Polycom Brings Silicon Valley to New Zealand

Polycom Brings Silicon Valley to New Zealand Through the Power of Collaboration:
Polycom Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist, Jeff Rodman Delivers Masterclass on Creativity and Innovation at Auckland’s ICT Graduate School

Auckland, 19 August 2016 - Polycom Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist Jeff Rodman met with some of New Zealand’s first Masters Students at the Auckland ICT Graduate School last night when he delivered a Masterclass on Creativity and Innovation at the University of Auckland.

Demonstrating the power of technology in delivering 21st century learning, Jeff joined students live from Silicon Valley using Polycom video collaboration technology in conjunction with New Zealand partner, Asnet Technologies. Auckland ICT Graduate School Masters students from both the Universities of Auckland and Waikato participated in the Masterclass and Q & A session.

In true collaborative style, students across both Auckland and Waikato campuses were split into breakout groups to complete a series of “Practical Creativity” problems developed by Jeff. Three groups then reported out findings to the wider audience.

Commenting on his participation at the event, Polycom Co-Founder Jeff Rodman said, “It has never been a more exciting time to be joining the ICT industry as the impact of digital transformation and ideas like the workplace of the future continue to reshape the way we work, regardless of industry. I am absolutely delighted to meet with these new master students from New Zealand to share some of my experiences about what a truly great idea can achieve.”

Auckland’s ICT Graduate School started in November 2015 and is a collaboration between the universities of Auckland and Waikato. It is one of three Graduate Schools the New Zealand Government has committed more than $28 million over four years to develop. In its first academic intake year, students are studying towards the Masters in Information Technology and the Post Graduate Certificate in Information Technology.

University of Auckland Computer Science Professor (and Director of Auckland ICT Graduate School) Gillian Dobbie said, “Auckland ICT Graduate School aims to give students industry experience while they study, providing them with the opportunity to make and build connections with the ICT industry. As Silicon Valley is central to the ICT industry, we are delighted that Jeff Rodman is able to participate in this session and share his experiences with our students.”

Jeff continues, “When people ask me what is creativity, I often talk about blue sky ideas. More often than not blue sky ideas don’t always tie to existing ideas or the way people think. Part of the fun is translating these ideas into something that brings value to the users. I’m really looking forward to sharing some of my insights with these Masters students who will be part of the industry’s next generation of blue sky thinkers.”

About New Zealand Technology Industry:
According to industry group NZ Tech, New Zealand’s technology sector is the fastest growing and third largest export earner, creating almost 100,000 jobs and making up eight percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and contributing over $6.3 billion in exports. New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has also stated that information technology is a key driver for New Zealand’s economic growth.

About Jeff Rodman:
Polycom's Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist Jeff Rodman, an engineer, writer, pianist, and Polycom Fellow, has been at the forefront of audio and video innovation for most of his career. The holder of over 40 patents, he has taken leadership and entrepreneurial roles in solution development organizations since 1977 with a strong emphasis in human audio and visual communications for broadcast, business and specialized applications. He is a popular participant in industry events and has been featured in numerous keynotes, talks, and panels. Since co-founding Polycom more than 25 years ago, Jeff has guided a team of talented people that together, have built the company into the billion-dollar organization it is today.

About Polycom
Polycom helps organizations unleash the power of human collaboration. More than 400,000 companies and institutions worldwide defy distance with secure video, voice and content solutions from Polycom to increase productivity, speed time to market, provide better customer service, expand education and save lives. Polycom and its global partner ecosystem provide flexible collaboration solutions for any environment that deliver the best user experience, the broadest multi-vendor interoperability and unmatched investment protection. Visit www.polycom.com or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn more.

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