Tech sector touches Christchurch

Like many New Zealanders, I am touched by the generous support Christchurch is receiving following the earthquake.

It's not just from other parts of New Zealand but also our good friends in Australia, the UK, US, Israel, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and others.

The tech sector is doing what it can and we see sterling efforts to keep businesses going. But it is a harder task than last September when everything held up well and no-one died.

Members of the Telecom Users of Association of New Zealand are also offering office space, network storage, bandwidth, remote connectivity hosting and software to help businesses relocate.

Advantage Computers of Palmerston North is offering free rack space.

In Christchurch city, Telecom has chipped in with free toll calls from payphones. Vodafone is in the parks letting people charge up their mobile phones, as much of the city still has no power.

Indeed, Telecom is appealing for donations of old landline phones as they don't use power like modern cordless phones do.

Vodafone has donated $500,000, and has launched donate-by-text services.

Suppliers like Alcatel Lucent, plus several distributors have free or prioritised deliveries for emergency equipment.

Google launched a Person Finder service and auction website TradeMe, created an accommodation-matching service for the newly homeless.

And there will be so many other acts of generosity from so many other sectors; for example, Julia Gillard has suggested people take a New Zealand holiday.

Those who decide to go won't be disappointed. The weather is still warm on the North Island and it won't be long before ski season starts. Canterbury remains as beautiful as ever and any damage in the resorts, including Methven near Christchurch, will be tidied up by then.