IT Brief New Zealand - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers
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Neat appoints Jason MacBride as its Oceania Regional Director
Tue, 2nd Apr 2024

Pioneering video technology company, Neat, has named Jason MacBride as its new Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). MacBride, based in Sydney, will focus on accelerating Neat's growth in ANZ and the wider Oceania region.

In the last few years, ANZ organisations have been forced to adapt repeatedly to rapid change, with a major focus on optimising hybrid work through new technologies and processes. The increasing trend towards cooperative work tools is unlikely to slow down, with 71% of employees relying on these tools daily for communicating and cooperating according to recent data from IDC. Furthermore, Tech.co reported that over half (55%) of companies using such tools experience higher productivity.

MacBride joins Neat after spending more than seven years at Poly, where he worked as ANZ Enterprise and Government Sales Manager for the last four years. His roles will include developing channel partnerships to enhance Neat's customer base and taking a strategic role in expanding the company's footprint in new industry sectors.

Upon his appointment, MacBride announced two significant new customers: Atlassian in Australia and Hutt City Council in New Zealand. "Customers like Atlassian and Hutt City Council demand simple, reliable meeting room solutions that 'just work'", says MacBride. He further added, "Our customers want the freedom to engage on video devices flexible enough to adapt to any situation, and to transform any space into the right place to meet."

MacBride aims to deliver simple and easy-to-use technological solutions to energy and mining sector companies who often operate in extreme environments. MacBride says, "Neat's focus will be on supporting these organisations as they adapt their flourishing hybrid workforces. Neat's video solutions will assist these companies in better connecting with their employers and customers."

MacBride shared how Neat's simplified technology can benefit its channel partners, "Reducing the complexity of the technology decreases the number of support calls or onsite engineer visits. This allows our partners to focus on more financially rewarding activities, thereby improving their bottom line."

The halfway mark between home and office work, named as hybrid work, has created an ongoing debate about where employees should primarily work. Yet, 62% of Australians have been asked to return to the office, as stated in the latest Randstad Workmonitor report.

MacBride comments, "Organisations in sectors such as finance, government and higher education are looking for technology solutions that can provide a seamless collaboration experience for their remote and on-site teams. Neat's video devices deliver precisely this, enabling hybrid teams to meet, create and collaborate better than before."

Since its inception, Neat has sold more than 200,000 video devices to more than 12,500 customers globally, with around 11,000 customers located in ANZ.