Canterbury Tech Blog
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The idea for Canterbury Tech was born in 2003 when a group of like-minded CEO's, business owner's and tech entrepreneurs connected informally to talk about ways they could help each other and support the technology and innovation sector in Canterbury. Since then, we have been the voice and connector of local technology companies and have seen the sector grow to become the second..
Canterbury Tech Blog
2M ago
Trigger Warning : This is a bit technical lol
Last month a small group of next-generation computing experts from around the world descended for the first time on Ōtautahi, Christchurch for the 11th Multicore World conference.
I was curious to hear what a group of top technologists from household names like Microsoft, Google, Linux and top universities and computing research organisations were going to talk about in New Zealand. I was also wondering, would I understand any of it!
The beauty of the Multicore World crowd was the unique, relaxed “at home” atmosphere that organiser Nicolas Er ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
3M ago
As kids head back to school over the next few weeks there are two major factors affecting what is essentially the upstream future of our industry – it starts with kids becoming confident and interested in technology.
I was having a conversation with Leon Maritz who volunteers to run code club at Ao Tawhiti school at the summit last year and he told me it happens between 8 and 11 years old. At 8 they say, coding, yeah I did that at school its fun” but by 11 years old if they haven’t had a try it’s more like. “Coding, that sounds hard , I couldn’t do that”. The confidence to try changes on a dim ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
5M ago
We live in a world where women are still heavily underrepresented in leadership roles. Empowering them to step into their full potential is crucial.
After attending Powrsuit’s enlightening 1-day Leadership workshop, it became evident that granting women permission to take up space could be the catalyst for transformative action.
The two key elements that we explored and built on were understanding your strengths and your derailers. In defining both of these, we were able to lean into our leadership styles and take action quickly.
Understanding your strengths.
The first key element explored in ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
5M ago
In the fast-paced and ever-evolving technology industry, it’s not uncommon for professionals to find themselves thrust into the role of a project manager without formal training or prior experience.
These accidental project managers face unique challenges as they navigate the complexities of overseeing technology projects.
In this blog, we’ll touch on the world of accidental project managers in the technology industry, shedding light on their experience, knowledge gaps and providing practical advice, with the aim of empowering them to excel in their newfound role.
What is an ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
7M ago
I know all too well how hard and slow it has been to turn government focus towards a National AI Strategy (or AI in general) through my past work as the Executive Director of the AI Forum.
The fact is, it’s now too late.
The ship has truly sailed and no amount of strategy will turn it around.
One of the only ways to prevent NZ becoming mass consumers of AI produced by countries with different values and ethics to our own, is for the private and public sector to come together to innovate NZ-made AI.
We know the government has a lot of barriers to overcome in progressing their ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
9M ago
One Year in!
This month I was able to celebrate one year working at Canterbury Tech. It’s been an amazing year with so much to celebrate for our small but mighty team.
In the last 6 months we have seen the fruits of our hard work with an enviable 12% increase in memberships and that continues to grow month on month. This means there are always new and widening networks of technology people to meet and connect with at our events.
Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve been up to:
Events
We’ve increased the frequency of our events and have been building on our Tech Tuesday brand by delivering ev ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
10M ago
The epic growth of data roles in NZ business, and what it means for you.
In retrospect, it seems obvious: rather than guessing what your customers want or where your business should focus its resources, use data to make informed decisions based on current and previous trends.
But the use of data in NZ businesses is still only relatively new. Rachael Tobeck, Dev & Data Practice Lead for Crew in Christchurch, has seen this change and growth first-hand: “It’s only really been the last five years we’ve seen companies go from reluctant-to-invest to eagerly recruiting a data team as they’ve see ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
10M ago
Here’s what you need to know to get a job in tech in New Zealand
New year, new recession, new frustrations at work … whether you’re trying to get ahead of the cost of living or simply in need of a new challenge, the tech industry in New Zealand is hiring – and getting in might not be as hard as you think.
The tech industry accounts for around 8% of New Zealand’s annual GDP, and employs around 5% of our working population, but there still aren’t enough Kiwis to take up the roles. “We have a massive shortage of skilled people getting into IT, so it’s a good time to get in: salaries are goo ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
11M ago
We have been hearing a lot from tech business in Canterbury about their challenges with attracting and retaining skilled staff and from students and those looking for mid career transitions into technology
Some of the key problems we heard about are:
Small to medium size businesses have been more reluctant to take on interns and junior roles because they were lacking in seniors to train and supervise them. This leads to a reduction in junior and entry level options so its’ hard to tick that “got experience” box and get off to a good start in your career.
Intermediates were filling up open sen ..read more
Canterbury Tech Blog
11M ago
Custom D is a customised software development company working with clients to develop web & mobile apps, which often need complex, integrated workflows. They are sector agnostic and work with start-ups through to established players; but what really spins their world is working with a partner who is looking to ‘shake up their market’.
Take their client Art Money, who offer ‘easy pay’ for buying art. They came to Custom D before they launched and now have clients in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and are now launching into Europe. Custom D has been with them throughout th ..read more