Just received:

 

TUANZ has been representing users of communications and digital technology for more than 35 years and over that time the world around us has changed significantly.  We have a proud history of leading change, have been incredibly successful in delivering real benefits for our members in the telecommunications market sector, and are seeing the real value in that right now as we all utilise our broadband networks to keep working, staying in touch and keeping ourselves amused. Never before has great communication networks been so needed.  NZ has been fortunate to have visionary leaders who ensured we have some of the worlds best fibre and mobile infrastructure.

 

Telecommunications is no longer just about making a phone call. Every day New Zealanders carry around a device that is much more than a traditional phone.  It is also a streaming platform for broadcast media, both live and on demand. It is a personal computer, where the user can create and publish content, as well as interact with those who supply services to them, such as their bank. It also enables IT professionals to manage their corporate IT infrastructure.  In short, the smartphone is a true indicator of how the world of telecommunications, broadcasting and IT has evolved – and that’s why we’re evolving.  

 

Over the last two years the Board of TUANZ has been working on ensuring that we remain a relevant association both now and into the future.  We have taken time to revisit our purpose and our messaging, and make tweaks to both. We have looked around the globe and noted that in Europe the most successful similar associations have pivoted to the broader technology space from telecommunications. We have also consulted with our members and other stakeholders during that time. All of this has led us to conclude that the term “Telecommunications” no longer adequately describes the area of our interest and involvement.  So we have made the decision to make the simple change from “Telecommunications” to “Technology”. 

 

We are still TUANZ and most importantly, we have always been and will remain a Users association and not an Industry association.

 

We want to be clear that we are not reducing our focus on telecommunications nor leaving any of our history behind.  We will still be available to provide comments on the same topics we always have. 

 

What we are doing is recognising that our scope is now bigger given this convergence of IT, broadcasting and telecommunications. And while it might seem hasty to move forward with this change given the current circumstances, we think that now is the opportune time to continue to speak out on issues around connectivity and to broaden our commentary to match the issues and topics we’ve already been working on. With so many of us working from home at the moment, it’s a real indication of the integration of telco, cloud, IT, and video that’s taken place over the last few years.

 

Expect us to provide commentary about things such as Smart Cities, Artificial Intelligence, BlockChain, Video Streaming and Cyber Security, as well as continuing to speak on things around future connectivity, such as 5G, satellite and fixed networks developments.  These are topics we’ve already been talking about with our members over the last few years.

 

We won’t stop - we will continue to evolve as an organisation to reflect the ever-changing technology environment we live and work in, today, and into the future and the needs of our users.  We at TUANZ believe it is time for us to ensure our members are prepared for this new future.

 

Finally, like everyone, we are quickly learning how to do business in this difficult time.  We have decided not to organise any physical events including conferences until July 2020 at the earliest.  This means we are working hard to provide more information on our website, with our first new set resources on Working at Home now available, and later in the week we will be launching our web page on information (and our positions) around 5G.  Also, all our events are moving online as webinars or networking meetings.