The Ministry of Justice says it has completed an upgrade to its contact centre’s hardware and software which it says will provide a better service for the more than one million callers to the ministry each year.

The ministry says the upgrade provides robust, functional technology for the teams who look after phone calls from the public, such as queries about jury service and paying court-ordered fines.

Ministry teams now using the new platform include the contact centre, bailiffs, collections agents working from home, the Collection of Fines at Airports team and Coronial Services.

“The updated technology and capability will help us to provide great service to the public every day,” says Bryre Patchell, Group Manager, National Service Delivery. “We’ve invested so we can respond to current and future call demand, and ensure efficient and reliable service for our customers.”

He says as well as improving the technology, the investment is expected to save $1.5m per year of taxpayer money over four years.

The technology is also ‘evergreen’ or always current, thanks to a new ‘telecommunications as a service’ arrangement. Mr Patchell says the ministry leases the hardware and software from a supplier, who maintains and upgrades it.

The ministry says it is one of the first government agencies in New Zealand to use this technology in this way.

See more about cross-agency Telecommunications as a Service.