ASB will now be using Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud provider, a significant milestone in Microsoft's decades-long relationship with the company.
Hundreds of ASB's applications and thousands of servers will shift to the Azure cloud, with the company saying it will lead to an increase in agility, focus and security that will benefit both its customers and staff.
“It's hugely exciting to be signing on as an anchor tenant in Microsoft's data centers here in New Zealand,” says ASB executive general manager for technology and operations David Bullock.
“Storing the vast majority of our servers and applications in the Azure cloud will allow us to deliver even better digital experiences for our people and customers that are faster, more personalised, and more reliable than they are today."
Both companies are already getting foundations in place as they work closely over the coming months, with many of ASB's engineers already Azure certified. Bullock believes this will lead to an increase in growth opportunities.
“It's an exciting time for our Technology team, with some great opportunities for our engineers to roll up their sleeves and work with cloud technologies, and collaborate with our partners at Microsoft. We'll also be growing our team as we grow our capabilities, so this is the start of a huge transformation that's going to take banking into the future,” he says.
Microsoft New Zealand managing director Vanessa Sorenson also says that both companies are focused on the future, with the partnership allowing an increase in new technological systems and ideas within the NZ tech climate.
“With our local data center region investment we aren't just investing in servers and cables, we're investing in the future of New Zealand innovation, providing the kind of capacity and access to new tools that haven't been seen here before. We're thrilled to take our partnership with ASB even further, to help them bring new experiences, products and services to local customers with cloud technologies," she says.
Bullock also believes this is a great step towards ASB's digital transformation ambitions, with the cloud being a large driving force.
“We're looking forward to working closely with the Microsoft team to drive forward innovation together.
Microsoft Azure can be attributed to a number of previous success stories in the business and innovation sector. In 2018, Japanese company Toyota Tsusho used IoT technologies in conjunction with the software to create fish farming tools. More recently, in 2020, Microsoft also launched Azure Orbital, a ground station service to help customers move satellite data to the cloud and provide global cloud connectivity.
Features of the software include personalised AI experience creation, Linux virtual machines and end-to-end DevOps solutions. The software also can be trialled for free with purchase options available for all business needs.