David Boyes (Lab3)
Australian cloud migration specialist Lab3 is launching in New Zealand, responding to surging cloud demand and Microsoft’s local hyperscale datacentre investment.
Founded in 2017, Lab3 has built both its client base and an exclusive catalogue of products including Lab3 Dr Migrate, a tool the company said made cloud migration possible within weeks, even for highly regulated enterprises.
The business launched in New Zealand on 1 July with David Boyes at the helm as its New Zealand CEO and Rich Anderson as COO.
"Across New Zealand, in government and every industry sector, organisations are looking to migrate to the cloud to modernise their technology environments,” Boyes said.
The COVID-19 pandemic was driving a need to tap into the power of data, facilitate remote work and meet public expectations of a virtual world, he said.
"The expertise, reliability and agility of Lab3 makes the Azure cloud an attractive option for organisations looking to modernise quickly with cloud technologies.”
Chris Cook, Group CEO of Lab3 said the business was "first and foremost about client success".
"This is what drives our product innovation and our motivation to expand into New Zealand, and we look forward to working closely with Microsoft to deliver more for New Zealand clients,” he said.
Microsoft’s investment in a New Zealand hyperscale datacentre region made the timing of the move across the Tasman particularly attractive because the facilities will enable many more organisations to use the scalability and security of public cloud without needing to send data offshore.
“We’ve seen a tremendous acceleration in cloud migration over the past year as organisations have responded to global disruption and conversely, recognised the global opportunities a digital operation brings," said Vanessa Sorenson, managing director of Microsoft New Zealand.
"Our research with IDC shows public cloud technologies are set to create 102,000 local jobs and add [NZ]$30 billion to the New Zealand economy over the next four years, so we’re delighted to welcome a partner of LAB3’s calibre to New Zealand, to help more organisations realise those gains even faster."
LAB3 clients include enterprise organisations including a global software vendor, Australian federal and state government entities and insurance and banking corporations as well as fintechs.
Lab3, which employs over 200 staff, is a 13-times Microsoft gold partner with three advanced specialisations across migrations, security and Azure virtual desktop.
Boyes and Anderson each hold 10 per cent of the New Zealand Lab3 business according to Companies Office records. Cook is the sole director.
