Vodafone New Zealand has announced it will be changing its name to One New Zealand in early 2023, following the change of ownership from Vodafone Group to new owners Infratil and Brookfield in 2019.
Jason Paris, Vodafone New Zealand CEO, explains the change is the logical next step in its ongoing transformation. “We are proud to announce this decision to change our name. This move means we will have even more money to invest into our networks, onshore service, and technology solutions for our customers in New Zealand. We think One New Zealand better reflects our deep connections and legacy in New Zealand, as well as our future ambitions.
“For almost 25 years Vodafone has been proudly serving New Zealand and driving competition and innovation. We have stood out for leadership in New Zealand mobility; we are now also a leader in next-generation digital and technology services. We partner with the best technology companies in the world, such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, and Vodafone, and we have invested in best-in-class New Zealand security company DEFEND, to make sure our business and public sector customers get the best technology solutions.
“We are going from eight letters to three, and we are keeping our strong partner market relationship with Vodafone, so our customers will continue to benefit from that via access to global roaming, IoT (Internet of Things) platform, security and network technology solutions for the business and consumer market.
“This is much more than just a name change; it is the icing on the cake. Three years ago, we moved from global to local to focus 100% on New Zealand, and since then we have been laying the foundations to serve Aotearoa long into the future. Now, it is time to take the next step. To become One New Zealand. One team of over 3,000 employees, with one focus on one country and on one goal, to unlock the magic of technology to create an awesome Aotearoa.”
Over the last three years the company has spent close to a billion dollars to dramatically improve The Smart Network. This includes being the first to launch a 5G mobile network in New Zealand (after being the first to deliver 3G and 4G) and rolling this latest technology out to dozens of cities and towns around Aotearoa, plus upgrading wireless broadband and HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial) services and delivering world-class fibre broadband across the motu. This year the company was awarded the best mobile network in Aotearoa New Zealand by independent global leader in mobile testing, umlaut.
The company has been overhauling the way it sells and serves, bringing most of its call-centres back home to New Zealand, forming local teams of experts and bringing all its retail stores under full ownership. It has been upgrading its legacy technology to make it easier for teams to help customers. While customer experience is better than it has ever been, One New Zealand will be on a mission to become world-famous for its service, dedicated to providing more locals helping locals, and great service where and when needed, in stores, via call centres, or on-line.
