The creative studio that’s blending imagination with emerging technology

Creating spaces where fictional environments and reality intertwine for an exciting new experience.

For Tony Leslie, founder of Waxeye, digital environments are the way of the future. Think Star Trek’s Holodeck or Ready Player One’s Oasis. Entire worlds can be created in a digital space that you can physically interact with, whether through a full virtual reality rig or even just your phone.

Over the past 15 years, Leslie and business partner Paul James have built up their successful small business creating innovative web, animation and immersive technology products to be one of New Zealand’s leading digital innovation studios.

Waxeye has worked with a range of clients from government departments like NZ Trade & Enterprise and large corporates like Air NZ, for whom they created a virtual flight lab, to smaller companies and organisations.

Through the creation of an augmented reality app for Nga Toa Charitable Trust, students got the chance to explore and experience what it was like to dig trenches in WWI and take cover from enemy fire.

Numerous other digital projects speak to the company’s ability to blend creativity with emerging technology to bring extraordinary ideas to life.

Today they have grown to a team of up to 17 people who work – some 100% remotely – from locations around the North Island, including Wellington, New Plymouth and Central Auckland.

“For us, everything is a narrative and an opportunity to deeply engage audiences with memorable experiences. Our artists are some of the best in the business: creative and technically proficient, they have the knowledge and expertise to realise even the craziest, most ambitious ideas,” says Leslie.

The company’s collaborative and open approach sees it push further than most.

“Operating beyond the confines of a traditional agency process, we adapt our way of working to ensure the best outcomes for projects and stakeholders. We’re known as the easy guys to work with who make things happen.”

As a keen player in the technical revolution and

excited about the possibilities of the near future, a reliable internet connection that can keep up is high on Waxeye’s list of business priorities.

Connectivity is key to maintaining and increasing the business’s level of productivity, Leslie says. The company has not looked back since it connected to fibre about eight years ago.

“We could not operate without it.”

The move helped Waxeye to transition to hybrid working – where staff who can and want to, either work some of their time in the office and some of their time at home, or fully remotely.

This means it can attract good people by offering work-from-home options.

Practically, a fast, reliable connection also means the team can upload large files easier and hold clear and seamless video calls. Consistent connectivity to the cloud allows them to get on with business with minimal disruption.

Waxeye relies on its fibre connection for “everything”, says Leslie.

“We share large files with clients for review

or between staff members. A fast and reliable connection is crucial for our day-to-day work.”

Its business fibre plan powered by the Chorus network allows it to do that level of downloading and uploading, which requires “a fair bit” of data.

Often sharing large files of up to 20GB or even 100GB, an interruption in connection would mean a disrupted, slower workflow for its staff and clients.

Having business fibre also provides Waxeye with the security and peace of mind that any outage is addressed promptly.

“We are fortunate that if there are ever any issues, it’s great to know they’ll be fixed quickly.”

With everything migrating online and more work being done in the cloud, reliable, fast connections will become even more important, he says.

Ultimately, Waxeye wants to help Aotearoa New Zealand businesses and communities thrive in the digital world, as it has, and is passionate about what new immersive tech can do to create better experiences in education, science and industry.

“There are huge opportunities with the technical revolution and AI, and we’re right at the crossroads blending human reality with virtual realities. This is just the beginning of this new chapter.”

Dean Pointon, head of networks and business at telecommunications infrastructure provider Chorus, says Kiwi businesses need reliability, capacity and quality with their internet connection - and having that option can be a game-changer.

“Especially in the field of emerging technologies, innovative businesses are now able to carry out tasks that would never have been possible without a reliable, high-speed connection.

“We are entering a world where hardware will no longer be limiting us, only our imaginations.”

Ask for Business Fibre. It’s how we internet now. For more information about Business fibre visit chorus.co.nz/business-fibre. Read up on all the facts on broadband and performance speed at the Broadband Performance section of Chorus’ website