THIS IS HOW IBM describes today’s Agile and connected workplace: “People used to go to work, now work goes to people – whatever work needs to be accomplished, anytime it needs to get done, on a multitude of devices.”

Doug Stuart, CIO at IBM New Zealand, is working through the same challenges the company’s customers also face as he and his team build the ‘Agile Office of the Future’.

“Technologies to support the move to an Agile office environment for our biggest location, with secure WiFi enabled, flexible collaboration spaces so employees can perform tasks from anywhere” are among the key focus areas of the ICT team in New Zealand, says Stuart.

He says the ICT budget will decrease by up to 10 per cent in 2016 due to the efficiencies achieved through IT deployments in the past year.

Stuart leads a team of two full time staff, but works with suppliers and internal service providers for the ICT needs of IBM employees. He and his team support over 2000 screens, including BYOD-supported devices.

Major technology investments in upcoming months include mobile technologies, infrastructure consolidation, collaboration technologies and unified communications.

He says meeting the changing needs of the business and speed of deployment for business technology projects are among the key challenges he will face this year.

IBM is also supporting a citizenship program that utilises the talent and expertise of consulting staff, together with IBM technologies, to help community organisations.

IBM says it is “more impactful and more sustainable” to work with community organisations this way rather than simply "writing a cheque" for sponsorship.

IBM recently partnered with Volunteer Wellington to provide project planning and project management training to eight organisations. Further grants of consulting services are planned for 2016.