Our History
A history of Datacom.
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Datacom Timeline
A timeline detailing Datacom’s growth as a company, and the technological innovations that have driven us to adapt and succeed from the very beginning.
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First minicomputer
1962
Lincoln Laboratory builds the LINC PC, to the great interest of the scientific community. It is widely accepted as the first minicomputer.
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Digital, or DEC, releases PDP-5
1963
Digital, or DEC, uses a stripped-down version of the basic LINC design concept to produce the PDP-5, which was low-cost for the time at US$27,000. Only 116 PDP-5s were produced, but the PDP-5 went on to inspire a number of better-known computers.
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ICL 1900 series computers
1965
ICL 1900 series computers are released – The 1902 mainframe computer ordered by Datacom is from International Computers and Tabulators, one of the few non-American competitors to IBM.
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Datacom was founded
1965
Young accountant Paul Hargreaves founds Datacom in Christchurch, along with the late Dr. Bernard Battersby. The company is then called Computer Bureau Limited. A group of clients put up the original capital for the company – £30,000 – and an order is placed for an ICL 1902 computer, which doesn’t arrive in New Zealand for a year.
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Expands into Wellington
1968
The company becomes CBL, and expands into Wellington. It forms around a group of local companies, which become shareholders.
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Expands into Hamilton
1969
The company expands into Hamilton.
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Expands into Auckland
1970
Hargreaves leaves his family’s accounting firm to become a full-time executive for CBL. The company also expands into Auckland through the acquisition of the Fletcher Computer Bureau.
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Holding company established
1971
A holding company is established – today known as Datacom Group. The holding company takes up shares in the four separate companies in Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland. Hargreaves becomes the executive director for the holding company.
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Commercial Microprocessors
1971
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Intel revolutionises computing by releasing the first commercial microprocessors. Made computers smaller and faster.
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Home Computing
1977
Pre-assembled computers such as the Apple II began hitting the market, making home computing accessible.
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Oracle’s first SQL
1979
Oracle offers the first commercial SQL relational database management system.
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MS-DOS
1981
MS-DOS, the first Microsoft operating system, is released on the IBM Personal Computer. -
Datacom introduces User-11
1981
Datacom introduces User-11, the 1st 4GL seen in the NZ market. The software development business flourishes.
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DEC home PCs
1983
DEC responds to the IBM PC by releasing three of its own home computers.
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Microsoft launches Windows 1.0
1983
Mirosoft launches the first Windows operating system, Windows 1.0.
Image used with permission from Microsoft.
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Datacom brings Oracle database technology to NZ
1983
Datacom brings Oracle database technology to NZ for the NZ Dairy Company (now Fonterra).
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Name changed from CBL to Datacom
1984
In 1984, the name of the company is changed from CBL to Datacom.
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Internet
1989
An international internet cable is built that connects the University of Waikato to the world. The first ISP, Actrix, launches in November and offers dial-up internet services to New Zealanders. -
Merger with CCL
1989
Datacom merges with another computing services company, called CCL, and adds payroll and facilities management divisions.
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First large outsourcing contract
1991
Datacom signs its first large outsourcing contract in Auckland with Telecom Directories.
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Datacom Wellington merges with NZ Post’s IT department
1992
Datacom Wellington merges with the IT department of NZ Post boosting staff numbers by 90 – its first large outsourcing deal in Wellington.
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Datacom opens its first office in Australia (Sydney)
1994
The company opens an office in Sydney – its first in Australia – to expand its NZ-based services to Microsoft Australia.
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Expansion into Asia
1996
Datacom expands into Asia by building contact centres in Malaysia.
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First managed services contract in AU
1997
The first managed services contract in Australia is signed with P&O Services and Datacom gets its first Sydney datacentre.
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Personal Computing
2000s
The widespread availability of personal computers and broadband internet means cloud computing begins to gain in popularity.
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Purchased GlobalCenter
2004
Datacom purchases a second Australian datacentre, GlobalCenter, in South Melbourne.
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Operation established in QLD through acquisition of NetOptions
2005
Operations are established in QLD through the acquisition of Brisbane service provider NetOptions.
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Datacom expands into South Australia
2006
Datacom moves into South Australia.
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Expands into Western Australia
2007
Datacom acquires a third datacentre in Sydney, through Hansen Professional Services, and acquires a company called Relate to extend application and web capability. It also expands into Western Australia.
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iPhone
2007
Apple launches the first iPhone, and begins the era of the smartphone. Smartphones quickly become one of the biggest product categories in consumer technology. Later, Apple also launches the first iPad and popularises tablet computing.
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Expansion into Townsville
2007
Datacom expands into Townsville in Northern Queensland after the acquisition of Agire Pty.
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Orbit data centre opens, expansion into the Philippines
2009
Datacom expands into the Philippines. It also opens its Orbit datacentre on Auckland’s North Shore.
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Perth data centre opened, Christchurch data centre opens a week before September quake
2010
Datacom’s Christchurch data centre opens a week before the big September quake and stays open throughout the thousands that follow. A data centre is also established in Perth.
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Datacom launches VMware Cloud
22 November 2011
Datacom launches VMware Cloud. Late in the year the company opens a technology centre in Queensland.
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Superannuation
2012
New Zealand Post sells its 35 percent stake in Datacom to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.
The New Zealand Superannuation Fund invests globally in order to help pre-fund New Zealanders’ universal superannuation entitlements. The Fund is managed by a Crown entity, the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation.
- “We are pleased with our investment in Datacom and the gains it has made in the IT market this year. Datacom is a hugely successful and innovative New Zealand owned company that values trust, strong relationships and being at the forefront of new technologies. Datacom is well suited to the Fund’s long-term, growth-oriented investment approach, and we look forward to its continued success.” – Adrian Orr, NZ Superannuation Fund CEO.
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Datacom acquires Victoria business
2012
Datacom acquired a specialist human capital management and SAP consulting business in Victoria which enhances Datacom’s enterprise people, payroll and talent management portfolio in the region.
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Kapua Opens, Asia contact centre business sold
6 March 2013
Hamilton datacentre Kapua opens. Datacom sells its Asia contact centres, but continues to service the region with higher-level IT services. The company also acquires IP and assets from XciteLogic.
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Datacom acquires Origen
2013
Datacom acquiries Tauranga-based company Origen, which specialises in creating software for local government.
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Datacom takes a stake in SmartWard
2014
Datacom acquires a 20 percent stake of health informatics company SmartWard. SmartWard is a software solution for hospitals, designed to save medical professionals time and allow them to spend more time with patients.