known, whether he’s raising funds for a worthy cause or taking part in his local church’s Road to Bethlehem program.
“I see leadership as a privilege,” Mr Scoines said. “It’s the opportunity to positively impact people as they grow and develop while they in turn make an impact on the business and the community. We’re the country’s number one breakfast food manufacturer and this offers the Church a unique opportunity to make a positive impact in the community. I’m honoured to lead the team that’s going to make the most of that opportunity.”
Mr Sciones takes up the role immediately, replacing Pierre van Heerden, who announced he was stepping down as general manager at the end of 2016.
In the last financial year, Sanitarium New Zealand achieved a sales turnover of $150m and provided more than 500 million serves of healthy products for consumers.
| A Sanitarium release | March 17, 2017||
University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington have put their academic shoulders to the wheel in backing Newsroom online alternative to print media.
Their other foundation partners include auto company Holden and telecommunications lines outfit Chorus.
The association will allow the US auto manufacturer Holden a fresh opportunity to counter the Japanese auto manufacturers which dominate branding on the free-to-air television channels.
Chorus, which is restricted to wholesale activities only, will benefit from additional use of its telecommunications circuits.
It is unsure at this stage if the two universities will contribute from an investment point of view, supplying content, or both.
The universities have long resented what they see as a failure by the daily newspapers in both Wellington and Auckland to give their universities the coverage that they believe they deserve.
Newspapers have long been disappointed by their circulations in universities. In recent years the dailies have clamped down on publishing learned academic articles. More sensitively still, they have ignored requests from the universities to publish their copious degree allocations lists and other such honoraria.
They have dropped their educational roundspeople as part of general belt tightening, thus exacerbating the resentment
Newroom meanwhile indicates that it will have a full time editorial staff approaching in numbers that of a New Zealand metropolitan daily.
The original Newsroom began as a lunge into vertical markets by the NZX. The high-end web aggregator was then acquired by information technology interests which then in turn aggregated it with Scoop, the pioneering New Zealand online challenge to the dailies.
Results were mixed. Scoop stayed in Wellington. Newsroom gravitated to new parentage in Auckland that groomed it for its current apotheosis as a multi-funded direct challenge to the dailies.
There has been talk of the unflappable family-controlled Dunedin-based newspaper chain centred on the Otago Daily Times being involved. This makes sense because Newsroom will require print pick-up.
The failure of Newsroom Versions: 1&2, and also of Scoop to get print pick up was a signal factor in their struggles.
Newsroom Version 3 must have pick-up disseminated through print to let the public at large know that it exists in the first place.
There is mention of dickering with the Wellington based chain Fairfax in exchanging stories. But whatever the stated reason, the real one will be pick-up.
The new Newsroom is unlikely to get it from NZME’s daily NZ Herald or its radio stations.
NZME which has especially aroused the indignation of its university simply by ignoring it gives all the signs of being the target-in-chief for this curious merger of industry and academia.
| From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk || Friday 17 March, 2017 ||
The Minister for Seniors Maggie Barry says changes to Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) forms will make them easier to understand and use.
“Knowing you can chose people you trust and who understand what you want, who will make important personal and financial decisions for you if you can’t, gives you peace of mind,” Ms Barry says.
“It should be set up when you are fit and healthy – mentally and physically.”
“The changes, which come into effect tomorrow, make it much easier to take that first step towards protecting your future life wishes on your personal health and well-being issues and property matters.”
“Both EPAs are written in plain english and come with an explanation of what setting one up means.”
“The changes won’t affect existing documents but any medical certificates about someone’s mental capacity must meet new requirements.”
“Everyone should set up an Enduring Power of Attorney so your wishes can be carried out if you are not well enough to express them.”
“Seniors can use their Gold Card to receive discounts at 300 legal firms around New Zealand so EPAs and wills cost less to draw up,” Ms Barry says
More information on EPAs is on the SuperSeniors website www.superseniors.msd.govt.nz. The new EPA forms will be available on the website from tomorrow.
Additional information:
Together with changes to the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 that also take effect tomorrow, the changes will:
| A Beehive release | march 15, 2017 ||
Executives at Toshiba are now actively considering selling Westinghouse, among other options to deal with the troubled nuclear developer.
The company has expanded a probe into Westinghouse and missed an earnings report deadline for a second time, Reuters reported.
Officials at Toshiba believe it could find buyers for a majority stake in Westinghouse even though it recently lost $6.3 billion. Industry executives believe South Korea’s KEPCO could be a potential buyer. KEPCO indicated it would consider an offer.
However, CEO Satoshi Tsunakawa dodged questions about a potential bankruptcy filing for Westinghouse, indicating only that there are multiple options. Company sources say Toshiba has hired bankruptcy lawyers as an exploratory step.
Even with the extraordinary losses, tied to nuclear project delays, dwindling demand for nuclear and the overvaluation of the purchase of CB&I Stone & Webster, Tsunakawa indicated nuclear construction is only a small part of Westinghouse’s operations.
"Around 80 percent of Westinghouse's revenues come from stable businesses in services and fuel-related businesses so I think that will be taken into consideration too," he said during a news conference.
Toshiba’s goal is to have Westinghouse off its consolidated accounts by the end of the next fiscal year in March 2018.
| A Power Engineering release | March 14, 2017 ||
Will purchase appease shareholders and their class action?
The acquisition by Toronto’s Resolver Inc of assets of Wynyard Group points up the need for an international partner by New Zealand technology companies.
Resolver has taken over a slew of products from the Wynyard Group which went into liquidation. In doing so the Canadian company also acquires a user base, notably in the public sector.
Resolver’s activities in the crime-fighting, counter insurgency, and security IT application sector mirrored those of Wynyard.
The failure of Wynyard much earlier to acquire a big league international collaboration is all the more strange bearing in mind that Wynyard sprang out of Jade which achieved its global market share through an initial tie up with Unisys, and then with the UK’s Skipton Building Society.
Even so, collaboration poses a special threat for risk systems producers.
The less people in on the codes, the better. The less diluted their allegiance, the less the risk of leaks.
These systems require input from law enforcement authorities. Tolkien buff and New Zealand resident Peter Thiel’s Palantir is an example.
It is not known if the acquisition by Resolver of the Wynyard Group product line is sufficient to appease the formerly NZX main board company’s shareholders with their class action.
Meanwhile, the transaction reinforces a long tradition of Canadian IT involvement in this country which started with the introduction of the first PC portable, as they were then known, the Hyperion, then the Commodore, and much more recently the BlackBerry, long the Parliamentary standard.
Canadian manufacturers that played a big part in the telecommunications ramp-up included Mitel, Norpak, and Brian Tolley’s Bell Block cable extrusion process factory Canzac.
| From the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | Wednesday 15 March 2017 ||
Vector today announced another step in its strategy to deliver efficient, sustainable energy solutions to consumers, with the acquisition of two companies, E-Co Products Group and PowerSmart.
E-Co Products, better known as HRV, is a total home solutions business that has built a deep and strong connection with New Zealanders, helping to create healthier homes.
PowerSmart is a leading provider of innovative large scale sustainable power solutions in New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Vector Chief Executive, Simon Mackenzie, says the businesses will continue to operate independently and provide Vector with complementary channels to deliver innovative technological energy solutions directly to consumers.
“As new and disruptive energy solutions become available, the way energy is produced, consumed, and monitored is changing. We are focused on leading energy innovation and empowering customers by offering them choice and control.
“The acquisition of both E-Co Products Group and PowerSmart will boost our ability to deliver these new solutions, at both a household and commercial scale. These companies share our vision of a new energy future and we believe it’s an excellent fit for all parties,” Mr Mackenzie said.
E-Co Products Group Chief Executive, Bruce Gordon says E-Co Products is very excited to be joining the Vector group.
“As New Zealand’s leading energy solutions provider, Vector can provide key expertise and innovation in areas that will benefit our business and take it into a new era,” he said.
PowerSmart Chief Executive, Mike Bassett-Smith, says Vector’s scale and network expertise will assist with the company’s growth plans.
“As the economics of solar and batteries continue to improve, we can leverage Vector’s knowledge and experience to undertake ever larger, more complex projects,” he said.
Both acquisitions are subject to customary conditions and settlement is expected to occur on or around 31 March. The acquisitions will be funded from Vector’s existing facilities and are expected to be earnings accretive in FY2018.
| A Vector release | March 15, 2017 ||
Entries open today for the 2017 Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships, which offer New Zealand’s managers and executives the opportunity to improve their skills at the world’s best business schools.
Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges says the scholarships are designed for managers and executives of companies involved in exporting, who are looking to expand their expertise through international study.
“We want New Zealand’s business leaders to have an opportunity to learn from some of the best overseas business schools and institutions,” Mr Bridges says.
“The aim of the scholarships is to make it easier to access these institutions, in turn increasing business leaders’ knowledge and improving the international competitiveness of New Zealand businesses.
“The scholarships also support New Zealand business people to develop networks and teach them to overcome the challenges our distance from overseas markets can pose.”
The Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships cover up to half of the course-related costs of attending an international learning institution.
“Previous recipients have enrolled at prestigious international institutions such as Harvard, Wharton and Columbia Business Schools, Stanford University, and the London School of Economics,” Mr Bridges says.
“This is a great opportunity for business leaders and senior managers involved in exporting to study overseas, improve their knowledge and then bring those valuable skills back to New Zealand.”
Applications for the scholarships close at noon on 28 April 2017.
More information can be found at www.mbie.govt.nz/about/our-work/scholarships/prime-ministers-business-scholarships
| A Beehive release | March 14, 2017 ||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
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