MIS100 2012: Bubbling under

Southern Cross Hospitals, a division of Southern Cross Healthcare, operates New Zealand’s largest network of private hospitals and provides access to elective surgical services for more than 65,000 people each year, representing about one third of the private elective surgery market in New Zealand, across a wide range of medical specialities.

Southern Cross outsources much of its ICT management to Datacom. The service provider supplies core infrastructure support services across distinct business groups in the Southern Cross Healthcare system, one of which is Southern Cross Hospitals. A comprehensive agreement has Datacom providing the distinctive IT requirements of SC Hospitals and other business groups, as well as a central shared services solution that capitalises on the economies of scale that come with being a member of the Southern Cross group.

A continuing focus is on the reduction of IT costs. As part of this objective, a server virtualisation programme has meant that new systems can be deployed with reduced hardware costs, greatly increasing the number of virtual servers. Additionally, implementation of a new commercial model that addresses the needs of the Southern Cross Group level as well as individual business entities, offers a unit priced model that gives the business better visibility and more control over its IT spending.

Southern Cross Hospitals has also worked with Datacom to design and implement a new generation hospital specific IT digital network. The Datacom design allows Southern Cross Hospitals to offer surgeons the latest technology and operating environment within Southern Cross facilities.



St Cuthbert's Education Trust Board
2011 ranking: Not listed

Senior IS executive: Andy Parker, director of information and learning technologies
Address: 122 Market Road, Epsom, Auckland
Website: www.stcuthberts.school.nz

In 2012, the information and learning technologies (ILT) team at St Cuthbert’s College Trust Board in Auckland will be conducting reviews of the school’s website and service delivery systems. For the second year in a row, total spending on ICT has remained constant, while the number of ICT projects has risen. This requires careful and strategic allocation of resources and investments.

St Cuthbert’s College is an independent Christian day and boarding school, in the Presbyterian tradition, for 1,470 girls from Year 1 to Year 13. The school runs a successful 1:1 notebook programme operating from Year 5 to Year 13, which commenced in 2000, and provides iPads from Year 1 to Year 4.

The school has had a long standing relationship with Fuji Xerox since 2004, when it needed to overhaul its document production system in order to cope with the increased demands of the NCEA qualification system. Today, the trust board and school still rely on Fuji Xerox for their print needs, which have moved entirely away from separate copiers, printers and scanners to be replaced by multi-function devices at more than 40 per cent cost savings.

“During 2012 the ILT Department will be involved in the College’s strategic plan implementation process to maximise personalised learning through innovative use of technologies. This year will see us review the student notebook programme to consider the effectiveness of tablet devices as a possible alternative to notebooks,” says ILT director Andy Parker.

“The year will also see consolidation and efficiencies implemented to allow the department to focus on value-add activities in 2013 and beyond,” he says.