Spark New Zealand
New Zealand's largest telecommunications and digital services company, Spark services range from mobile, broadband, and entertainment, to cloud services, and also include AI, IoT, and 5G.
Breaking boundaries: The challenge and opportunity of IoT
In a saturated telecom market, Spark New Zealand sought to expand beyond mobile services. While IoT promised new revenue, it also risked overwhelming its operations.
A million reasons
Since the late 1980s, Spark has been connecting everyone in New Zealand—from individuals and households to businesses and government. In a saturated telecommunications market, the company faced a critical challenge: how to differentiate and expand beyond traditional mobile services. The answer lay in the burgeoning field of the Internet of Things (IoT), but this path was not without obstacles. Integrating millions of IoT connections promised new revenue streams but also threatened to overwhelm Spark's operational capacity and resources. Customers increasingly demanded control and flexibility, seeking solutions that would allow them to manage their devices independently and efficiently.
Journey to IoT
Paul Caples, Head of IoT Platforms at Spark New Zealand, recognized the potential IoT held. "We had connected all the people; now it was about connecting all the things," he explained. The vision was clear, yet the path required a robust platform that could handle scale, complexity, and provide the agility necessary for rapid market adaptation. Enter Cisco Mobility Services Platform with IoT Control Center. The IoT Control Center delivered critical self-service capabilities, enabling customers to manage their IoT devices' lifecycle—from provisioning to retirement—without constant support from Spark. This self-sufficiency reduced operational burdens and costs, allowing Spark to maintain a lean team as its connection base grew exponentially.
Moreover, the IoT Control Center's advanced analytics and security features provided Spark's customers with insights into device performance and network behavior, crucial for optimizing operations and ensuring data integrity. "The analytics and automation capabilities have been a game-changer," noted Matt McLay, IoT Sales Lead at Spark.
Spark New Zealand transformed its business with IoT capabilities using the Cisco Mobility Services Platform.
Transformative results
The impact was game-changing. Spark managed to onboard and maintain about 2.3 million IoT connections with minimal increase in support staff, reflecting the efficiency and scalability of the Cisco platform. The ability to offer flexible pricing models, such as cost optimization, proved highly attractive to customers, further differentiating Spark in the competitive market.
Beyond operational efficiency, the platform opened new avenues for growth. Spark expanded into diverse IoT markets, including connected vehicles, metering, and agriculture, each presenting unique opportunities for innovation and service delivery.
Looking ahead, Spark continues to be at the forefront of IoT innovation in New Zealand, leveraging the Cisco platform to drive sustainability initiatives and enhance resource management. As new devices and applications emerge, Spark is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities, ensuring its customers benefit from cutting-edge technology and services.
"We're part of a journey that's helping New Zealand operate more efficiently," Caples reflected. "The Cisco Mobility Services Platform has been crucial in allowing us to deliver that."
