Media Release
26 January 2018
Vocus Communications wins a place on the TaaS panel
Supplying networking, voice and security services to benefit government agencies and the public of NZ
Vocus Communications has been awarded a place on the Telecommunications-as-a-Service (TaaS) panel by the Department of
Internal Affairs (DIA), to supply networking, internet, fixed voice, personal connectivity and managed security services
to government agencies across New Zealand.
The TaaS panel is managed by the DIA as the Lead Agency on behalf of the Government Chief Digital Officer with the aim
to improve the way telecommunications services are delivered to agencies.
TaaS services are designed to allow agencies to easily connect with each other, with hosted services, and with the
people of New Zealand. TaaS was specifically designed to help promote collaboration across agency boundaries.
“We believe a key concern for our existing government customers is the risk of transition,” says Susie Stone, Vocus
Communications General Manager.
“In response, we have developed a low-risk transition solution, called Vocus Gateway, which aims to allow government
agencies to stay operational during the migration to TaaS,” says Stone. “Customers will stay connected to their legacy
network throughout the migration, and also have secure access to the internet, hybrid cloud services, VPN, and SIP
services we offer.”
Vocus Communications’ TaaS solutions are fully managed and charged on a per user, per month basis – so agencies benefit
from more predictable monthly charges and tend to avoid the cost, complexity and risks associated with procuring,
integrating, managing and upgrading services and hardware. The as-a-Service model means agencies can also scale services
quickly and cost effectively.
“We believe Vocus Communications has the expertise to create a bespoke service to suit a wide range of government agency
needs,” says Stone. “We’ve invested a lot in our network over the years and are continuing to do so – this combined with
strong local expertise, is the backbone on which we can assist government agencies in providing more streamlined and
better value services to the public of New Zealand.”
Vocus Communications TaaS solutions will be supplied in a partnership with Datacom, where Vocus Communications provide
the WAN, cloud connectivity and secure access. Datacom provide the LAN, Wi-Fi and service desk.
“We have a large number of joint customers with Datacom, and work together every day to deliver complex solutions,” says
Stone.
Any agencies interested in TaaS are encouraged to contact Vocus Communications. “Being on the TaaS panel means Vocus can
supply TaaS directly to any eligable agency – we’re a service-oriented organisation and capable of customising solutions
to help meet the needs of agencies,” says Stone.
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