Published on the 18/09/2009 | Written by Newsdesk

TechEd is traditionally a tech-fest for developers, but, unusually, this year’s conference featured a “Voice of the Customer” stream, showcasing how a number of high-profile users are making use of various technologies.

Customers included Plunket, Kiwibank, PowerCo, Express Couriers, NZ Post and Te Puni Kokiri’s Maori Land Information Base. 

NZ Post Retail showcased its “fast and affordable BI” solution, describing how it uses its Microsoft-based solution to provide the necessary business transparency now required of organisations. With Datacom, it has developed a business intelligence framework that consolidates various different data sources, so as to provide decision-makers with the insights they need into market trends, growth and the various products that the retail arm sells. 

PowerCo described how it moved from Oracle to SQL Server, cutting costs and simplifying its business in the process. It detailed the ups and downs of the implementation, and the benefits of the switchover. 

Express Couriers says it has always used technology to give itself an edge over its rivals, by offering excellent customer service. It told how it is using the newest geospatial technology to make rich maps that have extra layers of information laid over the basic map that can be accessed by simply clicking on various icons. Te Puni Kokiri’s Maori Land Information Base told a similar story of using such rich maps to add information to ordinary maps that users can drill down to so as to access it. (See separate story for more on this.)

Kiwibank showcased its new internet banking channel that was built using Microsoft’s .Net technology, with the ultimate aim of delivering a more responsive experience to end-users. 

Last, but by no means least, Plunket shared how it is migrating to a new web-based environment that will feature “sophisticated search, analytic and recording processes around client data”, for its PlunketLine service, the 24/7 baby advice service.