Spark New Zealand (Spark) has signed an expanded strategic partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), which will deliver the automation and efficiency benefits of a flexible, hybrid cloud services model through the HPE GreenLake2 cloud.
Spark currently manages infrastructure services within its IT environments, both for its own platforms and those of its business customers.
Under the partnership, Spark will move to a variable model for IT infrastructure in line with market demand, by further leveraging HPE GreenLake cloud. Spark will also utilise HPE’s global services capabilities to improve the efficiency of its operations.
Spark Customer Director Enterprise and Government, Mark Beder, said “This partnership will contribute to reducing annualised IT costs and ensure Spark’s IT environments are continuously updated in line with advancements in technology, including HPE’s leading automation and AI capabilities.
“We will also implement HPE GreenLake hybrid cloud management capabilities from Morpheus4, which accelerates workload provisioning – providing a more user-friendly operational experience between public and private cloud environments for Spark and our customers.”
As part of the agreement, HPE will utilise both its local and global workforce to provide services to Spark.
Spark will continue to retain strategic decision-making and control over all components of its IT environments including critical infrastructure, service delivery, innovation, IT architectural decisions, security policies, and service orchestration5.
SPK-26 Operate Programme
As previously disclosed, Spark has expanded its SPK-26 Operate Programme to include a significant transformation of its technology delivery model. This delivery model refers to Spark’s IT and network operations.
Spark has had a long-term focus on modernising its technology, embedding AI into its business, and building a resilient, adaptive, and automated network. The new technology delivery model accelerates this long-term focus through the establishment of several strategic partnerships – a common structure utilised by telcos in offshore markets.
Through these partnerships Spark will leverage the scale, capability, and innovation of global partners, to support better customer outcomes and improved cost efficiency. This supports Spark’s ambition to deliver an ~$80-$100 million reduction in net labour and opex costs in FY25, and annualised benefits of $110-$140 million by FY27, as outlined in its H1 25 results presentation.
Spark will continue to keep the market updated as further partnership developments occur.
