NZ Post gains in IT move

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

NZ Post has saved half a million dollars by contracting out its IT support centre to Datacom.

The support centre provides helpdesk services to 6000 NZ Post staff with 2500 desktops, support for the counter system in over 250 Post shops as well as support to the frontline staff at fledgling Kiwi Bank.

Nigel Prince, NZ Post chief information officer, said the move had improved the service.

Last September when the deal was signed, Datacom had identified a $500,000 saving over the target agreed between the two companies.

Staff productivity was increased from 90 minutes talk time to over 5.5 hours of talk time a day.

The post service runs 10 hours a day, six days a week. It receives between 800 and 1000 calls a day that generate around 600 service requests.

Greg Magness, Datacom Services managing director, said it used Computer Associates' Service Desk product to run the system supporting software applications, the LTSA systems, Western Union and Domestic Money orders, Peoplesoft Financials and Human Resources, eBill and a rack of other custom-built systems.

Datacom reported revenues of $242 million in the year to March 31, up 12 per cent on the previous year's $216 million. After-tax profit increased 20 per cent to $11.6 million.