Accelerating NZ’s Digital Future: Lessons from Tūtahi 2025 on Simplifying the Move to Cloud

By Nik Player, Principal Consultant at DXC Technology

It was fabulous to connect with so many of you at the recent New Zealand Oracle User Group Annual Conference (Tūtahi: NZOUG 2025). As a Gold Sponsor, DXC Technology values these opportunities to share knowledge, celebrate local customer success, and discuss where our industry is heading.

For New Zealand’s government, health, and finance sectors, the conversation is shifting. We are moving past the question of why we should modernise to how we can do it efficiently, securely, and without disrupting critical services.

At the conference, I presented a session on “Simplifying Database Migration.” If you missed it, here are the key takeaways on how Oracle Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) is changing the game for Kiwi enterprises.

The New Zealand Cloud Context

Historically, New Zealand organisations have been cautious about cloud adoption, mainly due to data sovereignty concerns and the lack of local hyperscale presence. However, the landscape has matured. With the arrival of local options like Team Cloud, which delivers Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services commercially and legally within New Zealand, the barriers to entry are falling.

The driver for migration is no longer just about “getting to the cloud.” It is about breaking free from the rigid five- to seven-year hardware refresh cycles that lock up capital in on-premises infrastructure. In my session, I highlighted that moving to the cloud enables instant test-environment provisioning and just as rapid scaling down—something traditional hardware procurement cannot match.

Demystifying Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM)

For many IT leaders, the risk of migration often outweighs the benefits. This is where Oracle ZDM comes in.

ZDM is fundamentally an orchestration tool. It doesn’t replace trusted mechanisms like RMAN, Data Guard, or GoldenGate; instead, it automates them. By pre-configuring the migration workflow, ZDM handles the complex heavy lifting “under the covers,” managing pre-checks, backups, and replication with minimal human intervention.

The result? A standardised, repeatable process that reduces manual error and ensures consistency across environments.

What does “Zero Downtime” really mean?

It means the database service remains available throughout the migration. ZDM can provide a true zero downtime migration using GoldenGate, enabling seamless switchover. This capability is critical for sectors such as banking and emergency services, where maintenance windows are shrinking or non-existent.

Migration Paths*

*Image courtesy of Oracle.

DXC’s Approach: The “Production Line” of Migration

A tool is only as good as the hands that wield it. While ZDM is free to use, the value DXC delivers lies in industrialising the process.

In my presentation, I shared insights from migrating more than 750 enterprise databases worldwide, including large-scale projects for major banks and government agencies across the ANZ region. For a single customer, DXC migrated 300+ databases in just a few months.

DXC provides the project management framework and technical expertise to handle large-scale migrations. This allows internal IT teams to focus on their core business logic and testing, rather than getting bogged down in data movement mechanics.

Looking Ahead: AI-Readiness

Migration is not the end goal; it is the enabler. As highlighted at the recent Oracle AI World held in Las Vegas, the future is autonomous and AI-driven.

Moving your data to OCI places it alongside powerful new services like Oracle Database 26ai. As I noted, once your data is in the cloud, enabling capabilities becomes a matter of configuration rather than a complex integration project. Modernising now ensures your organisation is ready to leverage these innovations immediately.

Get in Touch

Whether you are looking to escape legacy hardware cycles, address data sovereignty challenges, or prepare your data estate for AI, DXC has the proven frameworks to get you there safely.

Ready to simplify your migration journey? Reach out to DXC to discuss how we can help you modernise with confidence.