Education New Zealand partners with Virtuoso for tech upgrade

Education New Zealand has entered into a Managed Services agreement with Virtuoso, a move aimed at enhancing its technology support and security. The agreement encompasses a fully outsourced 24/7 security and end user support system, to be managed by Virtuoso’s teams based in Auckland and London.

Earlier this year, Education New Zealand sought to collaborate with an external partner to deliver improved technology outcomes and associated support for its staff, who are located across 18 different locations worldwide. The main objectives were to increase productivity, reduce reactive issues, deliver a comprehensive security solution, and help the organisation derive greater value from its technology investment.

Virtuoso was selected for this task, particularly by its OnTrack service. Roman Paljk, Managing Director of Virtuoso New Zealand, explained the value they bring to such projects. "We don’t sell ingredients; we sell a chocolate cake. We’ve thought long and hard about all the ingredients it takes to enable small and medium-sized organisations to reduce their risk, enhance productivity, and provide a great end user experience. We’ve bundled these into a complimentary suite of tools and services, and the result is OnTrack," said Paljk. He noted that Microsoft 365 is central to OnTrack, which employs a programmatic approach to help clients fully utilise the software and services included in the Microsoft stack. OnTrack also includes regular assessments against best practice standards to continually drive adoption and implementation of new technology and modern ways of working.

For Education New Zealand, signing this agreement with Virtuoso represents a move towards maximising their return on investment and driving continual improvement, beyond simply maintaining operations and offering reactive IT support. "Our global teams are comprised of many small offices around the world with limited IT resources at each site," Alan Johnston from Education New Zealand stated. "Ensuring they have technology that just works is a key driver for the move to OnTrack, and we’re excited to be working alongside a partner who shares our vision of leveraging technology as a key enabler for our team."

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is a government agency dedicated to promoting New Zealand as a premier destination for international education. The agency plays a significant role in helping New Zealand realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education through strategic initiatives, partnerships, and innovative programs. Recent initiatives include the launch of the Study with New Zealand website, which is intended to serve as a resource for international students aiming to study in the country.

Virtuoso, founded in 2011 by Markus McIver and Greg McCallum, operates in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, offering a range of managed and professional IT services. As a Microsoft Advanced Cloud Solutions Partner, the company aims to align customer requirements with innovative technologies to deliver positive business outcomes. Their services include IT strategy, cloud management, and cybersecurity, tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.