Leading edge technologies to deliver new ways of working

The Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct will be fitted with the latest cloud-based and wireless telecommunications technology under an agreement recently signed between the Ministry of Justice and Spark.

The contract is part of the Telecommunications as a Service (TaaS) shared capability, which is changing the way telecommunications services are delivered, managed and used by government agencies. The Precinct is due to open in the third quarter of this year and when it does everyone working in the facility will be able to connect and collaborate wirelessly from day one. 

The $300 million Precinct will be home to the Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, Department of Corrections, New Zealand Fire Service, St John New Zealand, Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, and Canterbury Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group and the Christchurch City Council Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

Ministry of Justice Chief Executive Andrew Bridgman says the Precinct’s ICT infrastructure will give the Ministry the tools it needs to deliver modern, accessible, people-centred justice services.

“The Precinct will be a world-class facility and the telecommunications services provided will truly represent a new way of working for the Ministry,” says Mr Bridgman.

“Our people in Christchurch will be able to work flexibly using secure ICT services without being bound to their desks. The mobile connectivity will improve the flow of information throughout the Precinct from front counters to busy court rooms, improving the service we deliver to the judiciary and our stakeholders while creating a more consistent experience for our customers.

“The services also allow agencies to easily connect with each other and customers who may be using multiple services at the Precinct, a great example of how the precinct will provide better public services through innovation and new ways of collaborating. We can also reduce costs for all of the Precinct agencies by sharing ICT infrastructure.”

Spark Digital Chief Executive Jolie Hodson says Spark is excited about the opportunity to provide innovative, high specification ICT solutions that will give the Ministry and other Precinct agencies the flexibility to meet their business and customer needs.

“We’re looking forward to working with the Ministry in delivering measurable business benefits from cross-sector collaboration. We’re committed to making this project a success for the Ministry and are looking forward to seeing it come to life,” says Ms Hodson.

“The underlying infrastructure being installed and the equipment being provided for the Ministry’s people are designed so that services can be easily and seamlessly updated, allowing the Precinct to continue innovating as technology develops into the future.”

The signing of the contract marks another significant milestone in the build of the Precinct and the Main Equipment Room has been completed, ready for the installation of the technology. The Ministry and Spark will continue to work together on opportunities to roll out this technology to other Ministry sites.

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