NZICT Group lays out digital priorities

LATEST NEWS

Computerworld is New Zealand's only specialised information systems fortnightly.
Subscribe now for $100 (23 issues) and save more than 37% off the cover price!

Get the latest news from Computerworld delivered via email.
Sign up now

Vendor group makes raft of recommendations on NZ's digital development

By Computerworld staff | Auckland | Monday, 7 December, 2009

NZICT Group, which represents many of the IT vendors in the New Zealand market, has released a paper (pdf) on what it calls the "near future digital priorities" for the public and private sectors.

The paper, which was presented to ICT minister Steven Joyce last week, sets the tone for New Zealand’s ICT priorities for the next five years, the group says.

“With the government’s investment in broadband infrastructure as a backdrop, New Zealand has an opportunity to not only create new business and exporting opportunities, but also improve the lifestyle of New Zealanders”, said NZICT CEO Brett O’Riley.

O’Riley says the paper discusses how New Zealand can "move ahead as a digitally capable nation that can compete on a global scale".

Education is key, along with innovation, productivity, R&D and improved infrastructure and networks, he says.

NZICT chair Geoff Lawrie says that the paper caps off what has been a very worthwhile beginning to the life of NZICT, which was formed late last year. O'Riley was appointred the organisation's first CEO in March.

NZICT offers 10 near-term recommendations:

First, it says NZICT and the government should create a digital future master plan by the end of 2010 to realise the potential of the digital economy in the near future (five years) and to demystify broadband issues and opportunities for the public.

Second, the government should introduces an “Annual Statement of ICT Priorities” in order to provide a clear direction to the ICT industry on policy priorities and spend areas, and to stimulate ICT based innovation and productivity.

NZICT will establish a panel of industry experts to provide advice to government on large-scale ICT projects and priorities.

NZICT will establish a working group with the Government Technology Services group of the Department of Internal Affairs to develop a programme for improving public sector ICT efficiency, including operational and process cost reduction to an agreed plan and targets.

Fifth, Government establishes the development of broadband enabled services and the understanding of their impact, as a core research, science and technology priority for public and private sector funding in the 2010 budget, to maximise the return on Crown Fibre Holding’s investment in ultra fast broadband infrastructure.

In conjunction with TVNZ, the group will work with Crown Fibre Holdings to develop pilot fibre to small businesses and homes demand side initiatives with existing operators or Local Fibre Companies to test customer behaviour and appetite for content and services, tentatively called the ‘Streetsmart’ initiative.

NZICT recommends that the government continues to consider the competitive entry of Kordia and other operators as soon as possible into the international broadband infrastructure market to foster competition and reduce cost structures for New Zealand businesses and ISP customers.

The group wants to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Education, and other stakeholders including the New Zealand Computer Society and New Zealand Association of Communications Digital and Information Technology Teachers (NZACDITT) to assist with the introduction of the new Digital Technology curriculum.

NZICT will also work with the Ministry of Education, the New Zealand Computer Society, NZACDITT and IPENZ to assist in professional development required by the introduction of the new digital technology curriculum.

NZICT, with the Ministry of Education, aims to explore the potential for NZ to become an educational centre of excellence for the development of broadband enabled learning.

Among other immediate recommendations, NZICT is backing expansion of the Computer Clubhouse movement and Computers in Homes programme to boost ICT literacy. It is also backing the Square Kilometre Array telescope project. New Zealand is partnering with Australia in a bid to host the massive distributed radio telescope against an African syndicate.

NZICT is also asking the government to develop a streamlined R&D credit process and to consider R&D tax credits. National scrapped Labour's R&D tax credits after the last election.

NZICT is also recommending the implementation of smart energy grids, smart roads, water metering and other industry based telemetry applications as part of the Local Fibre Company broadband infrastructure deployment.

Approached on the question of a joint working group to boost public-sector ICT efficiency, GTS head Stephen Crombie said he had not read the detail of the NZICT recommendations and needed time to formulate a response.

Later, a reply from a spokesman for the Department of Internal Affairs, of which GTS is a part, said “The next stage will be for ministers to discuss the recommendations with the [DIA] and the other agencies involved (if they wish). Until then, we won't be able to add anything.”