Westpac NZ launches Microsoft AI contact centre platform
Tue, 14th Apr 2026
Westpac NZ has launched Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Centre as a Service across its New Zealand contact centres, becoming what it says is the first major company in the country to introduce the Microsoft platform.
The system uses built-in artificial intelligence to support customer service representatives during phone calls. When a customer calls, the platform can automatically surface relevant profile information and details about products that may arise in the conversation.
Westpac says the change is designed to help staff handle enquiries more quickly and reduce wait times. All of the bank's contact centres are based in New Zealand.
The rollout began last week, and the bank expects to deploy the product across all contact centres by August, completing configuration, delivery, testing and full deployment within a year.
AI use
The launch comes as Westpac published survey findings suggesting many New Zealanders are open to some uses of AI in banking. In a nationally representative poll of 529 people conducted by research platform Ideally, 45% said they were comfortable with their bank using AI to help contact centre employees provide quicker responses, while 20% were neutral.
On fraud and scam detection, 49% said they were comfortable with their bank using AI and 21% were neutral. The survey also found 66% of respondents were already using AI programmes in some part of their lives, including 53% in their personal lives and 30% at work.
Russell Jones, Chief Information Officer at Westpac NZ, described the rollout as an important stage in the bank's technology programme.
"We're really excited to be the first bank in New Zealand, as well as one of the first in the world, to introduce CCaaS," Jones said.
He said Westpac had worked with Microsoft developers from around the world on the implementation, allowing the platform to be configured specifically for the bank's needs.
"We expect to deploy the product to all our contact centres by August, meaning configuration, delivery, testing and full deployment will have been completed within the space of one year," Jones said.
Contact centres
The new system changes how frontline staff retrieve information during a call. Instead of searching across multiple systems for customer details and product information, representatives receive relevant material in real time as the conversation develops.
That is particularly relevant in banking, where long-term customers may hold multiple products with different conditions. The aim is to reduce the time staff spend navigating internal systems while keeping the interaction focused on the customer.
Jones said the bank sees the technology as a way to support staff rather than replace them.
"Our people are our greatest competitive advantage - we want to use AI to support them to be their best," he said.
Previously, staff might have needed to run numerous searches to access details of the various products a customer might be interested in, then combine that with different views of the customer's profile.
"A customer who's banked with us for a long time could have a whole range of products, all with different terms and conditions," Jones said.
Using CCaaS means an employee can now access accurate, relevant information almost instantly, with the platform delivering additional product information as those topics arise in the conversation, he said.
Jones added that security and privacy remained critical, and that, as with any information a customer shares with the bank, CCaaS data is secure and confidential.
Microsoft role
Microsoft says Westpac is among the earliest financial institutions globally to put the product into use. Duncan Taylor, General Manager Financial Services Industry at Microsoft Australia New Zealand, said the bank was an early adopter in its market.
"Westpac is the first bank in New Zealand, as well as one of the first financial institutions in the world, to launch CCaaS, and we're really excited to be working with them," Taylor said.
He pointed to examples of the platform being used by large organisations overseas.
"Overseas, CCaaS is being successfully used by big businesses with huge customer bases, such as EasyJet and Microsoft itself. We're seeing this result in significantly lower case resolution time and even reduced turnover of customer service reps thanks to giving them better experiences.
Banking is obviously a very complex industry, so there's considerable scope for CCaaS to add value to Westpac's employees and customers," Taylor said.
Digital programme
The contact centre rollout sits within a broader technology overhaul at Westpac NZ. Jones said the bank had spent recent years rebuilding parts of its infrastructure, including its network, computer platforms, mainframe and data centre estate.
"Over the past few years, our teams have completely transformed our tech infrastructure," Jones said.
"As well as designing future-proof architecture, we've completely overhauled our network and computer platforms, refreshed our mainframe and established new data centres.
Introducing CCaaS is the latest milestone in the work we're doing to modernise banking and deliver for our customers."