More than 80 percent of people don’t independently verify AI-generated information. As AI becomes the first place customers go for answers, that trust is creating a new challenge for New Zealand businesses.
AI is having its “peak hype” moment, but beneath the noise there is a very practical question most New Zealand business owners are asking: Will this actually help my business run better, or is it just another shiny tech distraction?
If local SMEs with low levels of digitisation digitised just one or two business activities, the benefits could provide a significant return to the economy, according to new MYOB figures. Conducted by Infometrics on behalf of MYOB, new modelling examining MYOB and external data, reveals that action to address a digital lag and improve digitisation in Aotearoa’s SMEs – shifting from no to low levels of digitisation, or low to moderate – would result in a benefit-cost Return on Investment of between 2.4 – 3.1 to 1. When realised, this means for every $100 invested in incrementally improving the use of digital business tools in a small business, the return would be $240 – $310. Overall, the new modelling reveals that improving digitisation
MYOB’s new SaaS platform, MYOB Business, offers a completely reimagined cloud platform for SMEs of all sizes. With a more flexible, modular approach designed to improve efficiency and ensure businesses are paying only for the software they need. MYOB Business consolidates MYOB’s existing cloud SME product lines on a single SaaS platform, allowing customers to seamlessly move between subscription plans as their business evolves, and configure their business management solution in a way that’s right for them. Supporting business growth The platform also helps to reduce ‘subscription overwhelm’ for local business owners. MYOB’s recently released Digital Disconnection research has highlighted that, while local SMEs have been digitising rapidly over the past few years, boosting both performance and resilience, around half of New Zealand SMEs have digital tools
Wellington-based deep-tech startup Marama Labs has been selected to participate in the first-ever Startup Battlefield 200 cohort at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in Silicon Valley. The TechCrunch team chose a final class of 200 exemplary startups from thousands of applications worldwide to feature on the show floor in San Francisco on October 18-20. The global startup community event brings together 10,000 attendees, leagues of investors and hundreds of press and media outlets from across the globe. Marama Labs develops scientific instrumentation and cloud software for rapid and cheap chemical analysis of liquids such as wine, pharmaceuticals and wastewater. Its flagship CloudSpec platform enables spectroscopy to be performed directly on cloudy samples – for chemical analysis and data analytics to improve
D-Link has launched its new EAGLE PRO AI M32 range, the company’s newest and fastest Wi-Fi 6 AI Mesh Systems with the option of a 2-pack (M32-2PK) or 3-pack (M32-3PK) system. Featuring the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, the D-Link EAGLE PRO AI M32 solution provides the next generation of network speeds and capacity that are essential for modern day applications such as high-quality multi-player gaming, Virtual Reality and 4K Ultra High-definition video streaming. Users of the new D-Link M32 Mesh Systems can experience dual-band AX3200 802.11AX combined wireless speeds of up to 3.2Gbps, while 1024-QAM boosts throughput to devices by up to 25% and 160MHz contiguous channel width gives even more bandwidth to individual devices. In addition to better coverage, higher performance, and
The most significant and most exploited cybersecurity vulnerability of any New Zealand organisation is its people, usually, due to human error, apathy, ignorance or garden-variety laziness, a leading Auckland IT security expert is warning. Author of the book ‘She’ll Be Right (Not!)—a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business owners and SMB cybersecurity expert Daniel Watson said fixing the human side of cybersecurity will require a bit more effort than buying a new software package. “However, the return on investment generated by training staff to be more observant, for example, can be much higher than even the best software. The most important lesson is that cybersecurity must be a team effort—for companies, industries and sectors. “Industry bodies and professional associations in New Zealand
The DSL-X1852E is an AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 , VDSL2 /ADSL2+ Modem Router with VoIP, providing universal DSL and NBN / UFB connectivity in New Zealand. The DSL-X1852E is an all-in-one Modem Router with VLAN tagging and enjoys AX1800 Speeds with up to 1200Mbps on its 5GHz band, and 574Mbps on its 2.4GHz band. It also uses the latest WPA3™ 128-bit encryption, which replaces previous industry-standard encryptions on Wi-Fi devices, and it also enables you to seamlessly test your Internet Speed and connection with its built-in Internet Speed test powered by Ookla. Providing super-fast speeds for all your wired devices, the DSL-X1852E sports a dedicated Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, as well as a USB port where
Upcoming event
Thursday 30 July 2026 | 7:00am – 9:00am
📍 Covert Theatre, 51 Mackelvie Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Everyone talks about the importance of business strategy, but what does it actually mean in practice? Strategy trainer Ryan Sproull cuts through the jargon to give SME owners a clear, practical framework for thinking strategically about their business.
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