After the earthquakes took place, we wanted to make sure that if it happened again, we would be ready to alert our people around the country, account for where they are and have a system in place to help us maintain continuity of businessKatrina Maxwell, Bank of New Zealand The Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of the latest customers in the region to deploy BlackBerry AtHoc, a secure crisis communications software. Following the earthquake that disrupted their business in 2013 and 2016, BNZ has taken proactive measures to ensure business continuity and the safety of its customers and staff in case of future incidents, reports Blackberry. “We are deploying BlackBerry AtHoc within our markets business as it met our guidelines for real-time incident management and is an encrypted, secured and impenetrable platform that ensures the confidentiality of our data. This is important to us,” says Katrina Maxwell, executive manager, Bank of New Zealand Markets, in a statement. BlackBerry also announces three new partners that support BlackBerry AtHoc in the region – Australian carrier, Optus Business, and Solutions Providers, Briggs Communications in Australia and Mobile Mentor in New Zealand. Blackberry says this signals further growth in its partner network and ongoing momentum in its transformation to a leader in software security. BlackBerry says AtHoc provides a secure communication platform that can deliver accurate, targeted or en-masse information in real-time through an encrypted network, if necessary, inside and outside an organisation. In the case of an incident, it helps to ensure business continuity, interoperability and account for the safety of people and stakeholders organisations are responsible for. BlackBerry says thousands of organisations around the world use AtHoc. These range from universities, hospitals, banks, large corporations and government entities, including the US Department of Defense and US Department of Treasury. In Australia, Blackberry says AtHoc is used in financial, security, government and education sectors, including Macquarie University in Sydney. Paul Crighton, vice president APAC, BlackBerry, says: “From natural disasters and cloud outages, to terrorist and cyberattacks, there have been numerous incidents in Australia and New Zealand that continue to challenge the way organisations and departments maintain operations and keep people safe. “We hear from our customers that being able to account for personnel and maintain business continuity is a priority, and this is where BlackBerry’s encrypted, multi-platform solution is helping.” BlackBerry says a new feature of the software is AtHoc Account which allows government agencies and large organisations to account for their people in real-time. AtHoc Account brings an additional intelligence and information layer to the platform by combining inputs from managers about their team, call centre operators, data streams from HR and travel systems, as well as self-reporting by individuals. It provides safety and availability status updates of people before, during and after an event – ultimately providing information leaders need to make operational decisions, says Blackberry. Blackberry says this signals further growth in its partner network and ongoing momentum in its transformation to a leader in software security. CX and business continuity “As a leading financial institution, BNZ puts its employees and customers first,” says Katrina Maxwell of BNZ, on the business driver for the deployment. “After the earthquakes took place, we wanted to make sure that if it happened again, we would be ready to alert our people around the country, account for where they are and have a system in place to help us maintain continuity of business. “We are responsible for millions of dollars in customer transactions daily, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.” Blackberry partner, Daniel McCarthy, CEO at Mobile Mentor, adds: “You never know when a natural disaster will hit, especially in New Zealand where we have seen devastating earthquakes and floods in the past year. “These incidents, as well as cyberattacks and terror threats, impact the operations of many businesses and put citizens and employees at risk. “With that in mind, it made complete sense to add BlackBerry AtHoc to our mobility solutions portfolio to help our customers leverage their mobile platforms and deliver comprehensive incident response strategies, ensure the continuity of business and account for staff in case of an incident.” Send news tips and comments to divina_paredes@idg.co.nz Follow CIO New Zealand on Twitter:@cio_nz Join us on Facebook. 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