Keep track of the ever-changing Cloud technology landscape with Umbrellar's podcast featuring the latest in tech news and views from partners across New Zealand. We uncover how our comprehensive partner network of resellers and affiliates are driving forward the NZ Cloud Economy, find out what's keeping them up at night, and the technology transformations that have them excited about building the tech for tomorrow's world.
It's easy to move into the cloud but what about ongoing management? Who's got the time or the experience for that? Short answer - Umbrellar. Adrian and Rob explain how to get the cloud environment you were 'sold' on the brochure and the advantages of having a crack team of cloud specialists at your beck and call.
Umbrellar CEO Dave Howden and Vanessa Sorenson, Chief Partner Officer A/NZ and Managing Director Microsoft NZ, catch up on all the dramatic changes since their last podcast chat - her roles, the pandemic, new data centres for the region and the integration of Australia and New Zealand in the Microsoft world. There's a lot to unpack! They discuss how Microsoft is increasingly focused on making it easier for partners to grow their business through improvements to Marketplace, IP Co-Sell and the April 2022 launch of Microsoft Founders Hub, bringing people, knowledge and benefits together at every stage to solve startup challenges. Vanessa also shares her passion for corporate citizenship initiatives such as 10K Wahine, Global Skills Training Initiatives, growing Maori and Pacific Leaders through partnering with TupaToa. Vanessa says New Zealand punches way above its weight - but we're not so great at sharing our success stories. With the creation of A/NZ and the soon-to-be-online regional data centre, now is the time to get louder, take more risks and build our industry depth. Take a listen.
Umbrellar's Rob Farnell (Head of Cloud Technology) and Adrian Venter (Head of Cloud Operations ... aka Supreme Overlord
CEO Dave Howden and Head of Business Operations Nadia Phillips share the background story behind the recently announced purchase of New Zealand company Umbrellar Cloud Ltd by US-based cloud technology distributor Pax8. Pax8 have built a strong reputation on a global level over the past few years and recently set their sights on the Asia Pacific region. After identifying Umbrellar's service regions as areas they could expand into as a means of continuing their global reach and building their client base, the offer was made and the rest is history. So what does this mean for Umbrellar staff, vendors, partners and customers? Listen in to find out that it's actually ALL good news for everyone - and an exciting step forward for cloud services in New Zealand.
David Howden (CEO Umbrellar) and Nadia Phillips (Head of Business Operations Umbrellar) talk to Patrick Quesnel (Microsoft Azure Platform Growth & Development Product Engineering Lead ANZ) and Jimmy Kerr (Launch Lead NZ Datacentre Region) about the upcoming launch of the new Microsoft datacenter region in New Zealand and how this huge investment in cloud technology will help accelerate our digital evolution. Listen in as they deep dive into the details and find out what you can do to be ready when Microsoft officially launches in 2023.
Does your business unwittingly commit the biggest cardinal sin of Privacy? Did you know that New Zealand's Privacy Act is applicable to ALL businesses, regardless of size? Are you aware all businesses must have a delegated Privacy Officer responsible for protecting customer information? Privacy is one of those topics businesses tend to shy away from as it all seems too hard - but this podcast will reveal how simple it can really be. In honour of Privacy Awareness Week (May 2 - 8 2022), Umbrellar CEO David Howden and INFO by Design founder Paul Holmes demystify the New Zealand Privacy Act as part of their chat about all things privacy. Paul uncovers how implementing good privacy practices early on will avoid issues later; shares his 5 major dot points for privacy design and highlights that at the end of the day, it's really just about people. Uncover the social media privacy habits of the savvy millennial crew, listen in on common privacy breach scenarios and best practice fixes, find out how resellers can protect customers, and learn where NZ's leading privacy consultants INFO by Design can help you guard your customer information.
This month's partner podcast features Umbrellar guests David Howden (CEO) and Alexandr Basan (Head of Product & Commerce) and covers the latest happenings in and around Umbrellar. Nadia and Dave chat about the recently announced rebranding of the Microsoft Partner Network to the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program as of October this year. Dave shares the reasons why he feels it represents a big step forward in simplifying and consolidating the program and will provide robust, objective measurements of progress for partners. Alex, Dave and Nadia discuss the reasons behind the small change to billing cycles happening in May and how the new billing preview feature soon to be available for Umbrellar customers is going to make life in the cloud so much easier. The gang finish off with a public service announcement about Umbrellar Connect's weekly newsletter, where partners can get all the latest on what's happening in NZ tech - and share their own stories to over seven thousand readers every week.
The challenges of the last two years have created greater complexities in our workplace and a huge jump in the use of applications and online collaboration tools. PEP Worldwide's General Manager Jo McFadden chats with Nadia (Umbrellar Head of Marketing and Operations) about the "humanware" organisations often forget to "upgrade" when they update the software that's supposed to help make work life easier and more productive. Jo talks about how PEP Principles and PEP Principles with Microsoft 365 can help employees utilise tools such as Teams to not only improve output but also generate a greater sense of wellbeing. Listen until the end to get Jo's top 3 tips for getting your work/life balance on an even keel.
In our complex world of hybrid work and BYO technology, how do organisations maintain security? Mobile Mentor's CEO Daniel McCarthy and Head of Sales, NZ Jared Pedersen discuss with Nadia Phillips (Umbrellar Head of Marketing and Operations) how the pandemic has accelerated the practice of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) when onboarding new employees and how working from home has presented major challenges to keeping business data secure. They demystify the methodology of Zero Trust and outline how tools organisations may already have, such as Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licences, can build a Zero Trust architecture that works. For a regular dose of Mobile Mentor thought leadership, sign up to their regular newsletter.
Listen in as 4 ladies flying high as executives in the tech industry discuss all things #breakingthebias for this International Women's Day Special. Nadia Phillips (Umbrellar), Tina Comrie (The Attention Agency), Samantha Borg (Datto) and Erika Palmer (Cupla) cover a range of important issues including hiring for diversity, how bad bosses made us better leaders, and how inherent biases inside technology make equality a little bit challenging. Also, why you shouldn't have a photo on your CV and how nightclub toilet encounters should be a model for how we celebrate each other as women
What's possible in using technology to solve sustainability problems? In this episode, Umbrellar Digital Journalist, Cat Mules, asks Damon Kelly of Enlighten Designs about the current and future role of data and AI.
As organisations across Australia adapt to the 'new normal' of living with Covid-19, Veeam has been helping customers make sure their data is secure, accessible and easily recoverable if disaster strikes.
Research from NZIER and Xero suggests billions in productivity gains could be achieved by accelerating businesses' move to the cloud. Listen to this Cloud Talk with Craig Hudson, Managing Director of Xero to learn more.
As retailers and property owners adapt to living with the presence of Covid-19, one artificial intelligence company is offering new ways to help them keep their people safe.
David Howden is joined by Patrick Quesnel from Microsoft for a discussion around the new Microsoft Azure region that is coming to New Zealand.
Umbrellars very own Head of Cloud David Howden comes onto the podcast to discuss how Umbrellar is adjusting to this new working landscape brought on by the Covid 19 lockdown.
In this episode David Howden (Head of Cloud, Umbrellar) is joined by David Downs (Task Force Lead, MBIE) and Scott Arrol (CEO, NZHIT) as they discuss resiliency and community within New Zealand businesses
Hamish Webber is joined by Scott Arrol CEO of NZHIT. They discuss the digital transformations of GPs during Covid 19 and what businesses outside of the health sector can do to support the sector during this demanding time.
Hamish Webber sits down with Rob Cleghorn who is the head engineer at ClearPoint. They discuss ClearPoints work with DevOps and how it has benefited businesses in New Zealand and overseas.
Vanessa Sorenson is the new Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand. Bringing more than 20 years management experience in the New Zealand corporate ecosystem, and building on her most previous role as Microsoft's New Zealand Enterprise Director, Vanessa brings a broad background centering on carving out winning business relationships. Vanessa's the first to get excited about why her aspirations with Microsoft reach far beyond just “tech”, to the its enabling role in empowering people, businesses, and the planet. I met with Vanessa at Gorilla Technology studios in Auckland's K'rd district, to ask the question that's on all of our minds: where to next for Microsoft? listen now.
In this episode host Hamish Webber sits down with the new MD of Microsoft New Zealand Vanessa Sorenson. They talk about her new role within Microsoft, Initiatives she has been involved with during her time in the company and the future of A:I and Holo-lens.
We enjoyed talking to Blair soo much that we just had to have him back! Join Blair Scott - MD of Walkerscott, as he talks to Julie Cooper about the term 'journey', an analytics lens into business applications, the balance of change, the power of partnership, the future of consultants…And more. This is an exciting podcast not to be missed!
New Zealand Spinal Trust work to empower people with spinal cord impairments and their whānau to embrace positive futures. As our latest Cloud for Good partner we decided to sit down with Hans Wouter, CEO, and Andrew Hall, National Programme Manager, to chat about our partnership and more. Covering their work, removing the uncertainty, and what the next five years looks like for them. Take thirty minutes to feel inspired. To learn more visit: Cloud for Good or NZ Spinal trust
David Howden sits down with Julie Cooper to delve into becoming a modern hosting partner. Covering traditional hypervisor technology, the move to 'as a service', and how to best build a new business model to stay relevant. After 'drinking their own champagne' this Umbrellar leadership duo are ready to spill. Past, present, and an insight into 'what's next'..Don't miss this podcast.
Aben Samuel is a Principal Consultant & Product Manager at Fusion5 and also leads the Azure User Group here in NZ orchestrating great events like Azure Boot camp! Dave Howden sits down with Aben to cover taking the wheel, handing back the power, thinking outside the box...And a bit on Azure. An insightful conversation perfect for your drive to work! Check out the meetup details here
David Spratt is back in studio talking to Dave Howden about the Tesla Model S 100, his new appointment, transport woes, the future of the power industry and more. An exciting conversation not to be missed! Visit Total Utilities here
Erudite's approach to healthcare software is heavily rooted in epidemiology; the study of how health-related phenomena operate in a specified population. Listen to Dave as he chats to Murray Polson (Managing Director at Erudite Group) about his position, journey, projects of passion, and what's next for health in terms of digitisation and modernisation.
Paul Brislen a forefront authority on strategic media support talks to Dave Howden on PR and Communications. Delving into the changing industry, proactive communications, needed regulation, and the role of the reader. An insightful conversation not to be missed. Get in touch with Paul here
Lauren Salisbury - a renowned Digital Change Agent, talks to Julie Cooper, about the right way up, industry patterns, the love of IoT, community and more. A digital change deep dive not to be missed. Visit her website here
General Manager of leading cyber security consulting business, Aura Information Security, Peter Bailey's role comprises of two key functions: maintaining the company's strong track record in delivering high quality customer service and solutions; and helping businesses of all shapes and sizes understand the need for robust security practices. Bailey is a respected thought leader in the cyber security industry and is regularly called upon by media and Government to provide both comment and advice. Join Peter as he talks to Dave Howden about cyber health, the security lens, opportunities within the industry, platform safety, and more. Visit Aura Information Systems here
Join David Howden and SEO specialist Matt Chalk as they delve into Search Engine Optimisation, going beyond the customer journey, and how to see green. An invaluable conversation for those both starting and looking to develop their SEO.
Umbrellar Head of Cloud Sales , Owen Swinson, talks to the CTO at Aware Group, Jourdan Templeton, delving into AI and Data solutions for organisational improvement, optimisation and innovation. Discussing AI, personal experience, unconscious bias and more.
Join Umbrellar's very own Dave Howden and Sunny Lakhiyan as they discuss our Azure Manged Services practice. Delving into becoming a modern service provider, intelligence, optimisation, and seasonal workloads. An invaluable conversation for all considering Cloud adoption.
Scott Arrol, CEO of NZHIT, talks to Dave Howden about health, digital, and the imperative to cut costs and improve the quality of patient care. To discover more about NZHIT and the immense value they add to our health sector visit: https://www.healthit.org.nz
Join Blair Scott and Paul Knox as they talk to Dave Howden about the changes Walkerscott have seen since their inception. IOT and the collection of future looking data, getting your organizational data in order, and the buzz around bees.
Join Mark Walton from Microsoft and Dave Howden as they discuss the road map for modern workplace, adoption, meetings of the future, and the biggest data set ever created. A conversation you don't want to miss.
Geof Robinson, Co-founder and Director of Telesmart talks with Julie Cooper, Umbrellar Partner Manager. An insightful conversation about Telesmart, the road map of traditional telephony, his learnings and more.
Join David Spratt and Dave Howden as they compare the consumption of IT infrastructure, as a commodity, with the electricity and utility market. Covering transformation, getting close to the value, cost reduction, and activating change.
Heavy hitters of the IT industry - Julie Cooper, Zabeen Hussain, and Christine Foote talk with Dave Howden about diversity in the workplace, working in a male dominated industry, and what they see as the ideal.
Join the powerhouse of New Zealand technology - Andrew Bedford, Patrick Quesnel, David Garrett, and Dave Howden as they discuss in depth New Zealand's Only Azure Stack for Resale
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