NZRB undergoes business transformation with Spark Digital
New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) has signed a five-year deal with Spark Digital to redesign its IT infrastructure and change how it delivers internet IT services.
Spark Digital will provide an outsourced IT solution that includes infrastructure, networking, cloud computing, security and IT service management.
According to a statement, the new arrangement will provide financial savings, as well as risk, capability, digitisation, and collaboration opportunities.
The partnership will allow NZRB the flexibility to scale their IT requirements up and down around race days and other busy periods.
Furthermore, Google Apps for Work and Chromebooks will be deployed to provide a new set of collaborative tools for staff.
Colin Philp, NZRB GM technology, says the board 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," says Philp.
"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," he says.
Outsourcing resolves many IT challenges and means NZRB can now focus on strategic issues, according to Philp.
"There is no competitive advantage for us running our own in house IT infrastructure," he says.
Due to the fact that the Google software has collaboration built-in, staff will be able to work together easier and from multiple locations. This is important as NZRB staff are widely distributed around the country, says Philp.
He says this also means staff will be able to connect easily with their colleagues in other locations, changing the way they work.
Tim Miles, Spark Digital CEO, says, "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 center located in Takanini.
He says, "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.
