Transforming Digital Policing in New Zealand with Webex – Cisco Blogs

The New Zealand Police played a pivotal role in the country’s COVID-19 response. As the lead agency responsible on behalf of the government, they were the front lines of lockdown measure enforcement, which required close coordination with other agencies including the health, transport, education, and justice departments. By leveraging Webex by Cisco and its services platforms, the New Zealand Police were able to disseminate information and respond to incidents in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Surging Demand for Collaboration

The demands for remote collaboration surged in the early days of COVID-19, and the creation of additional capacity was needed to ensure that the New Zealand Police were able to communicate effectively to their own members and the relevant agencies. With funding from Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program, the New Zealand Police force was able to thrive in a increasingly uncertain environment.

“Without it, we would have struggled,” said Rob Cochrane, Chief Information Officer, New Zealand Police. “Being really focused and having the right support from Cisco allowed us to do probably more than we ever thought we were going to do.”

100% Uptime During the Pandemic

The New Zealand Police installed additional communication capacity within three days –  a testament to the strong collaboration between the New Zealand Police and Cisco and the agility of the CDA program. During a four-month period, the police used Webex technology for 16,730 staff briefings and consultations with affiliated agencies. They were able to achieve 100% uptime, which is critical during a pandemic.

New Zealand Police’s Pivotal Role

Cisco’s technology and CDA investment helped the New Zealand Police achieve operational resiliency and adapt to rapidly evolving circumstances with agility and efficiency during the pandemic. Through this model, we have been able to also support customers across many industries, with Webex keeping businesses, governments, schools, and healthcare facilities up and running. To see how the New Zealand Police played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 response, take a look at the video and results below.

CDA’s Quick Response

Building on established relationships with government leadership teams, through our global CDA program, Cisco has been able to react and respond to all phases of the pandemic. Since 2015, CDA has been developing trusted relationships with governments and public sector organizations. The program has over 1,000 active or completed projects across 44 countries. Through Cisco’s networking, collaboration, and security solutions, we are making a profound impact on the front lines and supporting our first responders and government leaders in the continued healthcare, economic, and social recovery from the pandemic.

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