Zespri reboots former server room into a hi-tech hangout

A 1950s style drive in movie theatre now occupies the room which used to house the physical servers of Zespri.

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A 1950s style drive in movie theatre now occupies the room which used to house the physical servers of Zespri.

The Mt Maunganui based exporter embarked on a ‘server room reboot’ after moving 95 per cent of its global computer infrastructure to Microsoft Azure.

No longer requiring physical servers to store information, Zespri worked with Microsoft and creative agency Y&R to make use of the former server room.

Andrew Goodin, global manager of information systems at Zespri, says the migration means Zespri can meet the growing IT demands of its business.

“Zespri is growing quickly and we are confident with Azure there will be less interruption to our business operations, and we have found it to be fast and reliable. The Azure move also saves us money both now and in future, as technology changes and consolidation options become evident,” says Goodin, in a statement.

Andrew Goodin: 'The Azure move also saves us money both now and in future, as technology changes and consolidation options become evident.'

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“As we grow, Azure gives us the confidence that comes with knowing all our data in New Zealand and the 54 countries where we sell premium Zespri Kiwifruit is secure and managed in regional data centres,” says Goodin in a statement.

Goodin says staff were asked to pitch ideas for ways to transform the former server room.

The 1950’s drive-in movie theatre theme evolved from a ‘dragons-den’ style pitch process where Zespri employees were put into teams to come up with and present ideas to a panel of judges. The winning team then had a workshop with Y&R’s production team in Auckland to finalise the idea, look and feel.

“It was fantastic to see so many outrageous and outlandish suggestions for how the space could be used, everything from a yoga bar, to a petting zoo to some kind of zero gravity buffet. I know from having worked with the Zespri team behind the idea that the drive-in movie theatre will get plenty of use which is brilliant as that’s the whole point behind the Server Room Reboot campaign,” says Steve Kane, managing director of Y&R.