​Boost for Christchurch as Spark delivers on Telecommunications-as-a-Service Govt deal

“The opportunity to implement TaaS with such an innovative agency like Statistics New Zealand has helped ensure the success of the Christchurch project."

Tim Miles - CEO, Spark Digital

Tim Miles - CEO, Spark Digital

Statistics New Zealand and Spark have partnered to deliver one of the first Telecommunications-as-a-Service (TaaS) government connectivity networks, helping a number of government agencies return to Christchurch CBD.

From this week 380 public servants from nine agencies will work from the new BNZ Centre between Cashel and Hereford Street.

In 2017, a further 200 staff will join them in the building officially opened this week by Prime Minister John Key and Minister supporting Christchurch Regeneration Gerry Brownlee.

Bringing hundreds of government workers back in the heart of the city is an important step in Christchurch CBD’s recovery as the city rebuilds following the earthquakes in 2011.

Statistics New Zealand signed the first TaaS network connectivity agreement with Spark and is the lead agency responsible for co-ordinating all the agencies working in the BNZ Centre.

“From the outset, we were encouraged to explore innovative solutions to support a more integrated colocation of agencies, enabling interoperability and cross agency efficiencies,” says Chris Buxton, Chief Technology Officer, Statistics NZ.

“Spark has provided exactly that through TaaS - a modern, collaborative working environment, providing the flexibility to support broader government building use in the future for the benefit of all New Zealanders.”

Buxton says TaaS has a “vital role” in helping the nine agencies, each with different communications and security requirements, share the building and resources.

“In the BNZ Centre the nine government agencies will be able to collaborate securely with each other and with their customers,” Buxton explains.

Going forward, public servants will have a “modern, flexible working environment” that is geared towards accommodating staff mobility, and sharing common meeting rooms and networks.

“The opportunity to implement TaaS with such an innovative agency like Statistics New Zealand has helped ensure the success of the Christchurch project,” adds Tim Miles, CEO, Spark Digital.

“Statistics have embraced TaaS as a new way of consuming telecommunications which will realise the goals of each agency in the multi-tenanted share facilities building.

“Not only does it support the ambitions of the Christchurch rebuild, we are confident that this will lead to better outcomes for government and all New Zealanders.”

Miles says the new services will allow a public servant to work flexibly from another agency’s premises and provide them with the ability to securely share content, applications and collaboratively engage with other inter-government colleagues.

TaaS enables a government agency to select and pay for the telecommunications they need today whilst still being able to quickly modify services to meet their changing business needs.

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