year in review 2018 connecting people and technology · 2019-01-29 · connecting people and...

Year in review 2018

Connecting people and technology

Cover: Nieve Campbell experiences the magic of mixed reality through Datacom’s hologram technology

What makes us unique? Local at heart, world-class in capability. Technology solutions designed for, and with you, that deliver real results. People that care, with experience, insight and imagination to match. An authentic vision for the future, with an appetite for discovery.

Our purpose We help organisations and communities to a better place by connecting people and technology.

1IntroductIon

Financial highlights

NZD

Total operating revenue

Financial reporting for year ending 31 March 2018

$1.27brevenue increase 9.3%

NZD $35.1m

NZD $55.4m

NZD $23.5m

NZD $19.1m

Profit Before Tax

Capital Expenditure increased 53% over prior year

Profit After Tax

Operating Expenditure Investmentmajor investments increased 35%

dAtAcoM A YEAr In rEVIEW 20182

Craig Boycechairman, datacom Group

Craig Boyce Datacom Group Chairman

2018 was another solid year for DatacomAs a company, we now have 20 years of continuous revenue growth – dating back to 1998 – which is a significant period, particularly given the change we have seen in our industry during this time.

Our success can be attributed to a range of factors including:• A strong and consistent focus on delivering for customers • The skill, experience and dedication of our people • Our drive to proactively disrupt and continually improve

our service • Investing for our people and for the long-term future

growth of the company.

2018 has been a year of unparalleled progress for Datacom. This year we embarked on a significant internal business transformation journey, which touched every aspect of the company’s operations, working to help our people deliver a more efficient, higher performing and customer centric organisation inside and out.

Datacom’s people have embraced these challenges admirably. We are now in a good position to not only deliver a greater quality of service to our customers today, but to position them for future growth and prosperity well into the future.

As we look to the year ahead, there are many opportunities before us which Datacom is well positioned to capitalise on. Whilst challenges will present themselves along the way, the investments we’ve made, the breadth and depth of our capability, the strength of our people, and our appetite for discovery will enable us to tackle them head on and continue to demonstrate the value we can deliver.

As a business we will continue to evolve and explore new possibilities that will delight our customers, inspire our people, and make a real difference in all the markets we operate. We’re excited to share this journey with you as we explore the path ahead.

3IntroductIon

A word from Greg

Q&A with our Chief Executive Officer


Q What has been your main priority since becoming CEO in April 2018?Listening, understanding and investing. I wanted to have direct and honest conversations with as many of our people and customers as possible, to seek feedback, understand where we could do better, and then strategically evaluate our business. This led to investments in a number of areas, including a new business strategy as well as an organisational restructure that will enable us to better serve our customers today, and well into the future.

Q What would you say has been the highlight for Datacom in 2018?As with every business, we’ve had some challenges in 2018, however each one has helped highlight where we need to focus, invest or change so we can continue to deliver value to our customers and people. Something that stands out is the “ask me anything” conversations I’ve had with our people across each market which have been incredibly honest, valuable and rewarding.

Q What do you think is Datacom’s biggest opportunity in 2019?We’re in a really fortunate position where there are so many opportunities before us across every market we operate in. There is significant scope for us to grow our business in Australia and internationally, particularly in strategic areas such as cloud transformation, software and cybersecurity. A lot of the investments and decisions we’ve made in 2018 put us in a strong position to capitalise on the opportunities before us in 2019 and beyond.

Q What are the biggest challenges facing Datacom?The answer to this one varies depending on the day, location and industry we’re talking about. With markets and communities around the world experiencing rapid change at a significant scale and complexity, I think the greatest challenge is to remain aware, engaged and agile when it comes to future trends. At the same time though we need to understand what our customers’ needs are today and deliver and demonstrate real value to their business now.

Q What makes Datacom a great place to work? Our people. This year we have invested heavily in talent – the heart of our business. As a customer-centric service partner, we always strive to mirror the communities we serve. I’m proud to say that inline with our commitment to employing a wider variety of candidates, we are focusing on ensuring Datacom is more accessible for those working and living with disabilities. This is something we will continue to build upon in 2019.

Q How is Datacom positioning itself for future growth?Operationally we’re positioning ourselves closer to the customer and ensuring our business is agile, responsive and strategic. We’ve also identified a number of growth areas we will be investing in, as well as ensuring our people remain engaged and equipped to meet the challenges of our customers and explore new possibilities as a company. Ultimately, it’s about keeping a foot in today with an eye on tomorrow, and ensuring that we explore all options that will have a real and legitimate impact on our customers’ businesses for years to come.

Greg DavidsoncEo, datacom Group

We sat down with Datacom’s Chief Executive Officer Greg Davidson to gain an insight into Datacom today, and what we can expect in the future

Greg Davidson Datacom Group CEO

5IntroductIon

Employee numbers have increased from 5,332 to 6,200 since 31 March 2018

6,200

Capabilitiesconnecting people and technology is at the heart of what we do at datacom.

Strategy & StructureIn 2018 we saw a lot of change through Datacom’s new business strategy and organisational structure, combined with growth and investment in scale and people. These changes put our customers – both new and existing – absolutely at the centre of our business across all markets.

Datacom supports its customers by providing a broad range of services and solutions including software development, cloud advisory, data centre operations, payroll and customer experience design, IT services and security management. These are all underpinned by our extensive industry experience, exceptional people and technology insights.

With our strong local heritage, global reach, and industry heavyweight partners, we now have over 6,200 experienced people who genuinely care, working to ensure Datacom delivers innovative and cost-effective solutions that set a new standard in IT services.

Datacom now operates from 26 locations around the world

26 locations

53 years’ experienceFounded in 1965

6 dAtAcoM A YEAr In rEVIEW 2018

This year we introduced a new integrated business strategy informed by feedback from customers around the world, an in-depth analysis of our business, and the opportunities before us.

To enable the strategy and provide better services and offerings to our customers and people, Datacom completed an organisational restructure that harnessed the full potential of the Datacom Group – leveraging our size, scale and expertise around the world.

Datacom is now aligned to four market-facing businesses, each of which focus on specific geographies or sectors:• Australia Commercial• New Zealand Commercial• Public Sector A/NZ• International

These businesses operate alongside Group-wide Connect, Operations and Products & Marketing businesses, and are supported by the People and Finance corporate functions.

This new structure best prepares the business to meet current and future customer demands, as well as supporting the existing portfolio and emerging growth areas. This includes an emphasis on new approaches to professional services, including software development, digital transformation, customer experience, infrastructure automation and transformation, data and artificial intelligence/machine learning, network design and deployment, and cybersecurity.

Positioning for future growth

2018 marked a year of change for datacom, with a new cEo, new strategy and new organisational structure

“ these changes will enable our most experienced leaders to bring their wisdom, insight and imagination directly to our customers, and to the management of our business. this customer and market-driven strategy will best apply our expertise from across the entire company. I’m pleased that we have been able to do this while still retaining the strong local culture and leadership in each of our locations” Greg Davidson CEO, Datacom Group

Below: Illustration by Datacom designer Leina Burton

7LocAL At hEArt — WorLd-cLAss In cApAbILItY

The new site was officially opened by the Hon. Alan Tudge, Federal Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. David Ridgway, South Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, as well as Datacom Connect Managing Director, Stacey Tomasoni.

The new site, located at the TAFE SA Tea Tree Gully campus in Adelaide, has created over 700 jobs and training opportunities for South Australians, with further growth expected.

The state-of-the-art facility offers dedicated training, management and delivery of customer care services to a growing portfolio of clients within Australia. As part of the investment, Datacom, together with Workskil Australia, SYC, and TAFE SA, offers a pre-employment training programme which facilitates a training-to-job pathway into employment.

The customer care and IT Hub is Datacom’s second facility in South Australia, along with its Adelaide office in the city’s CBD.

The new site joins Datacom’s network of customer care sites which serve a range of customers locally and around the world.

Growing our world- class capability in South Australia

Datacom opened a state-of-the-art customer care and IT Hub in South Australia in 2018, providing world-class customer services as well as training for the local community, as part of our growing investment in Australia.

new jobs and training opportunities for South Australians

700+

Right: Inside Datacom’s customer care operations at Tea Tree Gully, Adelaide


Above: Vulcan Steel technicians wear high vis vest and hard hat to meet real-time health and safety monitoring


Safety first —why Vulcan chose our AI


With workplace safety statistics indicating that there are 260 deaths and 120,000 serious injuries at workplaces across Australasia every year, costing an estimated $6.2 billion, Vulcan needed a way to improve employee training around loading and unloading steel on their flatbed trucks.

Specifically, Vulcan was looking to design and build a flatbed truck monitoring safety solution, which was a challenge Datacom first explored at the Datacomp hackathon event. During the hackathon event, the Datacom team analysed video footage to prototype an

Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution that was based on real-time hard hat detection.

From the prototype, a pilot project was launched which saw more video footage gathered to further ‘train’ the model to use real-time object detection to detect people with hard hats and high vis jackets and identify and alert where any infringements have occurred.

The solution leverages truck mounted camera footage which is uploaded and triggers a video analytic process. From there a dockerised video analytic process is kicked off which examines the footage to then note if

workers are wearing the right gear, for example a hard hat and high vis jacket. An app then allows supervisors to view flagged videos that may have captured possible health and safety violations so they can simply tap on any status in the timeline to jump to any point to verify if a violation occurred. Supervisors can then review the flags and correct them when needed to further increase the accuracy of the model.

Thanks to this innovative solution, Vulcan can now detect unsafe behaviour and enable feedback and training in a timely manner.

When you’re distributing steel, the potential for workplace accidents is high. Vulcan is committed to providing a safe workplace to its 700 staff across Australia and new Zealand.

over 260 deaths, not to mention

120,000 serious injuries that cost an estimated $6.2 billion

$6.2b260+ 120,000In Australasia during 2017, there were:


Above: Inside Vulcan’s East Tamaki warehouse


The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation. The RACGP represents approximately 40,000 members working in or towards a career in general practice. The RACGP’s primary role is to support its members by providing quality standards for clinical practice, curriculum for education and training, resources and guidelines pursuant of excellence in patient care and community service.

The RACGP received funding from the federal Department of Health to develop a project to help GPs better support patients across Australia to lead healthier lifestyles through increased physical activity and better nutrition. RACGP chose Datacom as their partner to help the college with the project after a market review.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports almost two in three (63 per cent) adults and one in four children are overweight or obese. Obesity is the second highest contributor to the burden of disease, after dietary risks. A government programme named ‘Shaping a Healthy Australia’ will run across the country through to June 2021. The four-year RACGP-led programme includes developing online tools to support both GPs and patients to give and receive information about achieving a healthier lifestyle.

The project would begin with initial industry healthcare knowledge, ideation/human-centred design, concept stage, UX design, software development, platforms, integration, right through to ongoing management and support.

Pilot phase Following a successful #ThinkSmash, the RACGP, the Behavioural Insights Team and Datacom, selected one of the concepts to take into a nationwide pilot programme, which included 25 general practices across Australia in both urban and rural settings.

Using this method meant the RACGP could see finished deliverables as the project progressed, by quickly testing ideas and assumptions (including an artificial intelligence- enabled camera to detect health issues and a digital referral database).

The pilot phase platform is called ‘Healthy Habits’ and is being trialed at 25 general practices across Australia. It allows the RACGP to gather and review feedback from all the GPs and practice members, as well as patients using the platform, with the plan to broaden the production rollout in 2019.

The Healthy Habits platform includes an iPhone and Android app for patients, and a portal for the GPs, which recommends a physical activity package. Each component of the platform was subject to UX design

but also crafted through the lens of behavioural science and academic research, which breaks down the activities into easy to consume pieces, all to improve the chances of the patient successfully picking up a positive habit. The application backend is completely serverless, leveraging AWS native technologies, such as API Gateway, Lambda and Cognito. All builds and releases are automated, using AWS CodeBuild and CodePipeline. This allowed the development team to iterate quickly and keep infrastructure costs to a minimum.

The RACGP and Datacom are now planning for the next phase of the programme, taking direct feedback from the pilot and preparing a broader production rollout throughout 2019. There are now significant opportunities to integrate with other healthcare systems, third party offerings and existing RACGP platforms.

Shaping a healthy Australia with RACGP

Right: Promoting healthy lives, workforces and families

“this initiative can change the way in which Australians engage with their Gp and opens the door for a much more collaborative relationship with our already trusted Gps.”

Sue McCarthy, Datacom – Principal Consultant, Health


starting with person-centred designDatacom ran a Human Centred Design workshop (#ThinkSmash) with the RACGP, including its project advisory group comprising of GPs and academics with expertise in the area of physical activity and eHealth. Several potential concepts and solutions were defined at the #ThinkSmash, all of which helped point the way to our goal of making Australia healthier.


Below: Pay your energy bill with Mercury Go anywhere, anytime


Mercury – one of New Zealand’s leading energy retailers and generators – operates in a highly competitive industry that, like many industries, is facing increasing challenges from market forces and consumer behaviours.

With the average household use of electricity declining as customers focus more on generating efficiencies assisted by new and innovative solutions, Mercury wanted to explore new ways of doing business by connecting people and technology to tackle these challenges head-on to deliver a competitive edge.

Having a network of nine hydro stations and five geothermal stations in the upper North Island, as well as a retail arm and a focus on encouraging a greater uptake of electric vehicles and solar electricity generation, Mercury had a broad scope and diverse business model within which to innovate.

Mercury needed to look beyond isolated technology solutions and instead focus on developing a continuous technology stream across the entire business that would encourage rapid prototyping and ideation.

Mercury worked with Datacom to build a platform to improve customer service, manage disruption and support innovation across its entire business. This included the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven solutions for electricity buying, voice assistance with Amazon’s Echo, Alexa skill technologies via AWS, and a smartphone app - Mercury Go.

As a result of the new solution, Mercury has not only created a more innovative culture that is constantly exploring new possibilities and opportunities for improvement, it has also seen the rapid growth of new projects coming to market as well as greater employee engagement across the business.

Instead of just focusing on standalone digital technologies, Mercury has positioned itself as a true innovator through a digital solution that will continue to deliver real and significant impact today and well into the future.

In order to create a real change, solve problems and truly innovate, Mercury needed to look beyond isolated technology solutions and instead focus on developing a continuous technology stream across the entire business that would encourage rapid prototyping and ideation so new ideas are constantly created and explored.

Generating a digital edge with Mercury


For 80 years, udc Finance has helped new Zealand businesses to grow, entrepreneurs to see their ideas become reality and investors to earn the rewards they deserve. It is one of the largest finance companies operating in the new Zealand market.

In 2016 UDC Finance – a New Zealand based finance company – was presented with a significant challenge: ANZ Bank was looking to sell the company and as a result UDC Finance needed to create a whole new greenfield environment. The solution not only needed to accommodate aging systems, it also needed to include a modern desktop solution that would encourage collaboration, efficiency and mobility.

To add to the challenge, UDC Finance required the new environment to be up and running within a seven month timeframe – an incredibly ambitious target given the scale and complexity of the solution required.

Together, Datacom and UDC Finance designed a leading-edge solution which would revolutionise how aging technology is managed across the banking and finance centre. The solution covered every aspect of the technology stack

from data centre through to application development and support, with the modern desktop component leveraging the latest systems and services to enable UDC Finance employees to work whenever and wherever they like.

The end-to-end solution was able to integrate seamlessly with a number of third party applications and supported UDC Finance’s 12 locations across New Zealand. The migration was successfully completed in September 2018, with the final cutover occurring successfully and as planned with minimal disruption to a seven day a week business.

The solution not only enabled UDC Finance to successfully and seamlessly migrate to their new greenfield environment, it also demonstrated how hybrid solutions can be developed which integrate and leverage both aging and modern technologies to deliver real value.

Revolutionising UDC’s old tech

As a result of the new environment, UDC Finance is now in a position that they can move forward at pace with a nimble yet robust and secure technology stack fit for the modern banking and finance sector. In addition, now that staff are able to work flexibly whenever and wherever they like, collaboration and efficiency has now increased across UDC Finance’s teams.


Above: UDC Finance’s Bruce Gadsby (right) chats with Angus Campbell – District Fitness


Sustainability — how we bring it to life

At Datacom we’re on a continuous journey of sustainability, with a resounding commitment to keep improving our performance for the benefit of the communities we operate in. This is brought to life through constant monitoring, striving to reduce our environmental impact, and encouraging best practice from our partners and suppliers.

26%52%46%24%

Single occupancy vehicle journeys halved from:

Public transport use nearly doubled from:

Below: Datacom’s living wall in our Auckland office


Our Auckland “Tahi” building, which was awarded a Five Green Star New Zealand design rating after construction, means many of our people are exposed to, and working in an environment, that offers the latest in sustainable architectural design for transport, energy and water conservation.

All staff parking in our Tahi building have been switched over to a “user pays” booking system via the Parkable app, with costs increasing incrementally over an 18-month period; leading to continued attrition in the number of managed carparks provided to staff.

We continue to encourage alternative transport choices by featuring lock up areas for more than 120 bikes, and charging points for e-bikes.

Datacom was once again recognised for our efforts in reducing the number of single occupancy car trips into Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter by winning the 2018 “On Board” award at Auckland Transport’s annual Travelwise Choices event. When we surveyed staff this year, we found that compared to 2016 baseline research, single occupancy vehicle journeys had halved from 52 per cent to 26 per cent and public transport use nearly doubled from 24 per cent to 46 per cent.

In Australia we have implemented an Environmental Management System that is regulatorily compliant, for our contact centre services, application development and maintenance services, and managed services including project management, data centres and IT procurement.

Since 2009, our greenhouse gas output in Australia has fallen by 20.25 per cent and our KW energy usage has dropped by more than six per cent.

As we apply these environmental practices in our workplaces, we assist our customers in getting them to meet their own environmental objectives. To govern our environmental programmes, we are continually improving and assessing these aspects of our business that have a significant environmental impact.

Our objectives are to:• Conserve and identify energy savings within our operations,

where practical • Increase recycling and minimise waste, including e-waste • Monitor our greenhouse gas contribution and identify

opportunities for reduction as appropriate • Comply with relevant legislation and applicable codes of practice • Favour suppliers that demonstrate an environmental

commitment, by incorporating environmental considerations into our purchase of goods and services

• Provide environmental awareness training to our people – our Environmental Policy Statement is applicable to all Datacom staff to ensure we contribute to the community through active management of the social, environmental, ethical and economic impacts that we can control.

Data centresOur New Zealand Orbit and Kapua data centres were designed with an emphasis on sustainability, regarding energy efficiency, energy and building management, and eco-compliance.

This year, we announced we will now deliver data centre services from AirTrunk’s new hyperscale facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. These will provide government and enterprise customers with secure, direct access to multiple public cloud service providers, and other hosting and co-location services.

This shift to more efficient facilities will mean a sizeable reduction in electricity usage and accompanying greenhouse gas emissions. • Datacom’s New Zealand facilities use water for landscaping

that is 100% sourced from on-site rainwater collection • Undercover, secure, motorcycle parking and bike racks

provided to encourage less use of cars• Locker and shower facilities to encourage walking and biking;• Power usage at the racks are metered and billed to customers

by the total energy used (kilowatt hours), helping to promote customer IT energy efficiency projects

• 65 per cent of the lighting is only activated (by row) when someone is working in the vicinity

• Fire suppression systems have zero ozone depletion or global warming potential

• Chosen Refrigerant has zero ozone depletion potential;• Potable water use is minimised through the use of low flow

4A rated fixtures and fittings, and• Office spaces have opening windows to promote natural

ventilation.

Monitoring and improving sustainability efforts and our environmental impact is a continuous process and one we’re hoping to accelerate and advance in the year ahead.

Right: A power supply protection system – chosen to maximise energy efficiencies in our data centres

21pEopLE FIrst — WhErE ExpErIEncE, InsIGht And IMAGInAtIon MAttEr

Introducing new Group CFO,

Rachel Walsh

Rachel Walsh was appointed Datacom Group Chief Financial Officer in July 2018, having previously held the role of CFO at Abano Healthcare Group. She’s renowned for her passion for life and her family and a reputation for solving tricky problems.

Rachel was recently awarded a Fellow of the CAANZ, in recognition by her peers for her many and varied career achievements, her contribution to the accounting industry, and the manner in which she has represented the profession.


Q What has been your main priority since becoming CFO?

Getting across as many aspects of the business as I’m able, understanding our customer base and their diverse needs and how we are helping them to achieve their aspirations. I have been totally blown away with the depth of talent at Datacom, and the passion they bring to partnering with our customers to achieve their ambitions.

With reflection, gaining this insight was a tough ask, particularly given the multi-disciplinary nature of our business and geographical coverage we enjoy. My thanks to all the people I’ve quizzed and talked with. I can see five months into the role that I will need to continually invest a significant amount of my time refreshing this understanding as we change and grow.

Q How has 2018 been for the Group? 2018 has been a year of change for Datacom with the appointment of Greg Davidson as Group CEO in January, a new executive team appointed from 1 April and a number of new contracts won. It has been really exciting to be part of a Group that is winning work across our territories.

Q What does 2019 and the future look like for Datacom?

As a company we have set ourselves the goal to help organisations and communities to a better place by connecting people and technology. This starts with how we organise ourselves internally as well as how we connect to our customers. We have a number of initiatives in place for next year to achieve this with a very strong customer focus. For finance, having spent the last five months learning about the business I am now looking forward to developing my team, focussing on process improvement so that we can collaborate more with the business to support our end customers.

Q Describe the team you lead? I feel very privileged to lead such a highly motivated team who are passionate about Datacom and want to make a positive difference. The finance team encompasses the Group Finance, Shared Services, and Finance Business Partner teams.

The finance team, in its new structure, was set up over the previous 12–18 months, while there are a number of long term Datacomers, there are also new staff. I have been very fortunate to come in at this point to lead a group that is keen to embrace process improvement and change to take our finance function forward. Seeing the work that we deliver to our customers and the innovative ideas that we take to them, I am looking forward to harnessing some of that within the finance function so that our team delivers detailed insights to the business to support their decisions.

Q Tell us how your previous working background will influence this role?

I’ve been very fortunate to have worked across a very wide range of different industry sectors and markets here in New Zealand, Hong Kong and the United State. I’ve certainly learnt a lot about finance, healthcare, infrastructure and utilities, education, leisure, FMCG, professional services, and manufacturing to mention a few sectors I’ve worked in. I’ve had some great exposure along the way to the different industry dynamics, and with guidance from many successful leaders who have inspired me, I have developed my passion for understanding the value drivers in each. It is my openness to continual learning that leads me to seek out and embrace new opportunities and experiences. I am looking forward to collaborating with the Datacom team to collectively continue to move our business forward.

Q What is your management style? Highly collaborative, I gain energy through my connection with people. I enjoy bringing the best out of the people I work with and helping both them, and myself, to develop. It’s a two way street. I’m a big believer in feedback. At heart, I’m a people person, with a passion for numbers! I believe it’s really important to have fun, in the right way. I am hugely appreciative of the extra effort that all the team brings to work every day to report results, analyse trends, prepare business cases, and interpret the stories the numbers are telling.


Watching our communities prosper

Datacom prides itself on giving back to the communities we operate in through both small and large-scale initiatives. With people that truly care, and world-class capability, we are able to make a real difference. Here are just a few examples of the impact we’ve made on our communities.


Think U KnowEducating Australian communities on safe, respectful and resilient online behavior.

Y-TechA ‘for youth, by youth’ programme series of events that aims to get young people interested in technology.

Attitude AwardsDatacom continued sponsoring NZ’s largest celebration of people in our communities with disabilities. Here, Datacom’s Mark Ellis presents the Attitude Leadership Award to William Luskie.

MIT scholarshipsWe partner with Manukau Institute of Technology to award scholarships for two students beginning their journey in the Bachelor of Digital Technologies studies.

Rise AboveWe provide a range of services, support, fundraising and volunteer hours to this important organisation which provides support and funding to cancer patients and their families.

MenslinkHelping young men in Canberra that are going through tough times. We provide fundraising and volunteering throughout the year.

Brisbane FestivalSupporting the major arts festival in Brisbane through sponsorship and in-kind support.

Wellington Pride AwardsDatacom is a Premier Sponsor of the Wellington Pride awards which recognises and celebrates the successes, achievements and contributions of young people.

Ronald McDonald HouseProvides a home away from home for parents of hospitalised children. Datacom delivers IT Shared Services Management and volunteering services throughout the year.

TechHubWe are the Premier sponsor of this national in-school programme which inspires and educates young people about their futures in IT.


Designing the digital workspace of the future

We are operating in a time when people are the greatest asset to any organisation.Attracting and retaining talented people is one of the top priorities for companies today, particularly when a high performing workforce not only delivers an outstanding customer experience, it can also set a business apart from its competitors.


Above: Datacom’s payroll team meet to discuss the week ahead


So how do organisations go about creating a digital workspace?To create a truly digital, future-focused workspace takes a multi-faceted approach which centres around developing a purpose, capability, and enhancing productivity through the employee experience. In addition, there are four key areas organisations need to invest in:

Accessing the right tools and technologiesWe need to enhance the employee experience through the three Es: “Equip”, “Engage” and “Empower”.

To perform any role effectively, and get the most out of your people, innovative tools are required that can be accessed from anywhere at any time, depending on how each individual wants to work – whether that be at a computer, phone, tablet, at home, in the office, or on the road. Beyond the foundational collaborative technologies that employees expect, organisations will need to invest in more sophisticated capability such as conversational AI and process automation if they are to bring further productivity gains and move to a truly digital workspace.

Similarly, technology that is seamless, intuitive and promotes productivity as well as encouraging virtual collaboration will become expected, particularly as the millennial workforce expands. For example, solutions that embrace voice control or virtual and augmented reality applications as a better way to connect and collaborate with teams across locations, will become more important and prevalent. It could also open up new opportunities for workforce locations and save on travel costs, however what matters most is the speed and ease of which people can access the information and insights needed to do their work.

Deliberate designMerging design and technology enables you to create workspace centred around your people and their choice of work styles – where they work, how they work and even when they work. Including communal and spontaneous collaboration areas to create a sense of connection amongst employees, along with quiet areas for deep-thought and focused work are all design options which should be considered.

Get flexibleFlexible work practices have already been adopted by many organisations, and it is likely that this trend will continue to evolve and expand. With the millennial workforce population growing, the need for more independence and having the ability to work whenever and wherever, will become an increasingly enticing and expected component of the workplace of the future.

Create a collaborative cultureBy 2025, roughly 75 per cent of the global workforce will be millennials, which means that many company cultures will be directly influenced by this group’s behaviours and expectations. With greater flexibility, and potentially a more geographically dispersed workforce, creating an environment where people feel valued, independent and part of a team will be more important than ever.

Ultimately, it’s about understanding your workforce, how to engage and get the most out of them, predict future requirements, and design a workplace that is attractive, sustainable and high performing.

A digital workspace that empowers its people and provides a safe and secure environment, as well as first-class devices and applications, can directly influence retention, especially when combined with a collaborative culture.

Right: Illustration by Datacom designer Leina Burton


By 2025, roughly 75% of the global workforce

will be millennials


Getting to know —

Alex CoatesDatacom appointed Alexandra Coates as its Chief Operating Officer in March 2018. Here, Alex answers a few key questions


Q How has the company evolved in the time you have been here?

The company has changed dramatically in my time here in so many ways, and yet the core DNA and the nuances of Datacom are still so prevalent. We now have much greater peripheral vision across the company than ever before, and we are growing, not only across Australia and New Zealand, but also internationally. We have won significant work that has made a real impact, we have an amazing spectrum and rich ecosystem of customers, and we have growing brand awareness and reputation.

Q How did you get into IT and specifically, outsourcing?

I fell into IT. It certainly wasn’t by intention or the result of a well-thought-out career plan, but rather the outcome of seizing opportunities as they came along. I am a big believer that life experience is what contributes to who we are and helps round out any professional skills or capabilities we may have. In fact, I would rate that life experience is just as important as professional.

After working in Germany at Siemens, with the primary aim of learning German, I decided I wanted to do a Graduate Training Programme in the UK. There were two offers available – Cadburys and Fujitsu, my head told me to choose Fujitsu.

The programme with Fujitsu really set me up for a long career in IT. It enabled me to get a taste for different aspects of the business: service delivery, operations, marketing and working on bids. I was really drawn to the latter and landed my first official role as customer account manager for a pub chain.

Now, nearly 20 years on from the start of my IT journey in London, I find myself in Australia as Datacom’s COO. I would never have dreamt of this result, so it goes to show how grabbing opportunities as they arise can be the best teacher.

Q What are the highlights for you and the work you and your team have accomplished in 2018?

2018 has been a year of unparalleled change both within the company and in Operations. I am really pleased with the progress we have made as change is an evolution, a journey rather than a destination.

We have launched our multi-year change programme for our outsourcing business called Evolve, which at its core is designed to introduce new ways of working, bring to the market a contemporised value proposition, and build a singular delivery organisation designed for scale, efficiency and quality.

The Evolve programme was a direct result of feedback from our customers and people, and in response to what we see as the future of outsourcing. The feedback was clear – they value our local accountability, agility and care but wanted Datacom to be more forward thinking, innovative and to deliver as one. This was an opportunity to empower our people to provide the best possible current and future services to our customers. I truly believe delivery is king!

We now have a clearly articulated and progressive three year strategy, we have secured new exciting work and built a very solid pipeline for 2019 and beyond.

Q What is your vision for Datacom in the future?

My real ambition for Datacom is to see us grasp the massive opportunity that is ahead of us and be the best that we can be: that means we create a vivid and exciting future for our people, our customers, shareholders and the communities that we serve. We are truly a unique company that I am proud to be a part of and I feel privileged to lead a big team in it.

Q Why do you think Datacom has integrated equality and diversity at a leadership level so well?

Clearly diversity is multi-faceted. I think we are certainly well balanced at a leadership level from a gender diversity perspective but have work to do on the other elements of diversity. I have always maintained as a female in what is a male-dominated industry that I never want to be in my role to make up a diversity quota – rather I believe I am in the role because I am the right person with the right skills and experience to do the job.

Q How do you build or encourage a diverse workforce within your business?

By recognising, appreciating, respecting and taking the time to understand diversity. Whether that be through small team-based initiatives, or generally leading by example, how you embrace and encourage diversity sets the tone for the people around you.

People are the heartbeat of our Operations business, and pivotal to Datacom’s success today and tomorrow. I am proud to be leading this team, who are some of the most talented people in the industry, strive to do better.


Above: Mount Waverly Heights Primary School – children learn how to use their new HP Chromebooks


Rethinking educationwith the Beacon School project

33A VIsIon For thE FuturE WIth An AppEtItE For dIscoVErY

“ The technology will provide pathways, inspiration and career choices for our students and help them contribute to the development of the knowledge economy in Victoria,” Sharon Reiss-Stone Principal of Mount Waverley Heights Primary School

Above: Experiencing another level of learning provided by the HTC VIVE


Growing and nurturing the minds of the future is an important and often complex task. Doing it in a way that engages active minds, is an even bigger challenge. However, a new initiative, the Beacon School Project, developed in conjunction with Datacom, Google, HP Australia and BenQ, is going to create an innovative learning environment for students in Victoria.

“This project will help our school to a better place by delivering an innovative and cutting-edge learning environment for our students and teachers. We are excited by the new methods of teaching and collaborating that will now be available to us. The technology will provide pathways, inspiration and career choices for our students and help them contribute to the development of the knowledge economy in Victoria,” explains Sharon Reiss-Stone, Principal of Mount Waverley Heights Primary School.

By bringing together industry insight, experience and technical capability, with strong education principals, the Beacon School project is providing a truly unique experience for students to enhance their learning experience, encourage exploration, and get them excited about potential career paths before them.

The Beacon School project has been initiated at the Mount Waverly Heights Primary School in Victoria and will provide pathways, inspiration and career choices for students utilising technology, as well as providing access to programmes and opportunities for teachers and the wider school community.

With HP Chromebooks, Touchscreen devices, Chromebox, Mini Desktop PCs and Google Classroom, the students at Mount Waverly Heights Primary School will get an inside look at the world of technology, and the opportunities and potential before them.

The initiative will also feature a Google for Education training provider who will offer professional development for teachers to enable them to confidently integrate the new technology into the classroom. Datacom has also upgraded the network at the school so students can now stream video content smoothly and send or receive large files quickly. Together, this means that more students can get online at the same time, with few interruptions, so they can learn, explore and create in an innovative way.

35A VIsIon For thE FuturE WIth An AppEtItE For dIscoVErY

Cloud computing has been one of the most talked about technology concepts of the past decade. However, unlike

some of its counterparts, cloud computing has become truly pervasive and continues to evolve at a rapid rate, offering

higher value services and functionality.

Below: Illustration by Datacom designer Leina Burton


This evolution and adoption of cloud computing has happened at a pace few could have predicted and has been sustained over many years. Whereas cloud computing was once positioned as the answer to many problems, it now – more often than not – forms the foundation from which answers can then be built on. For companies looking to achieve greater flexibility, agility and velocity, adopting Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) allows them to not only free up valuable staff time but to access a wide array of services that can be used to deliver greater business value. It’s also levelled the playing field, as consumption-based pricing models and SaaS based applications have removed the upfront costs that often made technology too expensive for anyone but the biggest players. But the forecast is not sunny for everyone.Despite all of this, the value of cloud computing comes down to how you use it, and with many still stuck on how to ‘get to the cloud’, that value is yet to be realised.

According to IDC, only 6 per cent of workloads that can theoretically move to the cloud, have done so. That means that 94 per cent of workloads are virtually stuck on the ‘get me to the cloud’ mandate, largely because everyone wants their own individual journey.

In Australia and New Zealand - whilst many were quick to move to the cloud early on - they “lifted and shifted” then stopped their cloud journey, which means they aren’t actually reaping the full rewards of a cloud solution. Conversely, emerging growth markets took the lessons from the ‘cloud rush’ in Australia and New Zealand and chose to build for their target cloud platform rather than lifting and shifting existing virtual machines in to public clouds.

So what’s next and where should you focus?Cloud should really be about achieving the right outcomes for your business today, and in the future. For those with a firm view on today, there are some future trends to be aware of.

Containerisation is the next evolution in virtualisation with many customers looking at containerisation as a framework to support their move to a DevOps style of IT management. AI, machine learning and data analytics are really starting to take off,

with customers looking to get far more value out of their data and responding far more quickly to what their data is telling them.

It is estimated that 90 per cent of the world’s data was generated in the last two years, and with the wide scale adoption of IoT, 50 per cent of enterprise data will be generated outside of the data centre. Customers are going to be inundated with data and need a way to strategically manage it. AI and machine learning allow customers to solve the scaling problem associated with analysing data, especially data such as, voice, video and images.

Hyperscale Cloud providers will continue to innovate and offer an ever-expanding range of platform and application services. We are already seeing the introduction of GPUs (Graphical Processing Units) which are capable of significantly increasing the speed of complex processing such as AI and ML. Quantum computing – while still some time away commercially – could provide a further leap in speed and will therefore have a significant impact on the cloud market as we see it today.

With one eye on today and one on tomorrow, organisations will need to understand what solution is right for them, how their requirements will evolve over time, and invest in a solution that supports their entire business. Whilst cloud will become increasingly pervasive, companies should not just assume that the value they saw from their initial investment, will always be there. Understanding and designing for the future will be critical in order to reap the full rewards cloud computing has to offer.

So whilst the cloud journey has been exciting so far, the forecast ahead is incredibly sunny for those who make the most of the opportunity.

The outlook for Cloud:

Favourable forecast

of the world’s data was generated in the last two years

90%

37tEchnoLoGY thAt dELIVErs rEAL rEsuLts

The improvements in infrastructure attained in the move to Datacom@AirTrunk ensure that our data centres are more than capable of facing future technological challenges.

Datacom@AirTrunk: Future-proofing data centres in Australia

Above: Our half and quarter rack customers get the same levels of service as full rack customers


Fire suppression system – fires can be extinguished without affecting customer It systems using the most environmental friendly solution – nitrogen and argon.


To do so, data services must reinforce the fundamentals of availability, security, reliability and efficiency at the same time as prioritising integration, connectivity, sustainability, flexibility and future-proofing. It is with this in mind that Datacom invested in Datacom@AirTrunk in 2018 to progress our data centre services in Australia and ensure that they continue to deliver value for years to come.

Datacom@AirTrunk is the latest development in providing customers with finely-tuned virtual environments with access to the best platforms from Microsoft, Google and Oracle. Datacom’s National Network directly links these environments across Australia and New Zealand to major public cloud providers’ local nodes, several of which will be located in the AirTrunk facility.

The improvements in infrastructure in the move to Datacom@AirTrunk ensure that our data centres are more than capable of facing future technological challenges. Datacom’s halls within

AirTrunk will have full redundancy high power and cooling infrastructure, direct grid connected power supply, and high levels of site and building security with full access control and monitoring.

The interconnectedness of these data centres and services allows Datacom to tailor and facilitate unique solutions for every customer. The hybrid cloud approach enables customers to choose which elements of infrastructure, platform and software services are required. Further addressing customer needs are flexible contract commitments, usage-based billing, our commitment to competitive neutrality, and a variety of customisable hosting solutions at customers’ disposal — including Datacom Cloud Services (DCS).

Datacom will utilise AirTrunk’s support for high power demand racks by expanding the services we provide. The new standard of 52RU racks provides nearly 20 per cent additional space. Additionally, new quarter and half

rack compartments will be available in specially designed racks to provide the compartment user with all the benefits of a whole rack: dedicated and electronically locked doors, power rails, and discrete data cable entry. These features create a much more cost-effective service for customers, and the extra flexibility is particularly useful for customers utilising hybrid cloud services.

Through this new investment, Datacom’s customers will benefit from the perfect blend of integrity, reliability and innovation Datacom is known for, with the ultramodern and futureproof capabilities of AirTrunk.

Customers will receive a range of additional benefits such as flexible contract commitments, true usage-based billing and a wide variety of customizable and flexible hosting solutions. Datacom@AirTrunk will also directly link into Datacom’s National Network, interconnecting all Datacom data centre assets across Australia and New Zealand.

datacom has a history of implementing creative and robust solutions to fulfil customers’ computing needs. In the ever-changing modern world, these computing needs may look different tomorrow than they do today, and we will need to ensure they remain agile, relevant and capable of meeting future needs.


Moving smart cities from concept to reality

We’ve experienced perhaps the most rapid technological advancements in the last 10 years than any prior period of time.


While this is an appealing vision, the reality is that ‘Smart Cities’ remains a popular concept which few are turning into a reality. Instead they’re looking at installing smart technologies that can deliver efficiencies behind the scenes, or incremental changes that deliver timely information in niche areas.

How do we move from concept to reality?For a start, we need to ignore the hype and articulate what goals we want to achieve. This needs to be more than just faster network speeds, more apps, or better public transport, and instead needs to focus on answering bigger questions: • How do we improve our citizens’ quality of life?• How do we improve the health of our people?• How do we reduce crime?• How do we lower our environmental footprint?

Understanding and designing for intelligenceFrom there, we need to understand what data is available, what isn’t, and how to connect and collect them in an intelligent and seamless manner. Whilst we have the technology that will allow a council to collect data on traffic movements and pedestrian movements for example, they are not connected or integrated with other services like the Police and therefore we are not providing the “big data” insights that other industries serve up.

Smart architectureOnce the objectives and roadmap are defined, we need to ensure infrastructure is in place to support the solution. One of the limitations currently in place, is that many councils’ existing ERP solutions are not open and cannot always connect to the latest technology available

Instead, we need to create ERP systems as the central brain of a council. The ERP stores the core data in much the same way our brain stores information, and then connects to the relevant services and applications to make intelligent, real-time recommendations or actions.

smart cities are about being more sustainable, efficient, intuitive, adaptable and liveable. the vision for smart cities portrays a reality where there are shorter commutes, fewer crimes, more lives saved, and lower carbon emissions. the goal is to manage available resources in a way that’s both sustainable and inexpensive, benefiting people individually and the community collectively.

Take action!So we need to turn all of these insights and information into real actions. It’s not enough to know that your bins are full, or that there is a contamination in the water supply; there needs to be a centralised repository of information that is connected, audited, analysed and then actioned by the relevant people. These actions need to be meaningful, timely and measurable, otherwise it’s just information for information’s sake.

By creating an intuitive, connected, and action-based system where councils can better plan, manage and service their cities, and where citizens are a part of the solution by being more engaged, informed and delighted, we can create a genuinely Smart City.

This can only be truly realised by leveraging an ERP system which is why architecting for intelligence is so important. Through an ERP that can act as the council’s brain, actions can quickly and easily be identified, assigned and communicated.

Think biggerWhen big data and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors come together, large amounts of information can be gathered and studied to identify and analyse issues and help facilitate improvements. As IoT technology becomes more integrated and implemented into the everyday objects we use, and these products communicate with one another, a more comprehensive set of big data can be looked over which can then be used to create intelligent solutions and outcomes for everyone.

Instead of trying to find productivity or efficiency improvements in individual areas, we need to look at the complete picture, and connect and align all elements to the common goal. Only then will we truly solve many of our city’s problems, and move ‘Smart Cities’ from a concept, to a reality.


Above: Taking registrations at the 2018 Datacomp hackathon


Curiosity and creativity drive learning, insight, inspiration and innovation. Once tainted with negative connotations, ‘hacking’ has become a useful tool to reimagine, inspire, unlock innovative solutions and solve complex problems in a creative way and prepare people for the future of work. In fact, hackathons – or hackfests as they are also known – have become an incredibly powerful and appealing tool for organisations looking for ways to innovate, improve capability, differentiate, and improve the well-being of communities around the world.

Hacking our way to a brighter future

Datacom was quick to identify the potential of engaging its people in safe and creative ways through Datacomp – the company’s annual hackathon – leveraging new technology and ways of working. This now includes a multitude of programmes and customer offerings – such as HackAssist – and has become a strategic tool many companies, causes and regions now request.

Beyond that, hackathons provide a mould for which the future of work can be built upon. Enabling companies to better leverage resources – regardless of location – to solve challenges in a faster, more effective, and flexible manner. It’s also a way to engage the next generation of talent by creating an exciting bridge between students and exploring new career opportunities.

Through these events, teams are able to better engage with customers, test out some innovative ideas in a competitive and friendly environment to produce solutions they hadn’t imagined. Ultimately, it’s about helping reach the customer’s customers in a more effective manner, and the democratisation of ‘innovation’ and decision making across their businesses. HackAssist also helps us deepen and diversify our connections with our existing customers to help them uncover new sources of value.


2012 Metrocomp

2015 Smarter

2017 Extraordinary

2013 Beyond Touch

2014 Beyond The Everyday

2016 It’s Personal

2018 Emotional


120 peopleworking together to solve real challenges

48 hoursto ignite innovative thinking and deliver meaningful solutions

By gathering diverse minds to focus on a single problem or concept, in a dynamic, lean and agile environment, hackathons ignite innovative thinking and meaningful solutions that can deliver a real and significant impact.

Three of the key HackAssist events of the last year include the Foodstuffs Hackathon which saw 120 team members look at how they can reimagine their approach to delivering value for customers. Already, Foodstuffs is taking three of the ideas uncovered at this event to market, but the cultural change within the organisation is what truly makes the event a success.

Datacom has also designed and facilitated similar events for New Zealand Transport Agency and ASB with the former seeing 120 team members responding to its challenge to help the Agency to disrupt its own processes and engage with the wider community to Save One More Life on the roads. Datacom has also positioned itself as a wider Capability Developer for our customers. New propositions such as our ‘ThinkSmash’ advisory programme sees us facilitate ideation workshops between multiple customers or business units.

Perhaps the best example of the power of hackathons in connecting people and technology to improve business and communities, is Hack Tairāwhiti - a regional hackathon led by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in conjunction with Te Tira Toi Whakangao (T3W). NZTE’s goal is to build 100 Māori tech companies that create 2,500 high-value jobs, add $500m in international revenue, operate from 50 regional tech hubs in Māori communities, and have $200 million of capital investment into Māori venturing by 2023. In just 48hrs participants helped reimagine how tech can improve Māori prosperity by growing scalable business from regional NZ to the world. From this event it is estimated that $17 million in value has been generated through staff relocation to Gisborne and IP on the prototypes created during the hackathon.

Two teams from Datacomp 2018 are currently working on charity customer solutions from this year’s Hackathon.

team taupuhipuhi has engaged with Starship and Youthline to develop their solution, Village, to help people become more aware of their emotional wellbeing. We liken it to a modern-day guardian angel. Using behavioural tracking, geo-location and social media tracking, Village will identify where you are at emotionally, and if necessary, will notify parents or loved ones if you need help. The team donated their $2,000 prize money to a suicide prevention charity.

team Excalibur produced Piki, a mobile platform for people with lived experience of homelessness. It’s a self-directed programme, delivering socially connected personal growth, showcasing the skills, talents and interest of people using the app, to help match up with jobs and educational opportunities. Piki was designed with tertiary education provider Unitec, and extensive collaboration with people from the Auckland City Mission.

So what came out of Datacomp 2018?


Future trendsA look at some of the key trends we see taking off in the future

Extreme dataWith data being captured and growing exponentially,

companies will need to be able to analyse, protect and control the vast amounts of data they

have at their disposal

Embedded AIIntuitive intelligence built

into customer-facing services

customer-led solutions Taking customer insights and behaviours to inform

and drive solutions

blurred linesBetween industries,

departments and roles to deliver a more integrated and holistic service and solution

Adaptive securityIt’s no longer enough to

respond to the threats before us, companies need to be able to predict and prepare for any

risks before they appear

sustainable solutionsMinimising the environmental footprint and delivering more sustainable solutions is not

only going to become a bigger priority, it’s also going to become an increasingly important tool to attract

and retain talented people


Awards 2018

#1 on the TIN200 list 2018 TIN Report

#1 on the EY Ten Companies to Watch 2018 TIN Report

Cisco NZ Partner Innovation Award 2018

Auckland Transport Travelwise Choices Awards On Board Winner 2018

Adobe Partner Awards Emerging Experience Cloud Partner of the Year Award 2018

Reseller News Innovation Awards 2018 Emerging Technologies Cloud Winner

Reseller News Innovation Awards 2018 Partner Value Enterprise Winner

MuleSoft Growth Partner of the Year APAC 2018

APJ Account Penetration Partner of the Year Award 2018

Microsoft NZ Partner Awards Empowering Employees Winner 2018

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year in review 2018 connecting people and technology · 2019-01-29 · connecting people and...

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