New Spark TaaS implementation brings govt back to Christchurch CBD

One of the first telecommunications-as-a-service (TaaS) government connectivity networks – delivered by Spark and Statistics New Zealand – is helping government agencies return to the Christchurch CBD.

Statistics New Zealand is the lead agency responsible for coordinating all of the agencies working in the multi-tenanted shared facilities BNZ Centre in the Christchurch CBD.

The organisation signed the first TaaS network connectivity agreement with Spark.

Tim Miles, Spark Digital chief executive, says Statistics New Zealand has embraced TaaS as a new way of consuming telecommunications which will realise the goals of each agency in the BNZ Centre.

"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.

He dubs TaaS  'an exciting, flexible and outcomes-based approach that will enable customers to optimise their use of telecommunications services'. 

From this week 380 public servants from nine agencies will be working in the new centre, which opened yesterday. Those numbers are set to swell further, with another 200 staff joining them in the building in 2017.

Bringing hundreds of government workers back in the heart of the city is seen as an important step in Christchurch CBD's recovery as the city rebuilds.

Each of the nine agencies in the building has different communications and security requirements. The TaaS offering will enable the agencies to collaborate securely with each other and their customers in a modern, flexible working environment gear towards accommodating staff mobility and sharing common meeting rooms and networks.

Chris Buxton, Statistics New Zealand chief technology officer, says from the outset the agency was encouraged to explore innovative solutions to support a more integrated colocation of agencies, enabling interoperability and cross agency efficiencies.

"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.