Tech accelerates 5 years in 8 weeks thanks to Covid

According to new reports, an incredible five years of advances in digital transformation occurred in New Zealand in a period of just eight weeks, caused by COVID-19 – with digital or digitally-enabled products accelerating by a massive seven years during that time frame.

And this growth looks set to continue with findings showing that just a 20 percent increase in uptake of cloud computing by small to medium businesses will result in increased GDP of between $3.5 billion and $6.2 billion.

Unprecedented momentum in the technology sector caused the high growth already underway in the industry to skyrocket, as tech businesses responded and mobilised in a variety of ways to deliver solutions to keep Kiwi businesses open for business through lockdowns, restrictions and uncertainty, says John Daniel Trask (pictured), CEO of award-winning application monitoring company Raygun.

One of the obvious needs for businesses has been the ability for employees to work remotely, and reports indicate companies moved 40 times more quickly than they thought possible before the pandemic due to digital acceleration. With this situation repeatedly arising as Auckland has endured further, snap lockdowns, and the rest of the country has moved between COVID alert levels 1 and 2, the need for remote working is still a pressing issue.

Trask says NZ tech companies have implemented an array of solutions and support. “The tech sector has really come together through COVID-19, and not only supported each other but provided critical advice and information to many Kiwi businesses,” he said.

“Retail was supported with e-commerce offerings, while the hospitality industry was effectively revolutionised by remote food ordering software that allowed businesses to open that would not have been able to meet restriction requirements or demand otherwise. As we have seen with further lockdowns in Auckland recently, this continues to be vital.”

Trask says other examples of support from the tech sector include online digital marketing offerings, innovating new technological products to help the most hard-hit industries and even supporting mental health via app technology.

He says that as one of New Zealand’s leading tech companies Raygun is committed to supporting the country’s small businesses and are launching a new partner program in order to do just that.

The importance of this type of support is recognised not just by the tech sector but also by the government, which has itself recently announced a $20 million Small Business Initiative for new training and tools for digital commerce, which will in turn help boost the economy.

“Both the sector and the government realise that this is an incredibly important way to help stimulate economic growth, and it applies to Kiwi businesses across many industries,” Trask said.

Raygun offers actionable, real-time insights into quality and performance across web and mobile apps, is headquartered in Wellington with offices in New Zealand and the US. They support hundreds of NZ businesses, including Silverstripe, NZ Police, the Electoral Commission and Radio NZ as well as global brands including Microsoft, Samsung and Coca Cola.

Raygun will also host a special event in Wellington this month, bringing the New Zealand technology sector together to highlight leadership and innovation in the industry, and celebrate the role technology has played in helping NZ businesses survive and thrive during this unprecedented time. The event will feature special guest talks, and the announcement of the new Partner Program and Small Business Initiative.