Back in New Zealand

Posted by Jim in Humour and other stuff, Technology business, Business at June 5th, 2007

I’ve just arrived back in NZ, after a somewhat longer-than-intended business trip to Britain and France. Three business-related news items caught my attention on my return, 2 positive and 1 irritating:

  1. Today Xero listed on the NZX, having raised $15 million. Congratulations, Rod and the team. Now all I have to do is wait for my punt to pay off! A 10% lift on day 1 is nice, but one swallow does not a summer make. A great day for Xero and an important development for the NZ Stock Exchange
  2. Telecom has decided to go down the GSM route. At last, the decision that should have been made 10 years ago. GSM isn’t perfect, but it’s by far the most pro-market/customer choice technology and business platform around, in just about any market. (Thanks to Juha for the info on this, even if it was as much an open secret as Xero’s IPO).
  3. The Mercury power disconnection ‘scandal‘. (Thanks to David Farrar for some balanced commentary). I found the overseas coverage (2 para’s on page 12 of The Times) concise, informative and balanced, which is more than I can say about most of what I’ve seen here. The Prime Minister’s reaction - that this has damaged New Zealand’s international reputation - was fatuous; it was a 1 minute wonder overseas. Now it may be that Mercury needs to sharpen up its act - I don’t know - but I ran a power company with great customer service and careful management of disconnections, and still some people wouldn’t pay. It’s simple - to avoid getting your power cut off, pay your bill on time. If you find that hard, make arrangements to clear your debt, and move onto prepay metering. If life-supporting equipment is involved, tell the power company and make payment arrangements with a government agency. At the risk of sounding heartless, it’s not Mercury’s job to act as a social welfare agency, especially when it’s not been contacted by the household.
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4 Responses to “Back in New Zealand”

  1. max Says:
    June 6th, 2007 at 12:43 am

    You are too well off to understand.
    By the way, you comment on Rod’s blog really reads that the irritating thing was his listing on NZX. This is how I ended up here and got irritated by your nigh flying executive understanding of simplicity of life. Not denying your right to think that way, though.

  2. Jim Says:
    June 6th, 2007 at 6:54 am

    Max:
    Of course, none of this diminishes the tragedy for the family or the difficulties that they may have been facing. As I said, I don’t know if Mercury needs to sharpen up its act - I’m just reacting to what I see as unbalanced criticism. By the way, I don’t see what being a ‘nigh-flying executive’ has to do with it - what do you know of my family background or what aspects of life I’m familiar or unfamiliar with? Or have you stereotyped me too?

  3. Dermott Says:
    June 6th, 2007 at 12:22 pm

    Great comment Jim and a balanced view. The whole episode has become a soap box drama and is being manipulated beyond the pale by Helen and the familys lawyer. It is just one more example of how the general media in NZ never wants the facts to get in the way of a good story.

  4. Dan Says:
    June 7th, 2007 at 10:32 pm

    Power in my street was off for a whole day last week. No bugger told me. Or my neighbour. And it’s happened to me more than once. Just imagine if….

    It’s pooh, but nobody’s perfect. You can’t cover every base.

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