The Phoenix are New Zealand’s only professional football team – playing in Australasia’s A-League. They have had plenty of challenges to keep functioning during the period of COVID 19 including two relocations.
Tom Shaw, Head of Commercial, tells us about outsourcing their IT services to Layer3 and the amazing feats they’ve achieved.
Seamless Relationship
“Layer3 have taken good care of stakeholders’ needs and have become part of our team, with Hayden as virtual CIO.
We like the way they take the lead with new ideas on better ways of doing things. They have earned our trust, so we are very open to their suggestions. It’s only the start of our relationship, and there’s a lot more we can look forward to with continual improvement into the future.
We’re excited by our academy, new women’s team, and upcoming move into the NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport – a leading-edge facility in Trentham.
With Layer3’s help, we’re aiming high for the future.”
IT Limitations
“The Phoenix team is much bigger than what you see on the field. We have lots of people behind the scenes making things happen, spread across multiple locations.
We had old legacy IT systems trying to cater for 70 users working the old way, with each working on their own spreadsheets, presentations, and documents. We wanted to move forward and do things more efficiently and securely, by integrating our systems to enable better collaboration.
Also, as a professional sports team, we had lots of sensitive confidential information, so needed an extra layer of security.
The choice of IT platform was important, with the right implementation.”
Smooth Changeover
“Layer3 gave expert advice on what would be best for our needs, after due consultation, and then implemented it. This included Microsoft 365, Sharepoint, and Teams.
The system cutover went to plan, on schedule, with just a few minor issues as expected. The new system is working well and it’s a relief not having to look after legacy technology ourselves any more. Outsourcing took a lot of headaches away.
The seamless online collaboration enables us to make quick decisions, with team members scattered in different countries.”
Pulled Out All the Stops
“When the borders were suddenly reopened in April this year, we had just seven days to organise a game back in New Zealand. That was an extremely tall order for logistics – to get staff, equipment, venue, ticketing, and all fan engagement activities organised.
But, thanks to Layer3’s support, we achieved it all with great results.”
"... as a professional sports team, we had lots of sensitive confidential information, so needed an extra layer of security."