Internet solves distance problems

Hawke's Bay can be the centre of any multinational company because the obstacle of distance is gone, says Hawke's Bay-based Rod Drury, founder of online accounting software firm Xero.
Speaking at the UnisonFibre Business Expo last week in Ahuriri, he said his company was thriving thanks to technology.
"We write software in Wellington and load it on to our server in Texas for our 22,000 customers in over 50-plus countries," he said.
"I was just in San Francisco and what was amazing to us was that when you are talking to people in the States it's not a big deal we're from New Zealand.
"Most software companies outsource their work overseas, so they are used to working with teams around the world.
"The fact we were from New Zealand raised no eyebrows whatsoever," he said.
"We know all the local news from Silicon Valley because things like RSS readers mean you can get a good handle on what is happening inside the industry.
"The world has got really small and it doesn't matter where you live anymore."
That has really big implications for Hawke's Bay. Five or six years ago you might have thought you would have to compromise on your job if you chose Hawke's Bay as a place to live. But technology has made location irrelevant.
Mr Drury commutes from Hawke's Bay to Wellington.
"Three days a week in Hawke's Bay gives me some quality time to work," he said. "Wellington's a great place to write software because it's a compact city and the weather is really s****y.
"That's why no good software comes out of Australia."
Mr Drury said it cost $10,000 a year to do the Wellington commute.
"If you have a big-paying job, spending ten grand to keep that income and live here is possible."
His company used technology to keep a sense of community in the workplace.
"Three or four of our executives live in the provinces and most of our sales guys are out on the road," he said.
"I've got three people in Sydney and it's really important all those people feel part of the company."
The company used a free website called Yammer to keep the water-cooler conversation side of the company alive, plus Skype, emails and their company intranet was online.
"I think Hawke's Bay is the best place to live in New Zealand," Mr Drury said.
"So now that technology has made location irrelevant it means we can do some really big things."