Google has become the latest tech giant to invest in Aotearoa in announcing its first cloud region for the country.
Google joins both Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which have both previously announced the creation of local cloud computing resources.
These services will give New Zealand businesses even more choice to keep their data in the country, retaining data sovereignty while offering new opportunities thanks to the speed, security and scalability of the products.
Just last week, Auckland Transport announced a deal with Microsoft to move to their Azure cloud platform, promising it would enable savings and allow the organisation to move quickly during busy times.
A recent report by AlphaBeta, commissioned by Google NZ, found that if leveraged fully, digital transformation could create up to $46.6 billion in economic value by 2030.
"Kiwis are world famous for ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit and we want to give New Zealand businesses the right platform to serve as a foundation for growth and innovation," said Alister Dias, vice president, Google cloud Australia & New Zealand.
"Whether it's getting smarter about the use of data, or having the flexibility of an open-platform that can adapt to changing market and regulatory conditions, our New Zealand region will give customers key controls that will enable them to maintain low latency and the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards."
The high-performance, low-latency services and products Google Cloud offers will have three zones to protect against service disruptions, the company said.
Google Cloud currently has a Dedicated Cloud Interconnect in Auckland to support New Zealand customers.
The New Zealand cloud region will be Google Cloud's third region in Australasia, joining Sydney and Melbourne. Google Cloud has 11 cloud regions already in operation in JAPAC.
The move by Google comes after it marked 15 years of operating in Aotearoa. Its first ever purpose-built office in Auckland was announced as well as the establishment of a local engineering team to help drive adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) here.
"For over 15 years our team has been working closely with businesses, communities and educators in New Zealand to support them with the skills they need to succeed in a digital future," said Caroline Rainsford, country director, Google New Zealand.
"Bringing a new cloud region to Aotearoa shows Google's increasing investment and will allow us to partner more deeply with local businesses, to deliver on our unique ability to bring enterprise and consumer ecosystems closer together - across Search, YouTube, Cloud - to deliver more powerful customer experiences, quickly and securely."
Vodafone New Zealand CEO Jason Paris backed the move, saying digital transformation had played a key role in helping the company deliver better customer experiences.
"We welcome Google Cloud's investment in New Zealand and look forward to working together to offer more enriched experiences for local businesses, and the communities we serve," he said.
Anders Skoe, CEO at TradeMe, said he was looking forward to more opportunities to partner closely with the company as it continues its technology transformation journey.
"Our customers are at the heart of our business, and helping Kiwis find what they are looking for, faster than ever before, is our key priority," said Skoe.
"Our collaboration with Google Cloud has been pivotal in ensuring the stability and resilience of our infrastructure, allowing us to deliver world-class experiences to the 650,000 Kiwis that visit our site everyday."
