Connect NZ Celebrates 50,000th Xero Conversion

December 8, 2020

Source: Press Release Service – New Zealand

Driven by their need to adapt to the “new normal,” New Zealand businesses are increasingly moving to the cloud. According to Global Newswire, the international cloud computing market is expected to grow from USD 371 Billion to USD8 32 billion over the next four years.

“For accounting professionals in particular, enabling clients to access quality data from anywhere has increasingly become a priority, hence the uptick in the number of Xero migration projects we’ve seen this year,” says Account and services manager Barry White.

“A lot of firms who have been putting it off due to time or cost are finding that they really can’t put it off any longer. Making matters more urgent is the closure of Banklink an older technology bank data transfer software requiring firms to upgrade. Connect is helping these businesses get it done quickly, cost-effectively, and efficiently, and we even have the capacity to perform migration work while people are away on Christmas holiday, to minimise business interruption.”

Xero’s portability and versatility has made it popular among Connect NZ’s clients: It can be accessed remotely using any browser or device, negating the need to install software. Data is stored remotely on secure servers, which reduces IT operating costs while protecting businesses from data loss and cyber attacks, another growing industry concern, as evidenced by attacks on New Zealand’s stock exchange earlier this year.

With 800 fully trained accountants on staff, Connect NZ’s migration specialists are uniquely qualified to manage the Xero conversion process seamlessly, freeing their clients to focus their efforts on more profitable areas such as advisory services, consulting, and new business development.

“We’re very pleased to have 50,000 Xero migrations under our belt and look forward to doing 50,000 more!” says Barry. “All you need to do is arrange for a remote login for the Connect team to enter your systems, and we take it from there.”

About Connect NZ
Connect NZ is a multinational outsourced accountancy practice with offices in New Zealand, Australia and Mohali. A Xero strategic partner, we specialise in compliance work, including annual financial reports and GST returns. Connect NZ employs over 800 trained accountants.
For more information, visit https://connectoutsourcing.co.nz/

Media Release on 8 December 2020

Media Contact
Barry White CPA, Client Liaison
Phone: 0800 737 687
Email: info@connectoutsourcing.co.nz
Website: https://connectoutsourcing.co.nz/

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Small Business owners who are disabled get a helping hand to grow digital

Live News

December 3, 2020

Source: Press Release Service

Small business owners who are disabled can get help growing their digital capacity, thanks to a new pilot initiative operated by Workbridge and funded by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Grow Digital works with disabled people running a small to medium enterprise (SME) to develop a plan specific to their business to encourage digital growth.

Grow Digital can also assist businesses who are not owned by disabled people but who employ a majority of disabled staff.

Workbridge’s Chief Executive, Jonathan Mosen, says working for oneself is an option many disabled people think about, and that’s even more the case in a tougher labour market.

“As a disabled person who has run my own business in the past, I know the many benefits of doing so. We can work at a pace and in a manner that works for our individual needs, and there are fewer attitudinal barriers to overcome,” he says.

“Some disabled people need assistive technology to help with their digital presence, for example if they can’t see the screen or use a keyboard,” says Mosen. “Choosing the right technology can feel daunting, and that’s one of the ways we can help”.

“Others may need assistance finding resources to get set up to sell their products online, find a business mentor, or even gain cost-effective access to a computer or Internet connection. Grow Digital is here to facilitate the success of disability-driven small businesses with tailored advice offered through a disability lens. It’s a ground-breaking initiative and we’re proud to have been selected by DIA to deliver the service.

“Working to close digital inclusion gaps, like digital skills, needs really good partners. Workbridge can really make a difference in this community, and we are excited to see what Grow Digital can do.” says Dianne Patrick, Programme Lead for Digital Inclusion at DIA.

The service is free to access. Small business owners who are disabled or who have a majority of disabled staff can learn more and apply by visiting http://GrowDigital.co.nz

The announcement comes on the UN-declared International Day of Disabled Persons, the theme of which this year is “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

Media Release on 3 December 2020

Media Contact
Jonathan Mosen, Workbridge Inc
Email: jonathanm@workbridge.co.nz
Phone: 021466736
Website: http://GrowDigital.co.nz

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Boxfish Research Record Breaking Underwater Depth Range

Live News

December 2, 2020

Source: Press Release Service – New Zealand

(PR.co.nz)

Today, Boxfish Research announces record breaking depth range during its latest deep sea mission in New Zealand. This is the first underwater deployment conducted by a small, battery-operated remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to reach 710 meters, exceeding the industry standard.

The Boxfish ROV is used by many customers worldwide, and in industries including: biosecurity, marine science, assets inspection, cinematography and more.

The Boxfish R&D team tested various configurations before the mission took place to ensure that the ROV could reach the seafloor below 700 meters within 15 minutes, by which it did! During the survey, 4K uncompressed video of the ocean floor was collected and recorded by the surface external video recorder, allowing quick review of the footage, providing higher quality video recording and allowing long missions to be recorded.

“We pride ourselves in creating an ROV that is easy to operate, setup, and deploy to depths that only work-class ROVs can reach, and that our customers are satisfied with the end result,” says Ben King, Co-Founder, Boxfish Research. “Deployments such as this one require a fast and easy to use underwater drive, making the Boxfish ROV the perfect solution for this mission.”

The Boxfish ROV is designed to withstand harsh underwater environments, boasting 14 hours of battery life and up to 17,000 lumen lights for unparalleled vision in dark environments. The team proved that a survey of more than 3km in significant cross currents was possible at this depth on a single battery charge.

The Boxfish ROV also offers the unique capability of six degrees of freedom of movement due to its eight 3D-vectored thrusters and stabilisation system, and is the only vehicle of its size and class to deliver uncompressed 4K UHD video. The Boxfish team also deployed the Boxfish 360 to the same depths. The Boxfish 360 is the only 360 professional underwater camera with depth rating up to 1,000 meters and recording time up to 4 hours.

The latest record breaking depth range conducted by Boxfish now sets the standard for all future deep sea deployments, spanning across various industries worldwide.

Media Release 2 December 2020.

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MICROPLASTICS ARE NOW IN OUR FOOD AND BODIES

Live News

December 1, 2020

Source: Press Release Service – New Zealand

John Fisken is a third-generation animal feed maker at H.R. Fisken & Sons in rural Pukekohe, south of Auckland. When John discovered that we’re unknowingly consuming 5 grams of plastic a week – that’s like eating a credit card – he decided it was time to act.

John said:
“I read that micro plastic particles are now showing up in our food, our bodies* and our pets. That sounded serious and I set about researching it. I discovered that not only is microplastic contamination now in all our major organs, but the chemicals in the plastic in our bodies may well be damaging to our health. What’s more, scientists worry that the plastic particles in our bodies could turn out to be carcinogenic irritants, like asbestos. I don’t want to leave that legacy to leave to my children and their children. So I decided to take action on our plastic bags!”

Animal feed in NZ is a large industry, feeding calves, horses, chickens, birds, goats and other animals. Most packaged feed – except from Fiskens – comes in plastic bags. That’s tens of millions of polypropylene bags a year. These bags often have a shiny coating to enable printing colourful images and branding. Marketers love them. But our environment doesn’t. These bags break down into tiny microplastic particles and that cause massive problems. The particles are damaging to most life forms – from humans to pets to fish.

Plastic in Our Food
These tiny plastic particles are now in our water, in the air and even in our food chain. What’s worse, plastic feed bags – polypropylene – have been difficult to recycle, especially in large numbers. But – recycling isn’t really that helpful as it just keeps plastic in our environment for longer. It doesn’t reduce the amount of plastic in our environment. Recycled plastic in our environment continues to break down into tiny micro-particles.

John Fisken added:
”We’ve been making feed for horses, chickens, calves and goats since 1957.
Back then, my grandfather used natural, recyclable, bio-degradable hessian bags for our feed and an entire industry sprang up devoted to collecting, washing and re-selling the bags. Green before their time! Then plastic bags came along. They were so much cheaper that they took the entire market.
The hessian bag industry vanished. Even now, plastic is cheapest – our new paper bags cost us twice as much as plastic bags.”

Another Green Inspiration
One day last summer, John Fisken was standing outside looking at his feed mill, and he was struck by the size of the roof area. An idea started forming – how to harness all that roof space and all that sunshine. He’s just installed Solar Panels – 200 of them! NZ’s first Solar-Powered stockfeed manufacturer! With enough surplus to feed back to the national grid.

Sunshine Energy
John said: “On a sunny day, our new solar panels generate more than 4X the power used by the average NZ household. That’s enough electricity to produce our feed AND send some to the national grid – we’re a net electricity generator! And it’s all clean, renewable energy.

We’ve set up a cool digital display in the Shop Entrance. People can see in real time the power being generated by the sun and our atmospheric CO2 emission savings, compared to conventional power.”

Fiskens Feeds in paper bags are available from Fiskens in Pukekohe, online and from feed and farm supply stores around NZ – https://hrfisken.co.nz/

Media Release on 1 December 2020

Media Contact
John Fisken, HR Fisken and Sons Ltd
Email: john@hrfisken.co.nz
Phone: 021 638 864
Website: https://hrfisken.co.nz/

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Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Live News

November 28, 2020

Source: Press Release Service – New Zealand

(PR.co.nz)

Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Morbidity and premature death from cancer results in healthcare spending and lost productivity. The economic burden of cancer is substantial in all countries and this can be reduced by prevention, early detection and innovating more cost-effective and effective cancer treatments. In US 2017 estimated cancer healthcare cost was approximately US$161.2 billion similarly in EU, the estimated cancer healthcare was Euro 57.3 billion

Lung cancer is the most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer death globally. Lung cancer incidence and mortality are highest among socioeconomically deprived individuals. There were 2 million new cases in 2018 and lung cancer is the most common cancer occurring in men and third most commonly occurring cancer in women.

The leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide is the use of tobacco. It is estimated that 1.3 billion people use tobacco products worldwide and most of them smoke cigarettes. Several other uses of tobacco products include pipes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco.

Other established causes of lung cancer are environmental exposures to environmental carcinogens such as asbestos, crystalline silica, radon, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
A history of previous lung disease such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, and emphysema are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.
According to the world cancer research fund report on diet nutrition, physical activity and lung cancer published in 2017 and revised in 2018:
Findings on lung cancer
There is strong evidence that:
• Drinking water containing arsenic INCREASES the risk of lung cancer
• In current and former smokers, taking high-dose beta-carotene supplements INCREASES the risk of lung cancer

There is some evidence that
• Consuming red meat, processed meat and alcoholic drinks might increase the risk of lung cancer
• In current smokers and former smokers, consuming vegetables and fruit might decrease the risk of lung cancer
• Consuming foods containing retinol, beta-carotene or carotenoids might decrease the risk of lung cancer
• In current smokers, consuming foods containing vitamin C might decrease the risk of lung cancer
• In people who have never smoked, consuming foods containing isoflavones (constituent of plants with oestrogen-like properties) might decrease the risk of lung cancer
• Being physically active might decrease the risk of lung cancer

Cancer prevention recommendations
• Be a healthy weight
• Be physically active
• Eat a rich diet in wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, and beans
• Limit consumptions of processed foods high in fat, starches, and sugars
• Limit consumption of red and processed meat
• Limit consumptions of sugary drinks
• Limit consumption of alcohol
• Not smoking and avoiding exposure to tobacco and excess sun are also important in reducing cancer risk

Media Release 28 November 2020.

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Northcote’s community purpose being served with support from local property consultancy company

Live News

November 27, 2020

Source: Press Release Service

The Property Group Limited (TPG) is providing Harbourside Church a fully integrated property consultancy service from strategy formulation through to project delivery and implementation of a new space. The Church was previously located a few blocks away from the new site, on the harbour’s edge, also on Auckland’s North Shore. According to General Manager Mac Andrae, the old Church site, which will now give space to a new development of hundreds of apartments, had served as the Church facility for over 30 years and had reached the end of its useful life. “Harbourside Church has a strong community outreach and was looking for a place that would meet all of our needs and still leave a positive legacy to society, where the community could gather and where generations to come could be fed and cared for.”

HARBOURSIDE CHURCH CONCEPT
TPG selected and negotiated the acquisition of a strategically located development site from the Warehouse Group Limited that meets all the development’s requirements, including quality public transport routes on its doorstep. TPG also managed to deliver the carpark prior to completion of the building, which currently serves both as a parking space for the public and as a source of income for the Church.

HARBOURSIDE CONSTRUCTION SITE
The project now is in stage 2 of 3 stages and the building is starting to take shape, with key spaces already able to be visualised.

To find out more about this project or other projects TPG has helped deliver across New Zealand visit propertygroup.co.nz, or email enquiries@propertygroup.co.nz.

About The Property Group Limited
The Property Group Limited (TPG) is New Zealand’s largest independent specialist property consultancy, with 13 offices nationwide. They are proud to offer end-to-end property, planning, and development advice to enable clients to make decisions that add value to their business. From the north to the south, TPG has a variety of experts who are dedicated to providing a full property package.

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Media Release on 27 November 2020

Media Contact
Customer Service Team, The Property Group (TPG)
Email: enquiries@propertygroup.co.nz
Phone: 044706105
Website: https://www.propertygroup.co.nz/
Video: https://www.propertygroup.co.nz/news/get-to-know-tpg/

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Icebreaker Appoints FIRST Digital as Analytics Partner

Live News

November 27, 2020

Source: Press Release Service – New Zealand

(PR.co.nz)

FIRST Digital NZ has been working on key analytics, conversion and tracking implementation projects for Icebreaker since 2017. The digital marketing agency has recently been appointed as a long-term partner providing ongoing training and support to the brand’s global ecommerce team.

“We are excited to solidify our partnership with Icebreaker Global and provide the
opportunity for a deeper level of insights and analysis as they extend their global ecommerce reach.” Says Danny Parker, Commercial Director for FIRST Digital.
FIRST Digital’s goal is to equip and support the Icebreaker team to further advance their ecommerce business by being able to leverage the full potential of their Analytics platform.

Over the years, FIRST has helped Icebreaker gain insight on the 360 customer shopping experience and use data to optimise marketing channels towards core online and offline KPIs for the business.

The appointment of FIRST comes at an opportune time with big changes happening in the world of analytics. Google recently launched Google Analytics 4, which builds on the foundation of the App+Web property introduced in beta last year. The new measurement model has machine learning at its core and offers a more unified solution for cross-device measurement. It is also privacy-centric, which complies with industry changes regarding cookie and identifier restrictions.

FIRST will be able to assist Icebreaker future-proof their analytics setup using the new technologies that allow faster page load, better user tracking and improved security.

Media Release 27 November 2020.

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Landmark Homes Central Otago opens stunning new showhome in Cromwell

Live News

November 26, 2020

Source: Press Release Service

The stunning showhome has all the hallmarks of a fantastic and functional family home – boasting four double bedrooms, central living and dining area, separate lounge, study, laundry, and scullery.

Landmark Homes’ New Home Consultant Trish Dryden says the Richmond Ready to Build plan was chosen for the show home because of its aesthetic. Situated only a stones-throw away from Pisa Moorings, the gabled Hamptons-style profile is a nod to the nautical lakeside spot. “We wanted a design that complemented the area – and the Richmond has that classic Hampton’s feel.”

It didn’t come to life easily, however! “This was a tricky site – it was very long and narrow, with a 20-metre ‘no build zone’ on the back boundary. So, we shortened the standard Richmond plan and reduced the size of the living areas. Essentially, everything was shrunk to fit the build platform.”

With an interior design that has nods to local flora and fauna, and a Scandinavian-style black, white and grey colour palette – this is a contemporary, modern home that is designed to delight.

About Landmark Homes Central Otago

Premium new home builder Landmark Homes Central Otago is an award-winning Registered Master Builder serving Central Otago and Southland. With offices in Queenstown and Wanaka, the team is expert in creating beautiful bespoke homes that fit perfectly amongst the lakes and mountains of the region.

https://www.landmarkhomes.co.nz/franchises/queenstown/

Media Release on 26 November 2020

Media Contact
Shelley Begg, Landmark Homes
Email: info@landmarkhomes.co.nz
Phone: 0800 477 110
Website: https://www.landmarkhomes.co.nz/

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Koru Lifescience preparing to send drug compounds to preclinical and clinical trials based on their study for Covid-19

Live News

November 25, 2020

Source: Press Release Service – Auckland

Koru Life science, drug discovery, and advanced formulation research laboratory in Auckland, New Zealand, has identified several known drug compounds of value in their study for a treatment of Covid-19. The study reports shall be published after a scientific peer review within the next few months.

The finding is currently processed by Koru IP team before entering clinical trials scheduled for Q1 2021.

Joti Jain, Chairman of Koru, explained, “SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped positive-sense RNA coronavirus, and the mechanisms that this virus uses to gain control of an infected cell and to replicate are not clearly understood.

However, it is evident from the studies that this SARS-Cov-2 entirely relies on the cell molecular machinery and cell metabolites to survive and to replicate. Joti explained the survival mechanism of Sars-Cov-2 is what makes it so dangerous.

Sars-Cov-2 constitutes a new threat for the global community and economic growth; considering the Sars-Cov-2 Landscape and the potential impact worldwide, it was a no brainer to engage the resources and expertise towards researching Covid-19 therapy while placing several other research programs on hold. Another critical factor that led to these efforts was a growing concern regarding the availability of treatment and or a vaccine for New Zealand. If the Covid-19 therapy were successful in human trials, this therapy would be offered to New Zealand at cost and priority as New Zealand remains Koru’s priority. A similar offer shall be extended to several other countries facing severe economic and health challenges and might not be in the frontline of getting any vaccine or therapy in the foreseeable future. Further studies are in progress to have more data on the efficacy, dose determinations, and clinical outcome.

It has been less than four months since we have started our research, and our team feels excited about the progress. It is incredible to be at this stage of research, where we have up-and-coming drug candidates that may have the potential to be repurposed for SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibition.”

From the initial phase, Koru has maintained a two-pronged approach that focuses equally on the entry inhibition and intracellular replication of Sars-Cov-2. Inhibition of viral entry is critical as Sars-Cov-2 can enter host cells via both endosomal and non-endosomal pathways. With this approach, Koru aims at preventing any escalation or progression of infection and the possibility of a Cytokine storm that may result in inflammatory damage, which is commonly seen in severe cases, explained Akhil Jain, CEO of Koru Lifescience.

Koru’s drug research program is about rational drug discovery, focusing on practical and less toxic therapeutics compounds using polypharmacology as an approach; Koru is actively working on several targets. This approach has a significant impact on saving the cost of development, offers therapy for unmet medical needs, and lowers overall healthcare costs.

Media Release on 25 November 2020

Media Contact
Akhil Jain, Koru lifescience Limited
Email: akhil@korulifescience.com
Phone: 0278825555
Website: www.korulifescience.com

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Youth perspective on impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures wins Student Voice contest

Live News

November 25, 2020

Source: Press Release Service

Leading edtech company Education Perfect (EP) (http://www.epforlearning.com/) – in conjunction with The Big Smoke (https://www.thebigsmoke.com.au/) – is pleased to announce the winner of their inaugural Student Voices competition.

Keelan Heesterman, 17, from Karuma High School in New Zealand has won the competition with his essay, ‘The Free Trial No-one Asked For’ (https://www.thebigsmoke.com.au/2020/11/03/the-free-trial-no-one-asked-for/).

Keelan’s essay was among scores of entries from all over Australia and New Zealand, and was judged the best by both a panel of experts and by a popular vote of The Big Smoke’s readers.

The essay was related to the lockdowns associated with COVID-19 and was a reflection on the hard situations he and his fellow students were suddenly faced with during New Zealand’s lockdown and school closures, and the unique perspectives and coping mechanisms they needed to employ.

Heesterman was grateful that his love of writing has provided an opportunity to have his voice heard by so many people and is looking forward to the editorial mentorship that he has won from The Big Smoke.

“I’m incredibly grateful to all the people who voted for my article and supported me in this competition.

“It is a privilege to have this opportunity to grow as a writer and receive mentorship from professional journalists.

“To say I’m excited would be an understatement,” said Heesterman.

EP’s CEO, Alex Burke, congratulated Keelan and the other finalists and participants, saying that the competition showed the true depth of talent among the youth across Australia and New Zealand.

“Providing a student voice is so important in education, and I encourage everyone to read all the shortlisted entries, as it emphasises how important students’ insights are in creating a future for education,” said Burke.

“Keelan is a very deserving winner with his fantastically cynical, wise and honest entry displaying mature prose.

“His human-first approach is central to any school community, and it also aligns with EP’s mission—humanising technology for lifelong learners,” he continued.

Keelan’s work, as well as the work of all the Student Voices finalists is available on The Big Smoke (https://www.thebigsmoke.com.au/category/society/tbs-next-generation/).

About EP:
Education Perfect (EP) is a leading digital platform, enabling transformative online teaching and learning experiences to power the 21st century classroom. EP supports the engagement of students in online learning, provides effective assessment during the learning online process, and enables the collection and analysis of student feedback. With offices in Australia, NZ, and Singapore, and over 1.2 million students through over 4,000 schools, in 80+ countries globally, EP’s integrated smart technology enhances teaching and learning through curriculum-based content delivery and a ‘learner centred’ approach, improving learning outcomes and creating lifelong learners – for School, for the Home and for Work.

Media Release on 25 November 2020

Media enquiries:
Alana Fisher-Chejoski
alana.fisherchejoski@thebigsmoke.com.au

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