Looking back over 2022 and the work of our Datacom business gives me two very clear impressions. The first is that we have achieved an enormous amount together with our customers and our partners over the past year and the second is that genuine connection, collaboration, creativity and culture is a powerful foundation for success. As we head into next year, this understanding needs to guide the way we work with our colleagues, our partners and our customers to make a real difference.

In our 2022 Year in Review you’ll read about some of Datacom’s projects of impact and successes across the business. We’ve helped organisations across Australia and New Zealand tap into new opportunities, optimising their operations to keep pace in an increasingly competitive market. We’ve enabled organisations to implement better security practices amid growing threats. And, as you will read in our chair Tony Carter’s article, we have taken tangible steps toward greater sustainability in our own business and ensuring we can support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals.

Our growing software product businesses Datascape and Datapay, and our private cloud and data centres continue on a path to growth and serve as another great example of our willingness to invest in expertise and build in products that meet the needs of our Australian and New Zealand customers. Datascape is a platform geared to the needs of councils and it is our understanding of local government requirements and of the communities they serve that have helped us create a solution that supports citizen access and engagement. Our Smartly and Datapay products help tens of thousands of businesses pay and support their employees, simplifying compliance. To give some context of the role these products are playing in our communities – in New Zealand about 75% of councils rely on us for technology that helps them serve their residents and stakeholders, and we pay about 15% of New Zealanders and help 25,000 businesses look after their employees.

My second observation is around the value of connection, collaboration, creativity and culture. This is not a new revelation, but 2022 served as a powerful reminder of its importance as many of our teams came together in person for the first time in two years. While being in the same room is not a prerequisite for collaboration, our annual innovation competition Datacomp brought together hundreds of our team members on a quest to solve some big challenges for our customers, and the energy was incredible. In less than 72 hours these teams came up with solutions to help young people navigate mental health resources, to simplify access to basic items for people in prison through the Ngā Mihi project which has now received a $50,000 GovTech grant, and to motivate businesses to engage with climate change initiatives.

That Datacomp weekend was a great reminder of what good collaboration looks like: open sharing of ideas and information, two-way communication with plenty of listening, diversity of skills, perspectives and backgrounds, and a desire to work together to challenge the status quo, identify new opportunities and solve problems. It was fitting that our theme for Datacomp this year was “Together” and focused on the idea of harnessing the power of tech to build ecosystems that contribute to positive economic, social and environmental outcomes.

My belief is that as a local business, we have a responsibility to use technology as a force for good and I see us at our most impactful when we are working closely with our customers and helping them find smart ways to change things for the better, to address challenges and create opportunities. This is when we are truly able to help people thrive and shape their own futures.

To everyone who has worked with us this year, thank you. We look forward to collaborating with you again in 2023.