Partnership

Data Processing by Fiji—N.Z.

An Auckland-based computer data processing company. Pacific Com puter Centres Limited, has received Fiji Government approval to set up a key-punching and computer pro cessing centre in Suva.

The new centre started last year.

The centre will use Singer (US) equipment, and Pacific Computer Centres has also secured the Singer agency for computer hardware for Fiji.

The Fiji venture marks the start of PCC’s export efforts; previously it was restricted to within New Zealand.

The new centre is called Pacific Computer Systems (Fiji) Ltd.

By utilising the company’s staff and data processing equipment in Auckland, the Suva centre will con vert company data into computer readable format.

Government approval, at both ends, has been received by Pacific Computer Centres to establish a Datel link between Fiji and New

Zealand. This will ensure uninter rupted transmission of data by tele phone between the two countries.

The Suva centre will capture cus tomer’s data and transmit it by tele phone to the Auckland centre where it will be received on magnetic tape, processed on the company’s IBM 360/30 computer and transmitted to Suva where it will be printed out by line printer.

In the event of a breakdown in the link, or bulk data requiring trans porting, the data can be flown by air freight.

The centre will also be equipped to process any overflow key-punching from New Zealand or Australia, and any computer-processing that needs to be done in Suva will be carried out on a Fiji government-owned computer.

The company is incorporated in Fiji, with the holdings halved be tween Fiji and New Zealand, The Fiji partner in the new com pany is the well-established Suva company, Office Equipment Ltd, whose managing director, Mr James M. Ah Koy will be chairman of directors of Pacific Computer Sys tems (Fiji) Ltd.

Pacific Computer Systems (Fiji) Ltd occupies 1,000 sq ft of leased floor space in a modern, four storeyed building in downtown Suva.

It is managed at the outset by Mr R. (Rod) Hunter, general manager of Pacific Computer Centres, in Auckland.

As managing director of the Fiji operation, Mr Hunter is responsible

for all aspects of the new centre’s administration, marketing and tech nical functions. He envisaged staying in the Fiji capital for six months — or however long it takes to train a local manager to take over from him.

“Data processing is very much in its infancy in Fiji. Existing computer services there are taxed to the full and we feel by offering a competent service we will make heavy inroads into the market”, he said.

“Fiji is no longer the quiet tropical backwater the tourist pamphlets would have us believe. It’s a major South Seas business centre and a base for flourishing overseas and local business interests.

“Companies there are having to compete without the advantage of adequate local data-processing facili ties. We hope to change that”.

PCC’s managing director, Mr Kerry R. C. Hart, who spearheaded the negotiations with the Fiji Govern ment, said the decision to set up in Suva has been received favourably.

“Fiji will benefit from new em ployment opportunities. New Zea land skills and expertise that will be passed on to Fiji nationals, and export earnings from key-punching.

“We will bring Fiji nationals to Auckland to train them in key punching and in the use of data terminals. Further staff will be trained as the centre expands”.

Mr Rod Hunter, managing director of Pacific Computer Systems (Fiji) Ltd, was addressing technical staff about com puter systems when this picture was taken.