Almost every job in New Zealand has been impacted by COVID-19. For many, the ultimate impact has been the loss of jobs. Last week, The New Zealand Herald reported that 14,000+ jobs have been lost from large companies. Treasury also reported that the unemployment rate is expected to jump from 4.2 percent to 9.8 percent by September. However, many economists say Treasury … Continue reading "NZTech Inform – whats next for small business?"

At the beginning of Techweek19, I shared my desire to clone myself, so I could attend even more events throughout New Zealand. This year I can, because travelling isn’t an issue with Techweek2020 being hosted entirely online. Until recently, none of us had even heard of COVID-19, but within weeks, we were in coronavirus chaos. When the pandemic reached our shores, we quickly transitioned to working and learning from home by embracing technology.

Welcome to Alert Level 2. With so much going on, you may have missed just how significant the budget was for New Zealand’s tech ecosystem. The Government’s respond, recover, rebuild media release captures many of the highlights, including:

During the past few weeks, I may not have been travelling or having in person meetings, but there is still plenty going on as the NZTech team drive collaboration and advocacy for the importance of tech in New Zealand’s economic recovery.

Last week, during the seemingly endless zoom, Teams and Hangout meetings, I began to hear a pleasing change of tone. The groups and agencies we are working with on the COVID-19 response, are now spending more time discussing ways to reboot the economy. NZTech is advocating that we should do more than just reboot the economy. This is a chance to transform the economy for the better, by encouraging organisations to adopt technology.

If you read this morning’s news, you could be excused for thinking life is returning to normal. Reports included lengthy queues for takeaways and traffic building on the motorways. Also, the virus is “currently eliminated,” says our Prime Minister.

Kia ora, Recently, Xero commissioned the New Zealand Economic Research Institute (NZIER) to undertake a major analysis of the impact of cloud-based technology on the New Zealand economy.

Will 2020 be the year of education technology? It seems hard to imagine anything positive from the COVID-19 crisis, but if we do it well, the New Zealand education system will successfully flourish.

As a tech entrepreneur for 27 years, I have had first-hand experience of many crises (including Y2K, the Dot-com bubble and the 2008 global financial crisis) that directly impacted my businesses and the rest of the economy, both at home and abroad.