Six months back in the country, I’ve formed some opinions about where NZ is lacking. I was interested to see how the budget would address what I’ve identified as the country’s shortcomings. Now the budget’s out, I give them 1/2 marks.

I only had two priorities. They hit the first one out of the park: broadband. We are, as one commentator pointed out, a small country at the arse end of the world. We have a great opportunity to compete through products that don’t have to be shipped across an ocean. But while Telecom gives us a broadband stream worse than that of a geriatric with a swollen prostate, we’re as competitive as the Natural Law Party.

Today I went to Auckland to meet Russell Brown of Public Address, to my uncle’s work, then finally to meet with some VCs. Russell first. He’s an interesting guy, very articulate (as befits a good on-air personality!) and full of background for all the things that are puzzling me about New Zealand: why is the DSL so shit? Why does nobody just grab Telecom by the regulatory balls and squeeze? etc.

I think I’m probably doing it a favour calling it a conference: Convergence Oceania was a Wireless Forum sell shop, an expo hall with a room featuring the biggest exhibitors. Everyone’s Powerpoint deck was focused to their own product story. Good thing it was free :-)

The expo hall was interesting, though. The usual big boys were out in force (I missed the Telecom and Vodaphone Big Name Speakers because I arrived after they did their thing) but there was an interesting mix of independents, VARs, and importers. I was particularly taken by AnyData, Aangel, and Minimax. I’ll write them up on my Radar blog.

Great guest rant on Public Address by a CRI (formerly DSIR, government scientific research org) talking about insanity of current contestable funding mechanisms. “A staggering amount of a scientist’s time is now spent writing funding proposals rather than doing science. The red tape is almost unimaginable. On some occasions it has been necessary for our CRI to hire a six-tonne truck to deliver its funding applications to FRST (the main New Zealand science funding body). Yes, the paperwork is measured in tonnes rather than pages.”

Kea New Zealand is “global community of people who help each other achieve great things all over the world because of the connection they share with New Zealand.” Virtual Rotary Club :-)

Fascinating report on the jobs that migrants with higher degrees or university degrees do when they get to NZ. Biggest category is computer professionals. Windows doesn’t just reboot itself, people! (well, I guess sometimes it does …)