Artificial Intelligence 

Productivity accelerator. Innovation catalyst. Creative collaborator. Whatever your vision for AI, Unisys provides the solutions, expertise and tools to realize the full business potential of your organization.
Explore

Logistics Optimization

Keep cargo moving — despite disruptions. Discover how patent-pending AI models using real-time data can save time and boost revenue by improving capacity utilization, route planning and inventory management.
Explore

Consulting

The nature of work is changing. Let's evolve your business together. Future-proof your organization with consulting services from Unisys and advance as a digital-first entity.
Explore

Industries

Your industry sets you apart. You see the road ahead clearly. Let's join forces and turn that vision into reality. Unisys brings the tech know-how to complement your deep expertise.
Explore

Client Stories

Explore videos and stories where Unisys has helped businesses and governments improve the lives of their customers and citizens.
Explore

Research

Embark on a journey toward a resilient future with access to Unisys' comprehensive research, developed in collaboration with top industry analysts and research firms.
Explore

Resource Center

Find, share and explore assets in support of your key operational objectives.
Explore

Careers

Curiosity, creativity, and a constant desire to improve. Our associates shape tomorrow by going beyond expertise to bring solutions to life.
Explore

Investor Relations

We're a global technology solutions company that's dedicated to driving progress for the world's leading organizations.
Explore

Partners

We collaborate with an ecosystem of partners to provide our clients with cutting-edge products and services in many of the largest industries in the world.
Explore

Language Selection

Your selected language is currently:

English

​​New Zealanders Selective About Sharing Personal Data with Organisations via Internet of Things and Data Analytics – Unisys Security Index™ Finds

Organisations need to address privacy and data security concerns and provide compelling reasons for Kiwi consumers to agree to share personal data via IoT

WELLINGTON, 18 July, 2017 – New Zealanders are selective about the circumstances in which they support sharing personal data with government agencies and commercial organisations via the Internet of Things (IoT) – according to the 2017 Unisys Security Index

The Unisys Security Index is a global study that gauges the attitudes of consumers on a wide range of security issues. The 2017 study examined how willing New Zealanders are to share data with organisations via data analytics and IoT – where devices can send information to other devices or systems via the Internet. The study polled 1,012 adults in New Zealand during April 2017. 

The vast majority of New Zealanders, 84 percent, support using a button on their smartphones or smartwatches to alert police to their location during emergencies. Yet only 31 percent support police being able to monitor fitness tracker data anytime to determine their location at a certain time. 

The findings indicate that New Zealanders will embrace IoT when they see a compelling reason such as personal safety and medical emergencies. But concerns about privacy and data security suggest they want to be able to control which organisations can access their data.  

Most New Zealanders (74 percent of respondents) support medical devices such as pacemakers or blood sugar sensors automatically transmitting significant changes to a patient's doctor. And 70 percent support the use of sensors in luggage to advise passengers at airports if their luggage has been unloaded and what carousel it will be on.  

Yet many fewer New Zealanders (27 percent) support using a smartwatch app to make payments, or a health insurer accessing fitness tracker data to determine a premium or reward customers for good behaviour (20 percent). 

"These findings highlight that when it comes to personal data, there is a very delicate balance between privacy, security and convenience – even for organisations generally trusted by the public," said John Kendall, director of border and national security programs, Unisys. "For example, people are happy to use their smartwatches to alert police to their location when they need help, but they don't want police to freely access that data at any time – they want to control when they share their data." 

What Are the Barriers to IoT Acceptance?

Of the New Zealanders who say they do not support various IoT applications, most cited privacy and security concerns as key reasons. In particular, many say they would not support an IoT application if they do not see a compelling enough reason to share their data or if they do not want an organisation to have such data about them. Data security is the biggest barrier cited for not supporting a smartwatch payment app. 

Richard Parker, vice president financial services, Unisys Asia Pacific says: "To address consumer concern around data security of smartwatch payment channels, banks need a multi-pronged approach that spans technology and policies to secure the data, as well as reassuring customers by communicating the steps taken by the bank to protect them – a fine line in delivering a frictionless customer experience whilst making sure they are secure."  

Which Wearable Biometrics Do Kiwis Support?

Wearable biometrics technology that analyses human characteristics to confirm an identity or monitor critical medical data are part of the IoT phenomenon.  

The vast majority of New Zealanders support police or border security staff wearing facial recognition body cameras to identify criminals or terrorists who are on watch lists (78 percent) or medical sensors transmitting significant changes to a patient's doctor (75 percent).  

The survey results also showed that fingerprint scans on smartwatches could address security concerns around payment apps. "Approximately half of Kiwis (51 percent) support a fingerprint scan to control access to data on a smartwatch or to authorise a payment from the smartwatch (47 percent), with support increasing with age. This is a clear signal to banks that biometrics could help alleviate consumer concerns about smartwatch payment channels," says Mr Parker.

While 49 percent of New Zealanders support airline staff wearing facial recognition glasses to verify the identity of passengers boarding aircraft at airports, only 24 percent support the same glasses being used to identify VIP customers for special treatment.

John Kendall explains: "Kiwis see it as a trade-off: 'Is there a compelling enough reason for that organisation to capture this information about me?' The findings reveal law enforcement, national security and serious medical conditions are considered acceptable justification, but customer loyalty programs and employee tracking are not – the impact on privacy outweighs the personal benefit."  

Support for Data Analytics Varies

Support for analysis of data collected from a range of sources also varies – even among different government agencies. Fifty-seven percent of New Zealanders support border security officers analysing the travel history of passengers, and those whom they are travelling with, to determine if they are eligible for fast-track border clearance. Yet only 42 percent support welfare agencies accessing personal spending data from credit card records and insurance policies to verify if benefit claims are legitimate. And even fewer (21 percent) support the tax office using the same data to verify income tax returns. 

Furthermore, the majority of New Zealanders do not support data analytics being used to sell goods and services to them. Sixty-four percent do not support banks monitoring individual customer spending behaviour to offer related products such as insurance for items they have purchased. And 62 percent do not support shop assistants using facial recognition glasses to identify loyalty program members.

Richard Parker explains that organizations that use data analytics must be sensitive to customer concerns. "Customers expect businesses to know them based on the history of their relationship. In a world where interactions may cross a range of channels and not just in person, many organisations are turning to data analytics to provide extra insight. Ironically, while they may be trying to improve the customer experience, if businesses cross the line and appear to invade customers' privacy by revealing that they know more about them than what the customer has knowingly shared, it just turns the customer off. Technology alone is not enough; it must be used in the context of understanding human nature and cultural norms."

Download the full report of New Zealand results and infographic here  

About the Unisys Security Index

Unisys has conducted the Unisys Security Index – the only recurring snapshot of security concerns conducted globally – since 2007 in order to provide an ongoing, statistically-robust measure of concern about security. The index is a calculated score out of 300 covering changing consumer attitudes over time across eight areas of security in four categories: national security and disaster/epidemic, in the National Security category; bankcard fraud and financial obligations, in the Financial Security category; viruses/hacking and online transactions, in the Internet Security category; and identity theft and personal safety, in the Personal Security category. The 2017 Unisys Security Index is based on online surveys conducted between April 6-18, 2017 of nationally representative samples of at least 1,000 adults in each of the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, the U.S. and the UK. The margin of error at a country level is +/-3.1 percent at 95 percent confidence level, and 0.9 percent at a global level. For more information on the 2017 Unisys Security Index, visit  www.unisyssecurityindex.co.nz.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global information technology company that specializes in providing industry-focused solutions integrated with leading-edge security to clients in the government, financial services and commercial markets. Unisys offerings include security solutions, advanced data analytics, cloud and infrastructure services, application services and application and server software. For more information, visit: www.unisys.co.nz .

Contact

Allan Botica, Botica Butler Raudon Partners
+64 9 303 3862 or +64 21 400 500, allanb@botica.co.nz

Claire Hosegood, Unisys Asia Pacific,
+61 411 253 663, claire.hosegood@au.unisys.com

Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.​