Spark Digital to shape Racing Board’s digital transformation

Monday, 14 September 2015, 1:44 pm
Press Release: Spark Digital

14 September 2015

Spark Digital innovation to shape New Zealand Racing Board’s digital transformation

As part of its strategic commitment to reduce costs while transforming its business, the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) has selected Spark Digital as key partner to redesign its IT infrastructure and change the way it delivers internal IT services to the business.

Under the five-year deal, Spark Digital will also provide an outsourced IT solution that includes infrastructure, networking, cloud computing, security and IT service management. The new arrangement will provide financial savings, as well as other significant benefits in terms of risk, capability, digitisation, and collaboration opportunities.

The partnership will allow NZRB the flexibility to regularly scale up and down their IT requirements around race days, and other busy periods. They have also chosen Google Apps for Work and Chromebooks, which will mean a new more collaborative set of tools for staff.

GM Technology, Colin Philp, says NZRB chose Spark Digital following an RFI process with a solution presented that improves infrastructure services and cloud technology, while changing the way the company works.

“Spark Digital came up with an original and innovative approach that reduces our IT spend. Moving us to Google software and Chromebooks means we get significant benefits and an incredible change in price points.

“We can now provide four or five users with desktops for the same price we were paying for just one. Another benefit is that Google’s simpler hardware and software means fewer support calls, that’s a huge cost saving from our point of view”.

Philp adds: “Another benefit of the IT infrastructure solution that Spark Digital is providing is that it will enable us to shift our focus to where we add the most value to the business – our IP and our ability to differentiate from our competitors.”

Outsourcing resolves many IT challenges and means NZRB can now focus on strategic issues: “There is no competitive advantage for us running our own in house IT infrastructure”.

Because the Google software has collaboration built-in, staff will be able to work better together than ever before, and from multiple locations. This is important as NZRB staff are widely distributed around the country. Philp says it also means staff will be able to connect easily with their colleagues in other locations, changing the way they work.

Spark Digital CEO Tim Miles is delighted to be partnering with NZRB to assist them on their digital journey.

“Spark Digital works closely with many customers who are transitioning from a traditional IT services model to a new cloud-based model. This type of end-to-end solution instantly brings a business closer to where its customers are interacting with each other. In this case Spark Digital will be providing cloud services from New Zealand’s highest specification connected data centre located in Takanini.”

He adds: “We are looking forward to building a long-term relationship with NZRB, and the first step is to work closely to establish robust end-to-end processes, systems and integration to support their transformation.”

The New Zealand Racing Board is a statutory body that runs racing and sports betting. It operates the TAB and broadcasts racing on TV and radio channels. NZRB profits go back into the community - in 2013/14, NZRB provided $134.2m to the three Racing Codes, over $5m in commission payments to National Sporting Organisations, and $1.81m gaming grants to grass roots sporting groups around New Zealand.

-ENDS-

About Spark Digital

Spark Digital is a proud member of the Spark New Zealand family. Our solutions for business, enterprise and government customers help them to meet the demands of increasingly connected customers. Spark Digital’s core services include cloud, collaboration, managed services, mobility, network, and security. www.sparkdigital.co.nz

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At Spark Digital, we stand for enabling our customers to take advantage of the digital future. Our role is to provide the critical digital infrastructure that connects New Zealanders and NZ Public and Private sectors, to each other and to the world.

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