Technology
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Election promises of clean energy grants open to exploitation
- October 11, 2023
Political parties are pledging lots of money to sustainable energy solutions like solar power, but few meaningful solutions, particularly when grants and subsidies are open to exploitation as we experienced with the Healthy Homes initiative—one solar industry insider is warning. Cameron Dick, Managing Director of Vital Solar, said parties like the Green Party have pledged a $6,000 Clean Power Payment to households, and the Labour Party is promising households a $4,000 grant to install solar...
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Retail business owners falling short on educating themselves about technology
- September 19, 2023
In this new digital driven world New Zealand retailers continue to lose money and opportunity because of not only their reluctance to invest in technology but more so by their failure to upskill and learn more about the tech driving their businesses—it's no longer something that retailers can simply 'leave to the experts'. Mark Presnell, who is managing director of Auckland eCommerce integration company Convergence, says that while Kiwi business owners are often derided for being slow to t...
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Solar power installer raises alarm about lawless industry
- August 29, 2023
New Zealand-wide power failures from an overextended grid, rising demand and bad weather can be reduced by encouraging household self-reliance through solar power, but first, regulation of the solar installation industry is sorely needed. Cameron Dick, Managing Director of Vital Solar, said regulation is essential to encourage consumer trust and homeowners' uptake of solar power. “Solar power offers tremendous benefits, but the need for regulation in the industry is hindering...
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New simulator technology puts beneficiaries in the driver's seat
- June 28, 2023
The launch of +IMPAC VRC’s Whiti Supply Chain truck driver training programme—using state-of-the-art simulator technology (a New Zealand first)—is expected to clear the bottleneck behind New Zealand’s home-grown truck driver shortage by slashing the qualifying period from six months to two weeks. The course accelerates learning and introduces tools that build competence faster while significantly improving safety outcomes for novice drivers. General Manager +IMPAC Virtual Reality Comp...
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Minimum wage increases will hurt already reeling horticultural industry
- March 21, 2023
The minimum wage increase in April will cut into the New Zealand horticultural industry's already tight margins and put increased financial pressure on a sector decimated by bad weather, not least the floods. Some small growers could go under as a result. From April 1 this year, the adult minimum wage across New Zealand will rise to $22.70 per hour. The training and starting wage rates will increase from $16.96 to $18.16. "We're not say don't pay fair wages for a fair day's work—pick...
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Common Kiwi myths makes for poor adoption of solar energy in NZ
- February 9, 2023
New Zealand is far behind Australia in home solar panel installation due to a couple of pervasive Kiwi myths that are slowing the adoption of solar energy by households. Vital Solar director Cameron Dick said today that about 30 per cent of Australian suburban homes now have solar panels installed on their roof, compared with only two per cent of New Zealand homes. Dick said Australia has government incentives in the form of rebates for installing solar panels while in both Australia a...
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Healthy homes standards put strain on NZ power grid, alternatives needed
- January 5, 2023
New Zealand’s national grid will continue to experience serious strain even through summer in part as an unforeseen consequence of the new Healthy Homes Standards that put an over-sized air conditioner in almost every home. The director of Vital Solar and a leading Auckland solar energy specialist, Cameron Dick, said today that following a few touch-and-go moments during the winter on 2022, national grid operator Transpower added additional capacity after a still-unexplained 3% jump in pe...
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Urgent need for mandates around home based renewable energy
- November 30, 2022
A New Zealand solar energy installer is warning that electrifying New Zealand—EV vehicles, trains and digital technologies—while building thousands of new homes that cannot generate their own renewable energy is foolhardy in light of Transpower’s warnings about strain on the national power grid. The director of Vital Solar, a leading Auckland solar energy specialist, Cameron Dick, said that even if new buildings were provisioning for renewable energy, there are not enough trained instal...
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Tech companies have less than 7 days to find and hire tech staff
- August 19, 2022
The average time from search to hiring a candidate in the New Zealand tech industry has reduced by 50 per cent this year–leaving no room for mistakes in the race to secure the best talent. Managing director and founder of specialist IT and digital recruitment company Imara Limited, Barry Hardy, said that before the Covid-19 pandemic, companies were running a hiring process that, on average, took 10-15 days to find and employ a suitable candidate. That time has shrunk to only seven days. ...
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Independent schools take the lead on indoor air quality
- March 8, 2022
Covid measures help improve classroom attentiveness. Over the last four months, building performance technology provider Tether has installed hundreds of its devices at private schools across New Zealand in partnership with the Independent Schools of New Zealand (NZ). In addition to a safer environment, children are using the technology to learn about air quality, said Tether chief executive Brandon van Blerk. Van Blerk said the goal of the rollout is to create a robust data set about t...
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NFTs a minefield of scams warns cybersecurity expert
- February 28, 2022
New Zealanders are being urged to avoid getting sucked into the current mania around non-fungible tokens (NFTs) because scams are as common as promises of profit. Host of Radio New Zealand's Tech Tuesday and author of the book 'She'll Be Right (Not!) – a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business owners – Daniel Watson says the completely unregulated NFT market is effectively one giant Ponzi scheme. "There's massive hype, much of it fuelled by paid advertising and social media campaigns pai...
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Kiwi exporters finding ‘she'll be right’ doesn't fly in Europe
- February 10, 2022
International customers demanding more rigorous cybersecurity from NZ firms The most significant change to Europe's data protection rules in more than 20 years is putting Kiwi exporters under increasing pressure to match world standards in cybersecurity. Author of the book 'She'll Be Right (Not!) – a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business owners – SMB cybersecurity expert Daniel Watson says that until now, Kiwi companies have managed to slide past certifications and compliance levels by...
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3 cheap tech tools to help you run your business more efficiently
- January 18, 2022
SMEs looking to 'go digital' in the new Covid-19 disrupted business environment are being advised to avoid big, expensive glossy software solutions that promise the world but don’t always deliver. Director at business technology solutions company OneHQ, Mark Anyon, said it's easy to get sucked into expensive technology platforms from overseas because they make it seem that everything is done for you when this is rarely the case. "Getting that software in place and working reliably with y...
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Cybercriminals adopt con-artist tactics to trick unsuspecting Kiwis
- January 10, 2022
Cybercriminals are stepping up their game in New Zealand with a combination of cybercrime strategies and telephone tactics straight out of the con-artists playbook. Author of the book 'She'll Be Right (Not!) – a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business owners – SMB cybersecurity expert Daniel Watson advises Kiwis not to be surprised when they get scam calls from people with New Zealand accents pretending to be their bank’s fraud team. "There is a lot of identifying data on Kiwis, from v...
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Call for Kiwi IT companies to stand together against cybercrime
- July 19, 2021
Cybercriminals using IT company channels to target their clients A recent cyber-attack on IT support companies, which impacted some New Zealand organisations – specifically local kindy's and schools – highlights the urgent need for Kiwi IT companies to collaborate more closely on security issues. Author of the book 'She'll Be Right (Not!) – a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business owners – and SMB cybersecurity expert Daniel Watson, says that cybercriminals have opened a new front in ...
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Waikato DHB attack just the beginning of handsfree cybercrime tsunami
- May 25, 2021
The relatively low risks associated with online crime and the rise of international cybercrime syndicates mean that New Zealanders must brace for more attacks such as that carried out on the Waikato District Health Board. Author of the book 'She'll Be Right (Not!) – a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business owners – SMB cybersecurity expert Daniel Watson, said it's past time for Kiwis from boardroom level down to get serious about their cybersecurity. "It is not acceptable that the W...
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Data breaches enabling blackmail, extortion and intellectual property theft
- May 6, 2021
Data breaches and cyberattacks are no longer just an online issue as, increasingly, sinister players use personal information to gain leverage over individuals and organisations online and offline. The author of a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business owners, Daniel Watson, says many Kiwis may be too comfortable when it comes to supplying their personal information online. "Free offers, downloads, trial transactions, apps and other online offers designed to capture personal details prolife...
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Microsoft Exchange breach a wake-up call to Kiwi SMEs – ditch the server
- March 30, 2021
The international breach of Microsoft Exchange by hackers in March is believed to have impacted a large but unknown number of New Zealand companies. It should serve as a timely warning to many local SMEs that it's time to toss the company server. Microsoft Exchange is a standard email inbox, calendar, and collaboration solution used by companies that still keep their servers on company premises. By exploiting vulnerabilities in the software, hackers can seize 'command line access' – take to...
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How your staff’s teenagers may be compromising your company’s data
- March 15, 2021
New Zealand's latest Covid.19 lockdown is a timely reminder to SMBs that pandemic disruption has a way to go yet, which means it is time to move beyond the casual approach to work-from-home arrangements because it is a serious cybersecurity risk to businesses. In a nutshell, sharing home WIFI with family members is problematic. For example, it is not unusual for teenagers in the home to download, stream and play games that could create a backdoor for cybercriminals to access your confidential ...
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3 cheap tech tools to help you run your business more efficiently
- March 15, 2021
SMEs looking to 'go digital' in the new Covid-19 disrupted business environment are being advised to avoid big, expensive glossy software solutions that promise the world but don’t always deliver. Director at business technology solutions company OneHQ, Mark Anyon, said it's easy to get sucked into expensive technology platforms from overseas because they make it seem that everything is done for you when this is rarely the case. "Getting that software in place and working reliably with your ...
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How to make your IT future proofed, geared for productivity and adaptable
- January 16, 2021
Everybody was caught flat footed by the countdown to New Zealand's first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, as many businesses rushed to set-up their technology infrastructure to enable ‘remote working’ for staff. Unfortunately, for some, a few chickens have come home to roost. Here at OneHQ, like everybody, we're burning the candle at both ends because it is the end of year rush, but also in some instances we are working with some clients nationally to fix issues related to security and remo...
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