NEC Opens Technology Innovation Centre in New Zealand
Marking 50 years of business.
Wellington, April 8th, 2013 – NEC New Zealand Ltd, a leading provider of communication networks and information
technology solutions has announced the opening of a state-of-the-art Technology Innovation Centre in Wellington on 27
March to mark 50 years of business in New Zealand.
The new centre was officially opened by the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable, Mr John Key at an evening event
attended by the Japanese Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Yasuaki Nogawa, many of New Zealand’s leading core infrastructure
companies, technology and science leaders, Government departments and executives from NEC Corporation.
At the entrance of the centre, all guests were welcomed by Sumiko, a biometric avatar equipped with inbuilt cameras and
facial recognition technology. This full-time resident receptionist is programmed to welcome visitors whom she
recognises by name, open the door for them and email their host to let them know of their arrival. The “Interactive
Zone” of the centre replaces a traditional reception area and is an open, colourful space reminiscent of a technology
café. It consists of a full scale telephone exchange and data networking laboratory, a digital biometric screen
displaying your name, gender and approximate age, and an 8 screen video wall demonstrating the impressiveness of the
latest digital visual displays.
The new centre showcases many of NEC’s leading edge technologies in telecommunications, biometric security systems,
digital visual displays, machine to machine services and robotics, all of which are the result of the numerous local
partnerships between NEC and some of New Zealand’s innovative universities and businesses.
NEC New Zealand Director and General Manager Mr Leonard Dench says, “While the technology we have on display here is
spectacular and exciting, the Technology Innovation Centre is not merely a showroom. With the latest technology brought
in from Japan and regional HQ (APAC), the centre exhibits an engaging and interactive combination of office space and
research and development facilities to enable NEC New Zealand to deliver on our promise of empowering people through
innovation by developing total solutions in accordance to the needs and suitability of our local market. It is about the
collaboration of companies and encouraging the open sharing of information to develop innovative solutions for various
consumers, businesses and communities. It is also about bringing the knowledge, products, ideas and technologies of
businesses together to create new possibilities, and share them with both New Zealand market and for export.”
With over 120 staff in NEC New Zealand running operations in 16 sites throughout the country, the new centre is NEC’s
head office for its New Zealand based research, development and technical support teams. The NEC Technology Innovation
Centre is located on Level 6, NEC House 40 Taranaki St Wellington.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around
the world. By providing a combinations of products and solutions that cross utilise the company’s experience and global
resources, NEC’s advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than
100 years of expertise to technological innovations to empower people, businesses and society. For more information,
visit NEC @ http://www.nec.com
About NEC in New Zealand
Since originally supplying technology to New Zealand in the 1960’s, NEC New Zealand is a leading solutions and service
provider of IT and network, telecommunications and identity solutions. With innovation at the heart of the organisation,
NEC New Zealand’s commitment to quality, reliability and value has seen it through more than 50 years of innovations in
New Zealand. NEC’s state-of-the-art technologies are backed by local technical expertise and are used in various
creative applications to enhance the lives of the people in New Zealand every day, from connecting telephone calls to
sorting mail items, from providing timely updates via diverse digital signage network to empowering law enforcement
agencies with biometric technologies. For more information visit www.nec.co.nz
ENDS