Finalists to the Microsoft 2016 Partner Awards Cloud category show future of business

In anticipation of its 2016 Partner Awards event later this month, Microsoft New Zealand is today revealing details of the compelling solutions that finalists in its cloud categories have created for customers.

Brent Kendrick, Microsoft New Zealand’s Director for Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partner, says cloud solutions have been the dominant force of entries this year, with some impressive examples showing how cloud is impacting the broader business environment in New Zealand.

“The relevance and impact of cloud computing was a strong theme this year, and the finalist partners are, by no accident, those that are transforming their businesses most intentionally and effectively toward cloud-based services,” says Kendrick.

Customer solutions from finalists in the Cloud categories for the Microsoft NZ 2016 Partner Awards are as follows:

‘Cloud Enterprise’ category finalists

• Dimension Data's Hyper-V, System Center, Azure and Azure WAP based solution called Bank in a Box stood out as an accelerator for providing a functioning private cloud for businesses.
• Fujitsu’s solution for Hamilton City Council transformed an aging infrastructure to a hybrid cloud based on Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and Skype for Business, with the local flexibility of Fujitsu’s PaaS service built using Microsoft Cloud OS Network.
• Intergen’s solution ‘Cohesion’ is based on a multi-tenanted implementation of SharePoint 2013, designed for NZ Government and running “as a service”, hosted on the government approved IaaS.

‘Cloud Platform’ category finalists

• Atmospheric’s Carbon 4300K solution offers a hybrid product suite comprising the key features of both public and private cloud, built on the principles of Shared Resources, Continuous Deployment and Business Continuity through high up-time, always on systems. 
• Datacom implemented a full Sitecore development, build and support solution on Azure for Auckland International Airport to enable them to have full HA and DR on their websites, which generate over $100M in revenue each year. 
• NV Interactive’s Georgie Pie Super Smash web site provided a unique platform for New Zealand Cricket to express the Super Smash brand in a more exciting and visually compelling way to engage a younger and broader cricket audience.
• Timely developed a cloud-based, time-saving scheduling software solution for easy use by booking-based businesses such as salons, clinics and therapists, built on the Microsoft .Net stack.

‘Cloud SMB’ category finalists

• IT Engine developed a Sharepoint solution for Wigley + Company law firm to meet the needs of the consultants for easy creation of new matter numbers, easy search functionality and online invoice processing.
• Kinetics’ SharePoint Igniter solution for the Ross Roof roofing company allows their staff to collaborate on key business information in real time such as stock levels, source up to date price lists and much more. 
• ComputerCare built a monthly billed, per-user fixed price product around Office365 and their Service Desk, called OneCare – providing unlimited remote support, antivirus software, mobile device management, system monitoring and monthly reporting. 
• Softsource introduced Office 365 as part of a hybrid cloud solution that would take WaterSafe’s business to a higher more efficient platform, enabling them to reposition existing storage and remove the server requirement.

‘Cloud Hosting’ category finalists

• MHA Cloud Computing’s CloudOS solution provides a locally hosted high performance Azure Virtual Machine and Networking compatible platform on NZ soil. Customers can extend their existing business network into their own Private Cloud on the CloudOS platform.
• OneNet’s commitment to leveraging and interconnecting the most suitable cloud platforms and services is represented in their delivery of a fully outsourced IT infrastructure and hosted desktop environment for Armourguard, and consolidating Fuji Xerox’s physical and virtual servers to a standardised private cloud platform
• Revera's Apollo extends the established Revera cloud portfolio to enable hosting of built-for-cloud workloads and provides a scalable Platform-as-a-Service solution ideal for empowering DevOps practices in organisations large or small.
• Softsource’s “entrada Hybrid IaaS” solution brings public cloud and private cloud capabilities seamlessly together through a single pane of glass, giving customers access to order and build their own virtual Data Centres.

With a record number of submissions, the 2016 annual Microsoft NZ Partner Awards is set to be the biggest in its nine years of existence. The awards recognise excellence in the IT sector from those companies that integrate Microsoft solutions into their products and services to accelerate innovation and go above and beyond customer expectations.