ABSIA rebrands to DSPANZ

The Australian Business Software Industry Association (ABSIA) has rebranded as the Association of Digital Service Providers Australia New Zealand, or DSPANZ (dee-spanz). The new name and branding is public acknowledgement of the increasingly central role the organisation plays in supporting software developers in Australia and New Zealand.

The new branding also recognises the ‘whole of system’ approach that the company’s government partners are taking to engage with software developers, and the opportunities for members to make an impact across the digital economy.

ABSIA started in 2014 as an offshoot of the ATO’s Software Developer Forum with dedicated volunteers, loaned resources from the ATO and a handful of members. The organisation now has 12 elected directors in Australia and New Zealand, with full-time staff based in Adelaide and Sydney, and its members’ products are supporting countless business customers and their users.

Digital service providers (DSPs) create and sell software, apps and platforms that businesses and government agencies use to securely capture and share information. DSPs are streamlining and transforming payroll, superannuation, tax, accounting and finance operations by delivering new, secure digital solutions to businesses and government.

DSPANZ strives to promote and expand the opportunities for DSPs across Australia and New Zealand and grow the ecosystem to better reflect the region’s dynamic software industry.

Aside from a trading name change (the legal entity remains the same), ABSIA has not changed much else. The organisation strives to help DSPs be more successful by sharing knowledge, expertise and industry updates, building strong trans-Tasman networks, and connecting government and industry to solve challenges together.

The organisation also strives to help DSPs by engaging with government on behalf of its members, to inform policy development and increase understanding of key issues for the industry. The organisation will also enable consultation with its members on G2B and B2B projects that require technology-led solutions.

DPANZ plans to launch its New Zealand member subcommittee, which will be chaired by Emma Dobson and will include representatives from its NZ-based organisations. In 2021, the organisation will focus on outreach and creating new opportunities for all members to become involved in its work, and represent the broader software industry.

Following the success of the organisation’s Webinar Week, it will relaunch its subcommittees and interest groups. DSPANZ will also be reviewing the Security Standard for Add-on Marketplaces (SSAM) in light of the upcoming changes to the DSP Operational Framework that will better reflect the new requirements for Peppol e-invoicing, ANZ open banking and the consumer data right.

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