Published on the 03/11/2020 | Written by Heather Wright
39 Kiwi companies in running for top awards…
Datacom, Intergen, Qrious, Spark New Zealand, asBuilt, Theta and Vodafone – it’s a veritable who’s who of the Kiwi IT tech scene in the running for this year’s 2020 Microsoft NZ Partner Awards.
The nearly 40 companies named as finalists will be hoping for a lucky 13 as the annual awards return for their thirteenth year with awards across 12 categories.
Datacom is leading the charge as a finalist across six categories, including the Azure Innovate Award, where they’re up against asBuilt, Aware Group (last year’s category winner), CCL, Equinox IT, Intergen, NV Interactive, Qrious and Rocos.
Digital transformation has taken on new meaning for almost every Kiwi organisation.
They’re also in the running for Business Applications and Cloud for Good awards along with the hotly contested categories of Azure Migrate, Modern Work and Security, and Transforming Products.
Also making the cut as finalists across a number of categories are Theta (up for five awards) NV Interactive and Vodafone (both eyeing up three awards) and Intergen, Aware Group, CCL Spark NZ, Rocos, The Instillery, Fusion5, Enlighten Designs – which is Microsoft’s NZ Partner of the Year for 2020 – Info Leadership, Lexel Systems and Inde.
The Modern Work and Security award continues to be hotly contested, with 11 finalists: CodeBlue, Datacom, Defend, Inde, Information Leadership, Lexel Systems, pcMedia, Provoke Solutions, SecOps NZ, Unify Solutions and Vodafone New Zealand.
This year’s awards also see the introduction of a new ISV Partner award, with asBuilt, Theta and Valocity all aiming to add the new award to their trophy cabinets.
The number of categories was slashed back in 2018, with 15 categories culled from the lineup to create a more focused event with an emphasis on partners creating solutions to empower organisations to help their own customers better.
Matt Bostwick, Microsoft New Zealand commercial partner director, says 2020 has seen the term digital transformation take on new meaning for almost every Kiwi organisation.
“What we’ve been most impressed by is the way in which this has shone through in the submissions – across the board we’ve seen our partner network helping businesses, government agencies and community organisations achieve more, all under tough conditions and short time frames.”
Bostwick says there have been a diverse range of entries from a large range of partners.
Winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner at the Auckland Town Hall on Friday 27 November.
Bostwick says after a year of remote events the awards dinner is an opportunity to unite everyone again.
The full list of finalists is:
Azure Innovate Award
asBuilt
Aware Group
CCL
Datacom
Equinox IT
Intergen
NV Interactive
Qrious
Rocos
Azure Migrate Award
Aware Group
Datacom
Lancom
Spark New Zealand
The Instillery
Business Applications Award
Datacom
DXC Technology
Fusion5
Theta
Channel Development Award
Dicker Data
Exeed
Umbrellar
Cloud For Good Award
Datacom
Enlighten Designs
Kinetics
Softsource
Empowering Employees Award
Information Leadership
Lexel Systems
Mobile Mentor
The Instillery
Theta
Vodafone New Zealand
Engaging Customers Award
Inde
New Era Technology
NV Interactive
ISV Partner Award
asBuilt
Theta
Valocity
Modern Work & Security Award
CodeBlue
Datacom
DEFEND
Inde
Information Leadership
Lexel Systems
pcMedia
Provoke Solutions
SecOps New Zealand
UNIFY Solutions
Vodafone New Zealand
Optimising Operations Award
Aware Group
Intergen
Rocos
Stellar Consulting
Theta
Surface Partner Award
HCL Technologies
Spark New Zealand
The Laptop Company
Transforming Products Award
CCL
Cyclone
Datacom
Enlighten Designs
Fusion5
NV Interactive
Theta
Vodafone New Zealand
