The New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has entered into a contract with Microsoft to store all applications and data on external servers. After conducting its own Privacy Impact Assessment on the use of Microsoft cloud services, it will store the data in Microsoft’s data centres in Sydney, with possible backups in Melbourne.

In many ways, it’s well-deserved. In a recent survey conducted by the Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM), controllers unloaded about the aspects of AP they found most burdensome and backward. Compared to accounts receivable, payroll, tax and audit, AP was considered by controllers to be the most time and labour-intensive function of all.