August 15, 2019: Aotearoa’s number 1 in Cloud, The Instillery and Origin nationally renowned managed IT & Security services provider, today announced their merger, creating a unique future-focused provider of cloud,
automation, connectivity and security professional and managed services for Kiwi midmarket, enterprise, local and
central government organisations.
The merger represents one of the most significant M events for the kiwi tech sector in a decade and will establish The Instillery as a genuine Tier 1 ICT provider
committed assisting kiwi public and private organisations to realise the well-documented benefits of cloud technologies
while also ensuring the security and protection of their critical data.
The combined organisation will retain The Instillery brand, deliver more than $40 million in revenue with 200 staff
across Aotearoa.
Mike Jenkins, CEO and founder of The Instillery, will continue to lead the newly formed company. Origin’s CEO and
founder Michael Russell will join the executive team of The Instillery as Chief Sales Officer.
Jenkins says the merger “is a statement of intent of a desire to lead in this cloud revolution. Emerging technologies
lead by Cloud and automation (in particular) continue to disrupt, create new opportunities. The tech sector here in
Aotearoa that has been screaming for change and a genuine alternative option to partner with. Trust and confidence
(information security) have never been more critical to our clients as they embark on their cloud journey, so Michael
and the Origin teams 20 years of experience in this field across both security consulting and managed services is
massively compelling.”
The Instillery and Origin both come from humble beginnings. The Instillery was founded six years ago, from a co-working
space in Parnell. Origin was established in a West Auckland garage 20 years ago. The Instillery merged with Vo2 in July
last year, while Origin also has recent M experience following its acquisition of Optinet in 2015.
The Instillery is known for its public cloud and DevOps capability. Its merger with Vo2 bought extensive Modern
Workplace, managed services & support capability. Origin brings further depth to The Instillery stable with 20 years of managed services, private
cloud, network and security experience. The combined business will offer one of New Zealand’s leading cybersecurity
practices.
Michael says the merger of The Instillery and Origin means focusing on growing in the right area. “Origin has 20 years
of experience in delivering innovative solutions and managed services. The merger is an exciting opportunity to take
another step towards where our customers need us to be with the growth of cloud, leveraging the unrivalled experience
The Instillery have in this area.”
“As a customer with Origin, I’m extremely excited about the merger between Origin and The Instillery. I couldn’t have
picked a better merger of two highly respected companies as this one.
With this merger, the two companies combined will provide Kotahi with a key strategic partner that can not only support
its environments and protect it through its security practices, but they can also now further challenge us on our cloud
journey. We look for partners that can push us and drive us beyond our current capabilities. And with this merger, we
now will have a partner that has a global reach in this space and further drive Kotahi’s cloud priorities.
I truly think this will create a partner to be reckoned with.”
Wayne Bloem, Head of Operational Excellence - Kotahi
According to Jenkins, “most enterprises today utilise a hybrid, multi-cloud approach. Origin’s strength in security,
network design and optimisation, combined with our agnostic approach to cloud, means that customers will get the proven
formula, tailored for their business, irrespective of where they are on their cloud journey.”
"The Instillery have worked with us from the start of our cloud journey, from helping us build our first production
systems on AWS, then automating their deployment. Keeping security in front of mind and having local skills is very
important to us and has been a key part of the engagement with The Instillery. The access to further depth and
capability through the merger with Origin opens up further opportunities to grow what we do together."
Hamish Archer, GM Technology - TSB
Jenkins says the newly formed company will address largely unmet demand in the enterprise arena. “We know that large
businesses including enterprise, local government and central government agencies, are looking for a fresh, agile
approach that allows them to move faster. Velocity with confidence is in our DNA!”
“In this exciting new chapter, we’re excited about the immediate opportunity to scale to up to help more businesses
innovate and realise the well-documented benefits of cloud.
The new company will have offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington
and Christchurch. It will continue to invest in and focus on local growth, along with attracting the top talent in
cloud, automation, security & connectivity from across the country.
The Instillery also delivers services for several Trans-Tasman and global clients and is eyeing up expansion into
Australia in the near future.