Internode has wanted Aussie WoW server for years
National broadband player Internode has discussed the need for an Australian World of Warcraft server with iconic game publisher Blizzard "for many years", the company's managing director Simon Hackett said today.
Federal Government spends $5bn on ICT annually
Special Minister of State Gary Gray has released a report summarising expenditure by government departments in 2008–09 and 2009–10, which states that the Australian Government is a major consumer and producer of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products and solutions, with an annual expenditure of $5 billion.
Labor to take NBN beyond the node, but ignores HFC
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten today said Labor wasn't satisfied with the Coalition's Fibre to the Node technology for the National Broadband Network, but stopped short of commenting on Labor's plans for the up to a third of the NBN that will be covered by HFC cable technology.
Budget 2011: Wadeson wins DHS funding colossus
In tonight’s Budget, the Federal Government allocated more than half a billion dollars to projects that will see the technology platforms of the fledgling super-department known as the Department of Human Services, created by the merger of a number of agencies, including Medicare, Centrelink and the Child Support Agency.
R18+ games: We’ve already debunked you, Barbara
blog Australian Council on Children and the Media chief executive Barbara Biggins has published an interesting comment piece on ABC Unleashed arguing that those...
Surface Pro 3 lands locally in August
US technology giant Microsoft announced this morning that its Surface Pro 3 tablet -- unveiled in New York overnight -- would start shipping in Australia from the end of August, with Microsoft itself, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi to sell the unit for prices starting from AU$979.
Optus replaces Telstra as official Olympics telecoms partner
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has inked a 10-year agreement that sees Optus become the official telecommunications partner of the Australian Olympic team.
Harvey Norman fined $1.25m for false advertising
The Federal Court in Brisbane has penalised retail giant Harvey Norman $1.25 million for misleading advertising, resulting from action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Greens finalise NBN joint committee
The Australian Greens today revealed it had reached an agreement with the Government to create a new parliamentary Joint Committee to oversee the rollout of the National Broadband Network.
Knight Frank rolls out Skype for Business to get staff talking
Real-estate consultancy Knight Frank is to roll out Skype for Business across its Australian offices in a push for a more "agile and collaborative" working environment.
Support Wikipedia blackout, Greens tell Labor
The Australian Greens Party has demanded that Australia's Labor Federal Government support efforts such as Wikipedia's site blackout initiative to protest the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and associated legislation currently being considered by the US Government.
Delimiter welcomes first staff journalist
Delimiter is proud to reveal that our first staff journalist (apart from founder Renai LeMay) commenced today in our new offices in Randwick.
Labor’s wrong, says NBN Co: We’re not replacing “substantial” copper
The NBN company has categorically rejected comments by Shadow Communications Minister Jason Clare that it is replacing “kilometers” of dilapidated copper cable with brand new copper to ensure the Fibre to the Node technology work, stating that it has not had to replace “substantial” copper yet.
Telcos “embarrassed” to admit real broadband speeds, says Conroy
Former Communications Minister Minister Stephen Conroy this morning said Australia’s telco sector was “embarrassed” that it didn’t deliver in reality the broadband speeds it promised customers, and that Labor would “absolutely” support a move by the competition regulator to monitor real-world speeds.
Buildcorp deploys 150 Nokia Lumias
Construction firm Buildcorp has deployed some 150 new staff mobile phones in Nokia's Lumia line, the Finnish smartphone vendor announced this afternoon.
Budget 2016: Shorten promises Australia a “first-rate Fibre NBN”
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten this evening promised Labor would deliver Australians a "first-rate Fibre National Broadband Network" if his party wins the upcoming Federal Election, but stopped short of confirming that that network would consist of a full Fibre to the Premises rollout.
Will IBM offshore 800 jobs?
Technology giant IBM has dodged allegations by the Australian Services Union that it will shunt as many as 800 local jobs to offshore locations.
Please join Delimiter’s new email newsletter!
Just a quick administrative note to let you know that over the past several weeks Delimiter has launched a new daily email newsletter.
Elders inks seven-year outsourcing deal with HP
In an announcement yesterday, HP revealed that diversified local company Elders had signed it for a seven-year infrastructure and applications services agreement. Elders is a 172-year-old company incorporating the Elders rural services businesses and the automotive and forestry operations acquired and developed by Futuris Corporation.
Service Stream deploys 1,400 Office 365 seats
Telecommunications infrastructure construction and maintenance firm Service Stream has revealed that it has deployed more than 1,400 seats of Microsoft's Office 365, in one of the largest known rollouts of the software as a service platform in Australia outside of the education sector.
Perth app developer wins $1.1m capital
Perth-based smartphone app developer Filter Squad this week announced it had taken a new $1.1 million funding round led by fellow Perth firm Yuuwa Capital, as the startup continues to leverage its popular Discovr iOS app into commercial success.
CenITex report: CEO’s email to the troops
Delimiter is reliably informed that CenITex chief executive Michael Vanderheide sent the following email to the IT shared services agency's staff this week, following the publication of a damning report by the Victorian Ombudsman into procurement practices and the engagement of contractors at CenITex.
Turnbull wants Govt-funded email for all
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has reportedly proposed a policy which would see every Australian allocated a limited email-like inbox to receive communications from governments, if the Coalition took power in the next election.
Woolworths customers go online
Note: This article has been updated after publishing with further information provided by Woolworths on the implementation of improved supply chain technology.
Retailer Woolworths today...
114 jobs gone as Telstra closes Vic centre
The nation's biggest telco Telstra has warned some 114 staff working at a call centre facility in the city of Moe, east of Melbourne, that they may lose their jobs as the company consolidates its numbers of call centres and takes advantage of automatic self-service technology.
Coalition failed to resource NDIA properly, PwC report finds
A new report by 'Big Four' auditor PwC has levelled criticism at the Coalition Government over failures in the way it resourced the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and cast doubt on its ability to transition to full service.
QBE appoints new CIO amid restructure
Insurer QBE has unexpectedly appointed a new chief information officer, with its incumbent executive holding the position shifting to another position within the group.
Has Telstra delayed HTC One XL launch?
Australian specialist Android media outlet Ausdroid has reported that Telstra may have delayed its rumoured launch of a 4G version of HTC's new One smartphone series, further pushing back the date when Australian mobile phone enthusiasts will have access to a top-level smartphone supporting the telco's new 4G network.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 to hit Australia July 1
Today Nintendo announced July 1 as the Australian release date for its upcoming Super Mario Galaxy 2 (SMG2) title.
Rudd misleads the public on mobile blackspots
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today made what appeared to be an extremely inaccurate statement claiming the Federal Government was taking steps to address mobile blackspots around Australia, when in fact Labor has not taken any steps on the issue in the six years it has been in power.
Union slams Telstra health records deal
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has criticised the Coalition Government for its decision to put a private company in charge of the management of confidential and highly sensitive health records for thousands of Australians.
Federal Police to refresh Cisco network
The Australian Federal Police has commenced its second major telecommunications hardware purchasing initiative in six months, going to market this week for suppliers to maintain and gradually replace its Cisco-dominated core networking environment.
Nexus 7 continually selling out in Australia
Google's popular Nexus 7 tablet has been selling out repeatedly since it launched in Australia in late July, according to the tablet's manufacturer ASUS, in what may mark the first commercially successful launch of a tablet computer in Australia apart from Apple's market-dominating iPad.
Apple targeted wrong tablet, says Samsung
Korean electronics giant Samsung this afternoon claimed a lawsuit filed by rival Apple last month had succeeded in blocking Australian sales of a variant of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet which it had no intention of selling in Australia anyway; with the real tablet to be released locally "in the near future".
Turnbull rails against parliamentary NBN blockage
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused several of the independents and Greens MP Adam Bandt of irresponsibility for their decision not to support his private member's bill designed to increase transparency of the National Broadband Network and force the Government to conduct a cost/benefit analysis.
New Nikon COOLPIX line-up hits Australia
Camera manufacturer Nikon has released seven new models in its popular COOLPIX digital camera line-up in Australia, all priced at a recommended retail price of under $600.
Microsoft beats SF.com to another CRM deal
Microsoft announced this week that its Dynamics CRM solution had beaten rival platform Salesforce.com to another Australian deal for CRM delivered through a web browser, with the company picking up work at local conferencing services provider Redback Conferencing.
Beleaguered Qld IT Minister quits
Beleaguered Queensland Minister for Science, IT, Innovation and the Arts Ros Bates today revealed she would quit her position effective immediately, following a string of controversies and health problems which have dogged the politician since the state's LNP administration took power in March 2012.
Turnbull “evasive” on Coalition NBN policy, says Conroy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has accused his Opposition shadow Malcolm Turnbull of being "evasive" with respect to the Coalition's telecommunications policy, stating the Liberal MP had "no excuses" for failing to come clean on the policy after five straight months of questions on it.
Development day
Just a quick note that Delimiter will be going through some site development today, so posting of articles will be very slow, if at all.
New cybercrime laws to land today
Federal Attorney-General Robert McLelland this morning revealed the Gillard Government would today introduce tougher laws tackling cybercrime, unifying Australia's approach with international legisation in the process.
Kobo eReader lands in Borders stores
Borders stores around Australia have started stocking up on the Kobo eReader as the book retailer prepares for the official launch of the device next week.
Internode slashes FetchTV prices
In an effort to draw more subscribers to Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), national broadband provider Internode late last week announced that prices for its FetchTV service have been cut by one-third.
Will HP’s TouchPad launch in Australia?
Overnight in the US, HP unveiled its answer to Apple's iPad; a new tablet based on the WebOS operating system it acquired with Palm. But it remains unclear whether the device will launch in Australia -- with its WebOS predecessors never having made it down under, and no details on local availability having been confirmed as yet.
Optus keen on “terrific” Apple iPad
Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan yesterday said the telco was very interested in working out how it could bring the Apple iPad to Australia, describing the new tablet device as "a terrific step forward for the industry".
NetApp snipes at EMC storage launch
NetApp Australia's most senior technical head has taken a number of potshots at the company's arch-rival EMC, in a blog post published after a major launch by EMC last week of a slew of new products and features.
Jason Clare a ‘coward’, claims Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull has taken the extraordinary step of accusing his opposite Jason Clare of not having the "courage" to question him about the National Broadband Network project in Parliament, in response to building allegations that the Communications Minister and other Coalition figures are openly lying about the project in public.
Govt launches San Fran ‘Landing Pad’ for tech startups
The government has launched a startup 'Landing Pad' at Rocketspace – a technology campus in San Francisco.
“Misinformation”: Kogan enters open war with Telstra on disconnections
The troubled mobile division of consumer electronics giant Kogan has accused Telstra of misleading the public about the telco's willingness to continue to support Kogan's mobile customers abandoned by the failure of wholesale ispONE, in a furious statement alleging commercial impropriety by Telstra on a range of fronts.
Business warming to NBN but most still unprepared for it
Australian businesses expect massive change from the NBN and are rapidly warming to the potential role of NBN-driven teleworking, but most still aren’t ready for the changes the network will bring, a major survey of business readiness has concluded.
Australians locked out of iTunes Cloud
Apple has limited access to its new iTunes Cloud and iTunes Match services announced overnight to US residents only, with timing on any Australian launch for the services so far being unclear.
Internode comes to Call of Duty’s Aid
National broadband provider Internode has called a cease fire in the ongoing battle between video game fans and the publishers of the popular Call of Duty franchise of games, setting up a deal with GameServers.com that will see local servers delivered for the game's newest Black Ops iteration.
Telstra invests in NGINX web server project
Telstra Ventures – the venture capital arm of the major telecommunications firm – has announced a strategic investment in NGINX, a San Francisco-based company providing open-source web server software that supports many of the world’s busiest websites.
Targeting Turnbull: $15k raised for pro-NBN ads
A crowdfunding campaign has raised $15,000 in a matter of days to place ads supporting an all-fibre National Broadband Network policy in a local newspaper in the electorate of Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, as evidence continues to grow of mass popular support for Labor's previous Fibre to the Premises policy.
NBN may not be completed, says Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull late last week warned the National Broadband Network may end up not being fully constructed, due to what he described as "the crippling costs of the project" and the likelihood that the Australian Labor Party might lose government in a future election.
SAP sets up public, financial services business units
SAP, a multinational provider of enterprise software, has established a public services business unit in Australia, along with a financial services business unit covering both Australia and New Zealand – both have been set up to help the company scale in the region, the firm said.
Govt CIOs focusing on analytics, cloud, infrastructure
A new survey has revealed that analytics, infrastructure and cloud computing are the top three technology priorities for government CIOs, with digital transformation still lagging behind.
9,000 get on the Vodafone class action bus
Local law firm Piper Alderman today claimed to have collected the details of some 9,000 customers who were interested in taking part in a class action lawsuit against mobile telco VHA over its troubled Vodafone network hiccups over the past few months.
WA Govt has zero IT security, says auditor
Western Australia's auditor-general has handed down a landmark report which details the fact that none of a wide range of government departments and agencies in the state are currently able to prevent basic cyber-attacks against their IT infrastructure -- or even detect that they had taken place.
NewSat offers to buy NBN Co satellites
Pure play satellite company NewSat has made an offer to the buy the National Broadband Network Company's two satellites before they are even launched, as speculation continues to swirl around the potential privatisation of chunks of NBN Co's infrastructure under the new Coalition Federal Government.
Former health CIOs, IT startup luminary to fix troubled eHealth records project
news Two of Australia’s most high-profile chief information officers in the health field have been appointed to sit on a new committee overseeing the...
Telstra declines “public battle” with customer Internode
The wholesale arm of Australia's biggest telco Telstra has declined to engage in what it described as a "public battle" with its customer Internode, in the midst of delicate negotiations that are slated to affect Internode's ADSL broadband pricing around the nation.
Coalition IT policy: Quite similar to Labor’s
The Coalition has released a wide-ranging policy on how it would develop Australia's digital economy and government use of IT, in a move which broadly appears to place it on an even footing with the current Labor Federal Government and commit it to many of the same existing initiatives.
Has iiNet been hacked? Rumours swirl
National broadband provider iiNet has conducted an audit of its network security, as persistent rumours continue to swirl that one of the company’s customer databases has been broken into and its contents handed over to spammers – a claim iiNet says it can find no evidence for.
Fairfax wants to dump Office, Exchange for Google
Media giant Fairfax has announced plans to will ditch Microsoft's Office and Exchange platforms for most of its 11,000-odd staff, with the company to become one of the largest known Australian organisations to shift onto Google's Apps platform for both email and office productivity software.
New Microsoft Surface + Lumia devices to hit Australia before Christmas
Microsoft’s new range of Surface convertible table devices will launch in Australia in mid-November, the global technology giant announced this week, as well as a clutch of new Lumia-branded handsets to keep Windows mobile enthusiasts happy.
NBN Co inks remaining construction deals
The National Broadband Network company has signed a contract with one of its existing construction partners to roll out its fibre infrastructure in South Australia and the Northern Territory, which were not covered by its existing construction contractors.
Get on with FTTN job, Quigley tells NBN Co
NBN Co founding chief executive Mike Quigley has advised the company's new management to get on with the job of fulfilling the Coalition's Fibre to the Node vision for the project and not to politicise it further, in his first public appearance since retiring several months ago.
Nexus 7 draw: Join our weekly newsletter
We've decided to create a new "Best of the Week" email newsletter which will go out once weekly on Fridays.
EFA wants public input in NBN review
Australia's premiere digital rights lobbying group Electronic Frontiers Australia has called for the Government to allow public input into the upcoming strategic review of the future of the National Broadband Network, as pressure intensifies upon Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to support the previous Labor administration's all-fibre NBN policy.
Simon Hackett funds electric race car
Simon Hackett has teamed up with another senior former senior Internode executive and two early executives from electric car pioneer to found a new startup focused on building a new type of electric car specifically designed for high-speed performance racing.
DSD approves BlackBerry PlayBook
Research in Motion (RIM) this morning announced its new PlayBook tablet had received certification for use by the Australian Government.
Blackout: Govt piracy meeting completely censored
The Federal Government has declined to reveal almost any information about a second secret industry meeting held in February this year to address the issue of Internet piracy, using a variety of complex justifications to avoid releasing virtually any detail of the meeting under Freedom of Information laws.
Flat year for Australian offices of IBM, HP
The Australian divisions of global technology giants IBM and HP have suffered a relatively flat year in terms of revenue and profit growth, despite major initiatives in the rapidly growing cloud computing area by both companies that each would be likely to have hoped would have the potential to significantly boost revenue.
iiNet exports BoB to New Zealand
Australian internet service provider iiNet today announced a new deal which will see products coming out of its Labs division sold in New Zealand as early as next week.
Optus fixes unmetered YouTube loophole for prepaid customers
Optus says it has now solved a technical limitation that unintentionally allowed some of its prepaid customers unmetered access to YouTube.
In a statement, the...
Giddings offers NBN Co free access to power poles
Tasmanian Labor Premier Lara Giddings has offered the National Broadband Network Company free access to the overhead power poles of state-owned energy utility Aurora to incentivise a full rollout of Fibre to the Premises broadband in the state, as part of a package of technology policy promises associated with the State Election.
Pure massacre: Optus sacks 750
The nation's number two telco Optus this morning revealed plans to sack some 750 staff, in a company-wide restructure which it claimed was aimed at giving customers "a stronger voice".
Parliament’s treaties committee chair admits he is strongly pro-TPP
The Liberal chair of the Federal Parliamentary committee overseeing treaties has given a speech strongly praising the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership, pre-empting the formal inquiry processes through which the Parliament examines treaties.
EZTV stands “ready” to help Australians with Game of Thrones torrents
BitTorrent-based TV content distribution group EZTV stated overnight that it stood "ready" to help out cash-strapped Australians with unauthorised downloading of episodes of the popular TV series Game of Thrones, in the wake of the news that the next season of the show will be available in Australia only through subscriptions to pay TV provider Foxtel.
Australia doesn’t need the NBN, says Abbott
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has proclaimed that Australia doesn't "need" the National Broadband Network project and the billions being invested in the initiative would be better spent on "our roads, our rail and our ports" under a Coalition Government.
Interpol filter: IIA clueless on ISP sign-ups
The nation's peak ISP representative body today acknowledged it did not know which Australian ISPs had signed up to implement the limited Internet filtering initiative which it developed six months ago, with the scheme passing out of its remit and into the hands of the Australian Federal Police.
Telstra mulls 900 job cuts
Telstra tonight confirmed union claims it was discussing cutting around 900 jobs over the coming year, although it stressed the idea was just a proposal as part of its annual business planning.
“Abomination”: Qld Health payroll needs $837m more
A KMPG audit into Queensland Health's payroll disaster has found the project has already cost $417 million and will need some $837 million to fix over the next five years, in a finding which the state's new LNP Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said in Parliament this week illustrated that the project was an "abomination".
DFAT lifts lid on huge IT infrastructure upgrade
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has kicked off a huge outsourcing initiative which is slated to see several hundred million dollars ploughed into a substantial upgrade of the department's far-flung global fundamental IT infrastructure, including both telecommunications and desktop platforms.
Conroy slams Turnbull’s NBN policy “pretence”
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has rejected comments by his opposition shadow Malcolm Turnbull that a Coalition Government would proceed with Labor's National Broadband Network project, describing them as a con, as misleading and "merely pretence" that didn't reflect the reality of the Coalition's actual NBN policy.
Gillard hack a “wake-up call”, say security experts
The rogue attackers who are suspected of hacking into the parliamentary computers of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and others could have already covered their traces, a security expert said this week, as news of the apparent break-in sent shock waves through Australia's security community.
DBCDE’s NBN chief to retire
Stephen Conroy's Department of Communications, Broadband and the Digital Economy is about to lose another one of its most senior staffers, with its long-serving...
NBN: An electoral house divided
The Tasmanian State Election has shown Australia's politicians just how critical broadband can be as a hot button political issue. But the complete failure of the issue to register in the simultaneous poll being held in South Australia provides a balancing view for the informed observer, showing that broadband will not always be front of mind in every decision the Australian electorate makes; at least not yet.
Internode to “quietly” shut down Usenet service
National broadband provider Internode has internally flagged plans to "quietly" shut down the Premium Usenet newsgroup server it has offered to customers for some years as a free value-add to their existing broadband plans.
Wishful thinking? NBN CEO says HFC will do 30Gbps, FTTN 5Gbps
The chief executive of the NBN company this morning claimed the top-end speeds for the company's HFC cable network could be as high as 30Gbps and that its Fibre to the Node network could do 5Gbps, but without providing any evidence as to why this would be the case.
Telstra upsizes pre-paid Next G value
Telstra has boosted the value of its pre-paid mobile broadband packages on its Next G network, giving new customers a 1GB welcome pack and...
Telstra continues financial stagnation
The nation’s biggest telco Telstra today unveiled another lackluster financial result, with its overall sales revenue declining by 2.2 percent over the past year and net profit after tax also slumping 4.7 percent.
Kindle Touch 3G goes on sale to Australians
Online retailer Amazon.com has announced that the Kindle Touch 3G is available for pre-order online to customers in over 175 countries and territories, including Australia. The Kindle Touch 3G will be shipped to customers from April 27.
Labor ad agency tried to bribe journos to slag Turnbull’s NBN plan
The Sydney Morning Herald reports this morning that Labor ad agency Naked Communications offered exclusive interviews with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in response for editorial coverage favourable to Labor -- including on the NBN.
Unions challenge Telstra on redeployment during redundancy rounds
The Communication Workers Unions (CWU) has challenged Telstra over low rates of redeployment, even though the firm has powers to move people into new roles under the current enterprise agreement (EA).
HTC EVO 3D to hit Telstra in September
Telstra this morning announced that from September it will be entering the multi-dimensional world; offering its first 3D smartphone, the HTC EVO 3D.
Fifield redacts large chunks of NBN info in ‘Blue Book’ release
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield today released a version of the 'Blue Book' incoming ministerial briefing he received from his department when he became Communications Minister, with the sections relating to the National Broadband Network having been heavily redacted.
NBN Co overbuilding Turnbull’s 100Mbps FTTN election case study
The NBN company appears to be deploying its own competitive infrastructure to a housing estate in Sydney which Malcolm Turnbull specifically used during the 2013 Federal Election to highlight the strengths of his chosen Fibre to the Node technology.
Optus wants FetchTV on tablets, smartphones
Telecommunications industry rumours have long hinted that the nation’s number two telco Optus would follow in the footsteps of rivals iiNet and Internode and sign up with fledgling internet video player FetchTV. The rumours, it turns out, were true – but the partnership between the pair goes further than previous deals in the space.
BlueScope Steel renegotiates CSC deal
Steel giant BlueScope Steel appears to have re-negotiated its long-term IT outsourcing arrangement with CSC, with a new, potentially eight-year agreement inked before the initial period of its old arrangement expires in December 2010.
Optus launches Voice over LTE on 4G Plus network
Optus has announced that it is rolling out Voice over LTE (VoLTE) across its 4G Plus mobile network in Australia’s major metros.
eHealth NSW hiring for yet another CIO
New South Wales' peak electronic health agency NSW eHealth has yet again advertised for a new chief information and chief executive officer, as the latest swing in a revolving door of senior executives.
Australia gets Flash web video on demand service
Two veterans of mega-portals Yahoo!7 and ninemsn have formed a new Australian startup to launch online video on demand services in competition with new offerings from Telstra, FetchTV and more.
Human Services likely to end Lotus history
The newly formed Department of Human Services has revealed it is likely to end the long-running relationship that some of its component agencies have had with IBM's troubled Lotus Notes/Domino suite and standardise on Microsoft's rival Outlook/Exchange platform as part of its long-term integration project.
IT price comparisons not useful, says AIIA
The IT industry's peak lobby group today said it was "not useful" to directly compare prices on technology goods and services between Australia and other countries and that increased Australian prices on such goods reflected different conditions and protections locally compared with other countries.
Systems for People done, Correll retires
Long-time Department of Immigration and Citizenship chief information officer Bob Correll has retired from his role, following the completion of most of the work under the department's mammoth Systems for People internal technology revamp.
Why Ray White, Flight Centredumped Exchange for Google
Google this morning fired a broadside directly into the good ship Microsoft, claiming victory over the email platforms of several large Australian companies -- Flight Centre and Ray White. But why did the pair choose to dump their incumbent Outlook Exchange platforms and 'go Google'?
Google takes Telstra call on US broadband
Telstra today said it had spoken with Google's Australian management about the search giant's plans announced overnight to provide half a million US...
Nokia shutters Aussie development facility
Finnish mobile manufacturer Nokia has revealed plans to close an Australian development facility which was one of the main global software groups working on the Qt application development toolkit which Nokia acquired with its 2008 buy of Norwegian company Trolltech.
Australia woefully unprepared for “digital revolution”, says Westpac CIO
Westpac’s top technologist has issued a sharp warning to the nation’s corporate, educational and political sectors, placing them on notice that Australia is not prepared for the ongoing digital revolution that will see many workplaces completely shaken up and jobs taken by computers.
NBN Co inks $620m satellite deal
Rural and remote Australian communities will eventually be able to enjoy access to high-speed Internet not previously accessible, with the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) this week choosing Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) to build two next-generation Ka-band satellites to cover the regions.
NBN Co opens Melb ops, demo facilities
The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) has opened its $32.5m central operational hub in Melbourne’s Docklands. The facility houses the resources that will manage the Australian broadband service’s daily operations.
Qld inks whole-of-govt Microsoft deal
The Queensland Government has inked a comprehensive whole-of-govt software licensing deal with Microsoft that will reportedly see all of its agencies migrate to Windows 7.
Anatomy of Qld Health IT disaster: IBM should never have been appointed
The Queensland Government's formal inquiry into the payroll systems upgrade debacle at Queensland Health has found damning allegations of procurement impropriety in the appointment of IBM as prime contractor for the initiative, and has concluded that Big Blue should never have won the contract in the first place.
Vodafone’s 4G rollout starts in 2013
Vodafone has revealed it will start rolling out 4G speeds to its national mobile network from 2013 in a belated effort to catch up to its rivals Telstra and Optus, who will have started their own national 4G rollouts 18 months and almost a year previously at that stage.
Shorten says Govt has “bungled” the Census
While acknowledging that the Census "does a lot more good than harm", Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said that the government has "bungled" 2016's official survey of the Australian population.
Budget 2014: Govt dumps game dev funding
The Federal Government tonight announced as part of this year's Budget that it would cut $10 million of remaining funding to the Australian Interactive Games Fund, in a move which at least one commentator has already said will "destroy" Australia's video games industry.
Wilkie wins poker machine tech restraints
Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie has won a commitment from Prime Minister Julia Gillard that Labor would enforce an overhaul of poker machine technology if Labor takes Government, involving what is called "pre-commitment technology" being applied to the gambling devices.
Regulators finger People Telecom, gotalk
Communications companies gotalk and People Telecom have attracted the attention of Australia’s regulators due to alleged breaches of the Do Not Call Register Act and for dodgy telemarketing and sales practices, respectively.
Pollenizer raises $500k seed fund
Australian startup incubator Pollenizer yesterday revealed it had raised half a million dollars for a new seed fund that it would use to invest small amounts between $10,000 and $100,000 in Australian technology startups.
“Ignorance”: Conroy slams Turnbull’s “fail” NBN policy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has taken a pickaxe to the Coalition's rival broadband policy released this morning, describing the plan as a "fail" on the part of Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and lambasting the Coalition for its "ignorance" when it comes to broadband policy.
Insurer IAG hires Deloitte exec as digital ‘disrupter’
Multinational insurance company IAG has appointed Deloitte's Peter Bonney to a newly established 'Disruptive Technology and Architecture' role within its IAG Labs division.
AFP won’t confirm DistributeIT hacking link
The Australian Federal Police has declined to confirm claims by defunct web hosting company DistributeIT that the suspect it arrested this week in connection with telco hacking charges was also suspected of being the same hacker which destroyed DistributeIT’s web hosting infrastructure in mid-June.
AT&T continues 1Gbps FTTP rollout across US
AT&T has announced the expansion of its ultra-fast all-fibre broadband service into more parts of the USA, with the aim of vastly expanding availability by the end of 2016.
BitTorrent “not time-critical”: Telstra defends trial
The nation's largest telco Telstra claimed over the weekend that BitTorrent-style peer to peer traffic on its network was "not time-critical" and so could be slowed on its network "without significant consumer detriment", in an extensive statement defending highly controversial plans to trial several new network management practices.
Choice calls for help to defeat Netflix geo-blockade
Following Netflix's announcement that it will prevent users accessing its international content via location-masking tools, consumer advocacy group Choice is calling on Australian Internet users to help others find ways around the blockade.
Brunswick NBN rollout: Photos
Whirlpool user and all-round nice guy Sambo9 recently publishing this stunning gallery of photos of the National Broadband Network rollout in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, and has kindly consented to let us post them on Delimiter as well. We consider this one of the best photo galleries we've seen of the actual NBN, as it goes into great detail about the actual NBN equipment, as well as the fibre being rolled out in the street and so on. Cheers Sambo9!
Release your NBN plan already, Conroy tells Turnbull
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy this afternoon demanded his opposite Malcolm Turnbull release the Coalition's rival National Broadband Network policy, after the Liberal MP admitted to the Financial Review newspaper this morning that the policy was "ready".
Coalition NBN policy a “farce”, say Greens
The Australian Greens have accused the Coalition of perpetrating a "farce" in the delivery of its rival National Broadband Network policy this morning, describing the alternative vision for Australia's future telecommunications needs as "planned obsolescence" on a vast scale and as "a rehashed ALP broadband policy from 2009".
New analysis shows FTTN NBN areas significantly delayed
Analysis conducted on the NBN company's latest set of rollout plans has shown that around 105 areas currently slated to receive the Coalition's Multi-Technology Mix approach to the project are significantly delayed, in a move that will affect almost 300,000 premises.
Telstra the problem, claims Blizzard on Aussie servers
Video gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment has reportedly labelled Telstra as the biggest roadblock in its way to setting up dedicated Australian servers for its popular World of Warcraft and StarCraft II games.
‘Cooked books’, ‘funny money’, ‘trickery’: Coalition on NBN budgeting
Leading Opposition figures have slammed the Government's handling of funding for the National Broadband Network in this week's Federal Budget, alleging that the project's finances are being misallocated to cover up holes that would have sabotaged the policy aim of delivering a budget surplus.
Macquarie Uni dumps Gmail for Office 365 for staff
Macquarie University yesterday revealed it had decided to ditch Google’s hosted email and calendaring platform and would migrate its staff to Microsoft’s rival Office 365 platform, in the wake of a controversial decision by Google to shift the university’s data from its previous datacentre location in Europe and move it to the United States.
IIA plays down zombie disconnection plan
The Internet Industry Association has played down the idea that a new internet service provider code being developed could see users disconnected from the internet if their computers are part of a zombie botnet.
Conroy slams Turnbull’s “half-baked” NBN plan
Communications Minister Stephen COnroy yesterday attacked the Coalition's plans for an alternative to the National Broadband Network, calling the rival policy as “half-baked” and cobbled together.
Vodafone preferred 3G provider for PlayStation Vita
Vodafone and Sony Computer Entertainment this week announced a partnership that will deliver Vodafone preferred provider status for 3G connectivity for the PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) handheld console in Australia.
Rackspace confirms dedicated Sydney datacentre
US hosting giant Rackspace has confirmed plans to launch a large datacentre in Sydney later this year, to support growing local demand for its services after entering the Australian and Zealand markets in 2009 using its infrastructure located overseas.
Greens announce solar battery funding plan for Sunshine Coast
The Australian Greens have announced a plan aimed to assist solar-powered households on Queensland's Sunshine Coast with the costs of installing battery storage, and encourage a shift towards "clean energy".
Conroy must acknowledge wireless threat: Turnbull
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy must acknowledge the incoming generation of wireless broadband products represents a threat to the economic case for the National Broadband Network, Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday, in the wake of the revelation that NBN Co itself was concerned about the issue.
FTTN would be “a litigator’s picnic”, says Optus
The nation's number two telco Optus has described the proposed process of getting Telstra to give up part of its copper network for a fibre to the node upgrade as "a litigator's picnic", due to the complex legal issues around compensation for the telco handing over its property.
HPE may cut 200 Adelaide jobs, just months after hiring binge
Just months after flagging a sizable expansion of its business in South Australia, insiders have revealed Hewlett Packard Enterprise is actually in the throes of cutting several hundred staff from the state.
Financial regulator issues dire cloud warning
One of Australia's main financial regulators has issued a blunt general warning to the entire financial services sector regarding cloud computing services, warning that the "innocuous" nature of such services could mask hidden concerns about offshoring.
NBN to boost HFC broadband with DOCSIS 3.1 in 2017
NBN Co has revealed that it plans to launch super-fast HFC broadband services next year using DOCSIS 3.1 – a new technology that can produce up to 10 Gbps symmetrical data speeds over the hybrid fibre-copper cable networks.
NBN Co’s $400m Big Kahuna Burger goes to Nokia
The National Broadband Network Company has awarded an extensive contract to Nokia Siemens Networks which will see the Finnish networking giant supply up to $400 million worth of optical transmission equipment to the national fibre rollout over the next ten years.
NBN Co kicks off interim satellite service
The National Broadband Network Company will start providing wholesale access to a nation-wide satellite service from July this year, following the signing of two interim deals with satellite providers Optus and IPstar, worth $200 million and $100 million respectively.
Salesforce Australia partners with UN on gender equality program
Customer relationship management firm Salesforce has announced a new partnership with the United Nations Women’s National Committee for Australia that will see the company join its global 'HeforShe' gender equality program as its first Australian corporate partner.
Nokia Lumia rollout for Sara Lee
Finnish smartphone seller Nokia today added another name to the growing public list of large Australian organisations which have decided to deploy its Windows Phone-based Lumia line as their corporate smartphone, picking the series ahead of competing options from Apple and Android.
“Hypocrisy”: AFR launches bizarre attack on Labor over NBN raids
Conservative newspaper The Australian Financial Review has launched an extraordinary election attack on Labor over police raids of Labor premises, slamming the Opposition for what the AFR claimed was an irresponsible NBN policy based on the idea that "people would think fast internet was cool".
NSW Trade + Investment wants to go full cloud
The NSW Department of Trade and Investment has signalled plans to continue shifting more of its IT assets to cloud computing platforms as part of a "journey" away from managing and owning its own infrastructure, in the wake of the successful deployment of a wide-ranging ERP platform based on a SAP software as a service solution.
Campaign Monitor takes US$250m from US VC
Australia-based software as a service email marketing platform Campaign Monitor announced overnight that it had taken a $250 million investment from US-based venture capital firm Insight Venture Partners, in one of the largest ever VC investments in an Australian technology startup.
Wikileaks cable outs secret iiTrial background
A document published by Wikileaks appearing to be a US diplomatic cable appears to have revealed much of the previously hidden background behind the iiNet/AFACT court case, including the Motion Picture Association of America's prime mover role and US Embassy fears the trial could become portrayed as "giant American bullies versus little Aussie battlers".
Samsung beats Apple to take top Aussie mobile spot
Analyst firm IDC’s ANZ Quarterly Mobile Devices Tracker released this week showed that Samsung has overtaken Apple to claim the No. 1 spot in the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) mobile phone market. Samsung has been growing rapidly and has shown continuous growth for the past three quarters in the ANZ market.
MyNetFone launches ADSL plan with free relocations for renters
National broadband player MyNetFone has launched an ADSL broadband plan that comes with 500GB of data and unlimited free relocations, in a move that the telco said would be aimed at Australia’s army of home renters, who may regularly relocate to new premises.
AFP raids Parliament House over NBN leaks
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has confirmed a raid on Parliament House yesterday in relation to its investigation into the alleged unauthorised disclosure of Commonwealth information relating to NBN Co.
Govt’s MyHealth Record scheme a “privacy disaster”, warns Privacy Foundation
The Australian Privacy Foundation (APF) has warned that the Federal Government’s
MyHealth Record system is a "privacy disaster waiting to happen".
NBN take-up “a bitter jest”, says Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has labelled news that NBN Co has signed up some 4,000 customers to its networks as "a bitter jest", pointing out that the company's own corporate plan planned for 35,000 customers to be using the infrastructure by June 2011, and 137,000 by June 2012.
MYOB bought out by private equity again
Multinational private equity giant Bain Capital over the weekend revealed it had bought MYOB, in a move which will see the Australian financial software house change hands into its second private equity owner in the past three years.
Turnbull’s MyBroadband tracker overestimates broadband speeds
A crowdsourced comparison of real-world broadband speeds has appeared to show that the MyBroadband broadband availability site launched by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week is significantly inaccurate, with speeds being almost universally below the data produced by the site.
Three-year NBN plan shows no politically motivated pattern
Analysis of the National Broadband Network’s three year plan released last week appears to show that the NBN company is not following a politically motivated pattern with respect to its rollout, with Labor and the Coalition largely receiving equal treatment from the company ahead of the upcoming Federal Election.
Health Dept rejects IBM review allegation
The Federal Department of Health and Ageing has issued a sharp statement rejecting a report that it had kicked off an urgent review of its recent decision to retain long-term partner IBM for a key outsourcing contract, without putting the work out to formal tender.
Qld poaches SA whole of govt CIO
The Queensland Government has poached South Australia's whole of government chief information officer Andrew Mills to be its own central CIO, six months after it removed two-time incumbent Peter Grant from the position.
Turnbull slams Conroy’s “incompetence”as NBN bills pass
Two key pieces of legislation relating to the National Broadband Network have been approved by both houses of parliament in Canberra, after a week of prolonged debate and negotiation which Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull today described as a “spectacle”.
Senate Committee calls NBN Co for full day of hearings
The Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network has resolved to hold another full day of hearings in Canberra, with the date to be 15 March and the only witness to be called being the NBN company.
What’s actually important for the NBN: Upload speeds
Shadow Assistant Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has published an opinionated article arguing strongly that upload speeds represent one of the key aspects of Australia's current and future broadband needs and that this issue has been almost completely overlooked under the Coalition's "dog's breakfast" Multi-Technology Mix model for NBN Co's rollout.
Gold Coast police commences roll out of body-worn cameras
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has started a roll out of body-worn video cameras (BWV) for frontline officers on the Gold Coast, thanks to $6 million in local government funding.
IT price hike inquiry kicks off: Submissions wanted
The Federal Parliament's inquiry into local price markups on technology goods and services has gotten under way, with the committee overseeing the initiative issuing its terms of reference and calling for submissions from the general public on the issue.
Whirlpool more accurate than AFR, says Conroy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has delivered a fiery tirade against the media for constantly repeating misconceptions about Labor's National Broadband Network project, singling out the Financial Review newspaper for particular ridicule and recommending that those interested in accuracy read broadband forum Whirlpool.
Lonely Planet dumps SAP, Salesforce.com for NetSuite
Business software giant NetSuite has revealed that Australia-headquartered travel publishing firm Lonely Planet will consolidate its business systems on the vendor's OneWorld platform, ditching existing systems from rivals SAP (R/3 4.7) and Salesforce.com in the process.
CenITex blogger gives up the ghost
A controversial blogger who has been anonymously posting unsubstantiated information from within Victorian IT shared services agency CenITex has called it quits.
No ‘giant’ Govt datacentre, says Tanner
Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner today promised the Federal Government would not concentrate all of its resources in "one giant datacentre", as he outlined a 15-year plan for Canberra's $850 million annual datacentre needs going forward.
DBCDE forum reveals filter legislation not drafted
Electronic Frontiers Australia today revealed Stephen Conroy's department was hosting a protected online forum to discuss controversial issues about the Government's internet filter initiative, including the lack of a complete draft of the planned legislation as of several weeks ago and the possibility of making it an offence to promote methods of circumventing the filter.
Universities must adapt education models: Conroy
Australian universities need to adapt their education models or face becoming irrelevant, says Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
TPG buyout to require public inquiry, says iiNet
The chief executive of iiNet today said a public inquiry would need to be held if rival broadband company TPG decided to extend its stake in his company to the point where an acquisition was on the cards -- and the issue could become a policy question to be decided by the Federal Government.
FTTN congestion often ‘user error’, says Turnbull
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has dismissed widespread complaints from early adopters of the Government's preferred Fibre to the Node rollout model that the technology is slower than ADSL, attributing many of the issues to end users' home setups, including their computers and Wi-Fi routers.
Primus wins million dollar Payless Shoes deal
Independent Australian footwear retail chain, Payless Shoes has inked a million dollar, three-year deal with Primus Telecom, one of Australia’s largest telecommunication carriers. Primus will provide an integrated Voice and Data Network solution that includes a network-based EFTPOS system plus additional hosted services across the retailer's 232 stores and its Sydney-based head office.
Optus targets renters with 50GB 4G wireless broadband plan
Australia’s second-largest telecommunications company, Optus, has announced a new 50GB 4G wireless broadband plan it says is perfect for renters or students who need to quickly set up a reliable Internet connection or those living in areas with no access to cable broadband.
“Nepotism”: Audit blasts CenITex culture
Victoria’s Ombudsman today published a damning report into procurement practices and the engagement of contractors at the state’s IT shared services agency CenITex, finding examples of “nepotism and favouritism” in the company, as well as more serious improper conduct and poor procedures for handling CenITex’s large contractor workforce.
Apple claims second position in Aussie PC market
For the first time, Apple has overtaken Acer and Dell this quarter in PC unit shipments in the Australia and New Zealand market to claim second position behind HP. This could be the effect of its retail store expansion and the launch of the Macbook Air Sandy Bridge refresh model.
iiNet ramps up Internode digestion
iiNet has taken several key milestone actions over the past week as it continues its ongoing efforts to integrate the operations of fellow national broadband provider Internode into its own, following its acquisition of the company in late December last year.
iPad ship date slips to June 7?
The Australian shipping date for Apple's iPad appears to have been shifted back from May 28, with Apple's online store now listing the "estimated" date as "by June 7th".
Choice wants geo-IP blocking abolished
One of Australia's peak consumer groups has recommended the Federal Government investigate whether region-coding and charging Australians higher prices for products based on Internet IP address should be banned, in the context of an investigation which has found little justification for average Australian price hikes of 50 percent on technology goods.
Borders gets into bed with Foursquare
Borders has recently been making waves in the Australian market for its strong push into eBooks. But it turns out the giant book retailer also has another technological card up its sleeve: A partnership with location sharing platform Foursquare.
Fujitsu to deploy emergency dispatch system for Tasmania
Fujitsu has signed a contract with the Tasmanian Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management for the implementation of a new computer-aided dispatch system for emergency services.
Samsung Galaxy Note launches in Australia
Samsung launched its Galaxy Note Android handset in Australia on Tuesday. The device, which the company claims is a product category of its own, is described as having the benefits of a tablet while maintaining the functionality of a smartphone.
iiNet, Internode implement Conroy’s new filter
National broadband provider iiNet and its subsidiary Internode have pledged to implement the limited child abuse Internet filtering scheme adopted as policy last week by the Federal Government, noting they had received independent legal advice advising them to comply with a new "compulsory" request by police to do so.
Pauline Hanson to fix NBN “white elephant” with FTTN/Wi-Fi combo
Senator-Elect Pauline Hanson wants to use a combination of Fibre to the Node and a wireless technology similar to Wi-Fi, it has emerged, as the One Nation Leader takes a step into the national spotlight courtesy of her victory in the Senate over the weekend.
NBN launches first FTTN connections in Victoria
The NBN's first fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) services have launched in Victoria, bringing upgraded internet services to thousands more homes and businesses in the state.
Microsoft breaks Telstra Office 365 monopoly
Technology giant Microsoft has revealed plans to break the monopoly which its partner Telstra has on selling its Office 365 software as a service productivity suite in Australia, in a move which will widen the software's ecosystem substantially.
RIM Australia MD quits
The long-time leader of Research in Motion's Australian division has quit her post, leaving the company she has spent a decade at, as it continues to flounder in a market increasingly dominated by competing platforms from Apple and Google.
AGIMO starts blogging as Govt 2.0 response released
The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) has created a new public blog in what is so far the most visible result to the Federal Government's formal response handed down today to its enquiry last year into how it could better use Web 2.0 technologies to enhance transparency and community engagement.
Experts agree: Labor’s NBN ads are false
A trio of Australia's most prominent telecommunications analysts have reportedly backed complaints by the Coalition that much of Labor's election campaign material about the National Broadband Network contains outright lies or otherwise misleading material.
‘Too busy’: Attorney-General refuses election interview on online rights issues
Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has flatly refused to take part in a live election interview on key technology issues in his portfolio, such as copyright reform, data retention, telecommunications surveillance and Internet piracy, stipulating instead that all questions on the issues must be submitted in writing.
Lenovo tablets to hit Australia in September
Global technology giant Lenovo this afternoon revealed it would shortly become the newest contender in what is speedily becoming a very crowded local tablet computing market, confirming plans to launch two new ranges of devices running Android 3.1 in September this year.
Video: The iPad Sydney Sleepout
This awesome video by Variety Garage chronicles the overnight queue to buy iPads at the Sydney CBD Apple Store last week. It was produced by Jeremy Moses, the brother of Sydney Morning Herald technology editor Asher Moses, and the quality is excellent. Highly recommended!
NSW Police under fire again for pirating software
The long-running battle between enterprise IT vendor Micro Focus and NSW Police over the force's allegedly illegitimate use of millions of dollars worth of software hit headlines again this week, with the broadcast of a significant investigation into the matter by the 7:30 Report.
4G “far superior” to the NBN, claims Joe Hockey
Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has inaccurately claimed that 4G mobile broadband has the potential to be "far superior" to the fibre technology which Labor's National Broadband Network policy features, in a controversial interview in which he also claimed that it could cost Australians up to $1,000 to connect to the NBN.
Microsoft Surface 3 4G hits Australia this month
Microsoft Australia says the Surface 3 4G LTE will soon be on sale at select outlets in Australia, while the Microsoft Band and Surface Book will soon be more widely available.
NBN says customers just as happy with FTTN or FTTP
The NBN company today stated that customers using its Fibre to the Node service were just as satisfied with their broadband service as those using Fibre to the Premises services, on the basis of the industry standard Net Promoter Score rating.
Conroy opens Tassie NBN ops centre
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy today opened the new network operations centre for the National Broadband Network in Tasmania, which will be operated by fibre...
NBN Senate Committee will hold hearings next week … without NBN Co
The Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network has resolved to hold hearings in Parliament House in Canberra next Friday 4 March, but has opted to hear from a diverse range of witnesses in academia and industry, without the presence of its usual target, the NBN company.
Telstra deal may delay NBN second release
Fledgling fibre monopoly NBN Co this afternoon said the delay in finalising its $11 billion arrangement with the nation’s largest telco Telstra could affect the timing of the delivery of services to the second wave of release sites as part of the national fibre rollout effort.
Late to the party: Vodafone still wants to provide fixed NBN services
Mobile telco Vodafone has confirmed it is still planning to eventually offer fixed broadband services over the National Broadband Network’s infrastructure, despite the fact that its trial over the NBN died a quiet death several years ago.
NBN Co to release updated rollout stats
NBN Co has confirmed it will shortly release updated statistics relating to how many premises its predominantly fibre network was deployed to over the last quarter of 2012, in what is expected to be an extremely closely watched announcement which will do much to qualify the network’s progress ahead of the upcoming Federal Election.
Huawei’s Ascend P1 lands in Australia
Chinese manufacturer Huawei this morning confirmed that it had started selling its high-end Android smartphone, the Ascend P1, in Australia, with the model being on sale outright through retailer Dick Smith for $499.
ACCC concerned about Foxtel/Austar merger
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced on Friday that it had delayed its decision on approving Foxtel’s takeover bid for Austar until September.
Further evidence Turnbull’s MyBroadband tracker overestimates speeds
The Australian Labor Party has published what it claims is further evidence that the MyBroadband broadband availability site launched by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull in February is significantly inaccurate, with average broadband speeds in the Federal electorate of Perth universally below the data produced by the site.
EMC, HP, DiData win big in Queensland
EMC, Hewlett-Packard, Dimension Data and Communications Design Management have picked up major contracts to aid the Queensland Government in consolidating its technology infrastructure under its state-owned ICT services provider CITEC.
Qld confirms plans to sell CITEC
The Queensland State Government this week confirmed plans to sell its ICT shared services division CITEC, as well as its information brokerage arm, adopting recommendations stemming from the Commission of Audit into the state's operations led by former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello.
NBN Co “in crisis”, Turnbull tells Albanese: Answers needed immediately
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has issued a backhanded welcome message to his new opposite, Communications Minister Anthony Albanese, accusing the NBN of being "in crisis" and of being infected by "the dysfunctional revolving door culture of NSW Labor".
Misleading ads: ACCC wins appeal against Google
The Full Federal Court of Australia has ruled that Google breached the law by displaying misleading or deceptive advertisements on its search results pages. The decision follows an appeal by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), following an earlier decision in favour of Google.
Turnbull rips copyright portfolio from Attorney-General’s Dept
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ripped responsibility for copyright (including Internet piracy), classification and censorship matters out of the portfolio of Attorney-General George Brandis and allocated them to Communications Minister Mitch Fifield, in what appears to be a damning indictment of Brandis’ handling of the issues.
Cross-platform tools luring mobile app developers back from HTML5
Many performance and functionality-minded application developers, who are shifting back to proprietary mobile apps after growing disillusioned with the limitations of HTML5, will find solace in today’s launch of a cross-platform development tool that allows Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android and Windows RT apps to be written using the popular C++ and Delphi development languages.
Telstra buys MSC Mobility to boost enterprise mobility focus
Telstra has announced it is acquiring long-term partner MSC Mobility (MSC), a provider of mobile device solutions for businesses in Australia, in a move that is designed to enhance the telco's enterprise mobility capabilities.
One day later, Health confirms $109m IBM renewal
Just 24 hours after publicly denying it had renewed its long-running comprehensive IT outsourcing arrangement with technology behemoth IBM, the Federal Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA) has reversed its statement and confirmed the arrangement.
Exetel shuns ‘pointless’ Interpol filter
Exetel has joined ranks with Internode and TPG with respect to the limited filtering scheme being rolled out by Telstra and Optus, with the ISP's chief executive John Linton today stating it would not implement the scheme unless required to do so by law, and describing the industry association backing the project as "a bunch of wankers with nothing better to do with their time than pointlessly pontificate".
Turnbull insists MTM CBN not “old technology”
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has issued a statement insisting that the Coalition's new "Multi-Technology Mix" approach to its Coalition's Broadband Network (CBN) project is "NOT" "old technology", despite that several of its constituent parts -- the existing copper and HFC cable networks -- 15 years to many decades old.
Telcos want to write own guideline for broadband speed claims
Telecoms industry body Communications Alliance, along with the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), have together proposed a new industry guideline for firms making representations to consumers about the performance of broadband services.
Legal threat: Cudo warns deals aggregator site
Australian 'deal of the day' site Cudo has sent local group buying aggregation site Buyii a letter claiming it is infringing its copyright by listing its deals and logo alongside those of rivals.
Minister Fifield appears ignorant of NBN Optus HFC disaster
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has publicly reaffirmed his confidence in the fitness of Optus' HFC cable network for use as part of the National Broadband Network, in comments which appear to show that he has no knowledge of deep concerns by the NBN company itself that the network is unusable.
Fletcher to assist Turnbull with NBN
As expected, Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott has named Malcolm Turnbull as incoming Communications Minister in his new cabinet, additionally appointing Liberal MP and former Optus executive Paul Fletcher as a parliamentary secretary to assist the Member for Wentworth in dealing with the communications portfolio.
Western Sydney Uni deploys 5,000 Microsoft Surface tablets
Western Sydney University is to deploy 5,000 Microsoft Surface 3 devices in order to boost flexible learning within its courses.
Finally, Foxtel launches full IPTV service
Pay TV giant Foxtel has launched an Internet streaming version of its service that will allow those with certain smart TVs, gaming consoles or generic personal computers connected to their TVs to access a large chunk of the company's content through the public Internet, without the normal requirement to have a Foxtel cable or satellite connection.
Salesforce best place to work in Australia, survey finds
Cloud computing firm Salesforce has been voted the best place to work in Australia for companies with over 100 employees.
Pirate Party: Circumvention promotion offence like Iran, China
The Pirate Party Australia has likened the idea being discussed by the Federal broadband department that promotion of circumvention of the internet filter could become an offence to opporessive censorship regimes in Iran and China.
AFACT to appeal some iiTrial court costs
The Australian Federation Against Copyright theft this afternoon confirmed it would attempt to regain some of the court costs it expended in its long-running...
Poor OzLog consultation led to FUD, finds Senate
The Senate's communications committee yesterday took an axe to the proposal by the Attorney-General's Departmentment to force ISPs to retain data about all telephone calls and emails made by Australians, highlighting a lack of consultation with the wider community which had given the so-called 'OzLog' proposal a bad reputation.
“Mostly false”: Politifact disputes Labor’s $5k NBN fibre claim
The Australian version of pioneering US fact-checking website Politifact has given a "mostly false" rating to Labor's claim that the Coalition's National Broadband Network policy will see Australians charged $5,000 for access to fibre broadband infrastructure, in one of the site's first fact-checks on the Australian political arena after its launch this week.
Vodafone may support Interpol filter
National mobile carrier Vodafone has signalled its support for the new voluntary Internet filtering scheme being implemented by rivals Telstra and Optus, but has refused to clarify whether it will definitely implement the scheme or not.
Telstra unveils “double speed” USB modem
Telstra has unveiled a new USB modem that will allow customers to take advantage of the dual-carrier speed upgrade it switched on in its Next G mobile broadband network last month, saying the device would go on sale "later this year".
Free Wi-Fi hits more Sydney ferries
The New South Wales Government has extended its provision of free Wi-Fi access on Sydney ferries to cover a total of 13 vessels, in the wake of a trial last year which had seen more than 140,000 people logging on to the network initially set up on the Manly Ferry.
High Court doesn’t feel the Optus vibe
The High Court has knocked back Optus' request to appeal its lost case against sporting groups the NRL, AFL and rival telco Telstra over Optus' TV Now cloud TV recording service, spelling the end of the ongoing legal action on the issue.
Copyright Review will be published by March
The Attorney-General's Department has stated that it believes the Government has an obligation to publish by the end of February the full report which the Australian Law Reform Commission has painstakingly generated over the past several years into whether the Copyright Act is adequate to handle the new digital environment.
Cloud could help fix Govt IT paradigm: Hodgkinson
Independent analyst firm Ovum said this week that developing and maintaining ICT capabilities constitutes an ongoing challenge for government agencies, with one of the organisation's Australian public sector specialists noting that the utilisation of cloud computing services could provide an edge in an “unsustainable game of ICT snakes and ladders being played by many government agencies”.
Farce: NSW Govt suspends UberX drivers while review is underway
NSW Roads and Maritime Services this week revealed it had suspended some forty owners of vehicles involved in UberX-style ride-sharing services, ruling the use of vehicles for this purpose as illegal, despite the fact that the State Government is currently conducting a review into the future of the related taxi industry.
Vendors poach another Qld central Govt CIO
Queensland-based software vendor Technology One has poached the executive in charge of the state government's IT renewal program to become a business development executive, in a move that will further stimulate ongoing questions about the close relationship between the state's public sector and its IT vendors.
ANZ continues super-regional IT strategy
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group has given a series of tantalising hints about what technology projects have taken up its time over the past six months, in a half-yearly financial results session today which emphasised the bank’s strategy of focusing on investing on growth in markets in the Asia-Pacific region rather than Australia.
iiNet offers 50% discount on terabyte HFC cable plans
iiNet is offering a 50 percent discount for a limited period on HFC cable plans in some parts of Victoria where it owns its own infrastructure.
ASIC repeatedly delays S.313 FoI responses
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has on multiple occasions over the past month, involving multiple parties, delayed responding to Freedom of Information requests seeking documents relating to its controversial decision to start unilaterally blocking websites it suspects of fraudulent activity.
Pollenizer coup: Dealised wins $5m round
Australian tech startup incubator Pollenizer has notched up another major success, announcing this morning that its Dealised company whose technology underpins Australian group buying site Spreets has taken a $5 million investment round led by a venture capital fund belonging to Singaporean telecommunications giant SingTel.
Ludlam warns Turnbull: Don’t be a “NBN wrecker”
Greens Communications Spokesman Scott Ludlam today welcomed Malcolm Turnbull's appointment as Shadow Communications Minister but warned the Liberal heavyweight against "wrecking" Labor's National Broadband Network project.
Optus HFC cable to hit 100Mbps by mid-2010
The nation's number two telco Optus today said it was on schedule to upgrade the speed of its HFC cable network in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to 100Mbps by mid-2010.
Victoria to trial IoT tech for better water management
In what it is calling "an Australian first", Victoria's South East Water has started trials of a new low-powered Internet of Things (IoT) technology to improve real-time monitoring and help to boost the reliability, efficiency and safety of its water and sewer assets.
Conroy retains broadband portfolio, Wong takes finance
Senator Stephen Conroy has retained the portfolio of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy in the new Gillard Labor Government and been slightly promoted, while former Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has taken Lindsay Tanner's role in Finance and Deregulation.
Labor MP tables anti-TPP petition with over 300,000 signatures
An anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) petition with over 300,000 signatures has been has tabled before Parliament by Labor MP Melissa Parke.
ICT Audit largely clears Federal Govt of problems
A comprehensive ICT audit of the Federal Government's ICT operations has largely found they are sound and performing to required standards, with expenditure within appropriate levels and only a small proportion of major ICT projects at risk.
NBN changes mind again: Some HFC suburbs to get FTTN after all
The NBN company last week reportedly said it would deploy its Fibre to the Node rollout model to some areas already covered by HFC cable networks, in a move which appears to represent the second time the company has changes its policy on the issue.
Investigation finds WA Dept of Health botched Fujitsu core computing contract
Western Australia's Auditor General has released a damning report identifying weakness and inconsistencies in the management of the Centralised Computing Services contract at the Department of Health.
Bailey quits Macquarie for non-profit COO role
Long-time Macquarie University chief information officer Marc Bailey has left the educational institution to join non-profit group Intersect, which focuses on applying advanced ICT technologies to the practice of research.
DHS issues show Turnbull’s innovation talk just ‘spam’, says Labor
Labor has criticised the Turnbull government over recent IT and other issues at the Department of Human Services (DHS), saying they reveal that the Prime Minster's talk of Innovation is just "spam".
Unita dumps MYOB, Excel spreadsheets for NetSuite
Interior-construction company Unita has replaced a number of instances of MYOB, Accentus and Excel spreadsheets with a single instance of NetSuite OneWorld to manage its core business processes.
Cloud computing could cause the next Industrial Revolution, says Telstra
The cloud has sparked true IT transformation, and could potentially usher in a new Industrial Revolution, according to an opinion piece penned by Michelle Bendschneider – Telstra's Executive Director, Global Products.
Jump On It makes founders overnight millionaires
Think Australia doesn't have what it takes to build a new Google or Facebook? Think again.
Beattie “ashamed” of Australia’s Internet piracy
Former Queensland Labor Premier Peter Beattie has published a strongly worded article stating that he is "ashamed" of Australia's record on Internet piracy, in the latest sign that the two major sides of politics may be in agreement about the need to tackle the issue through new legislation.
“An absolute national imperative”: Matt Barrie’s epic rant on Australia’s IT investment
Freelancer.com chief executive Matt Barrie has published an impassioned article on his LinkedIn profile strongly heavily criticising the Government for its underinvestment in the technology sector, which he said had led to a situation where Australia is devoid of good IT talent and "missing out" on the ongoing industry revolution.
UTS creates new CIO role
The University of Technology, Sydney, has kicked off a hiring process for a newly created chief information officer position to help it with a substantial investment program associated with its campus located just outside the Sydney central business district.
News aggregator Wotnews shuts down
Australian Internet news aggregator Wotnews has announced it will shut the site down to focus on its sister site WeAreHunted, potentially leaving site investor and Wotif.com multimillionaire Graeme Wood out of pocket.
Brumby creates pro-NBN Facebook group
Victorian Premier and Labor stalwart John Brumby yesterday issued a statement noting he had created a new Facebook group where Victorians concerned about the Coalition’s broadband policy could make their feelings known.
ANZ Bank inks $450m deal with IBM
ANZ Bank this morning revealed it had signed a $450 million deal with global technology firm IBM that would allow the bank to access all of IBM’s technology and feature an ‘Innovation Lab’ to more rapidly bring new products and services to market.
Labor pledges to go after Apple for “extraordinary” tax habits
The Federal Opposition this week pledged to force tech companies like Apple and Google to pay their "fair share of tax in Australia", with Shadow Communications Minister Jason Clare describing Apple Australia's claim that it should only pay $85 million of tax on local revenues of almost $8 billion as "extraordinary".
National incompetence: UK broadband massively improves while Australia dithers
UK telco regulator Ofcom has released a report showing that the country's average fixed-line broadband speed has dramatically improved by 11Mbps over the past five years, a period in which Australians have seen virtually no improvement due to a failure of the nation's politicians and telcos to agree on a unified upgrade path.
Internode CTO quits iiNet after two years
Long-time Internode chief technology officer John Lindsay has resigned from a similar position at the company's owner iiNet, just two years after iiNet bought the South Australian ISP.
ASG buys IT consulting firm Capiotech
Perth-based IT services group ASG has picked up IT consulting firm Capiotech for about $30 million, bringing 90 staff on board and enhancing the company's business intelligence capability.
Google exodus: Lars Rasmussen + Kate Vale gone
Search giant Google appears to have suffered several high-profile local departures, with both its first Australian employee and current local head of YouTube Kate Vale and its engineering chief and Google Maps and Wave co-founder Lars Rasmussen signalling they had left the company.
Govt commissions cyber-security whitepaper
Three of the Gillard Government's heaviest-hitting ministers have teamed up to announce this morning that their respective portfolio departments will work together to develop a major new white paper to map out the nation's response to cybersecurity issues which they say continue to build in importance.
Queensland policeman charged over unauthorised database access
A police constable from Queensland has been removed from official duty and charged with misconduct over unauthorised access of a police database, after an investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).
Microsoft bumps Fellows to Asia-Pac role
Microsoft has promoted Tracey Fellows, the long running chief of its Australian division to run its Asia-Pacific operation; but without immediately clarifying the identity of the executive's successor or whether a direct replacement would be appointed.
$6,500 StarCraft II tournament hits Australia
It's been more than 12 years since Blizzard Entertainment launched the first game in its extremely popular StarCraft franchise. Version 2 will hit Australia at midnight on Monday night -- and the nation's gamers are ready.
Photos: Fujitsu opens Perth datacentre with sake for all
IT services giant Fujitsu this week opened what it billed as the nation's most advanced datacentre in Perth, signing up Commonwealth Bank subsidiary Bankwest as a key customer. The facility comprises 8000 square metres of tier three datacentre space, with three main general data halls and three smaller halls for companies requiring dedicated private suites.
Optus gets exclusive Motorola Androids
Mobile phone manufacturer Motorola will launch several handsets based on Google's Android operating system in Australia on April 9, exclusive to Optus.
Turnbull concerned by Google, Amazon tax offshoring
International technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon may not be paying their fair share of Australian tax, Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said this week, with local tax laws not having caught up yet with the challenges of the digital environment.
Pirate Party slams extreme govt secrecy
Pirate Party Australia has condemned the actions of Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, whose department has refused to release documents regarding closed door discussions on the issue of Internet copyright infringement under Freedom of Information laws.
Is HP currently cutting Australian jobs?
Global technology giant HP has refused to say whether or not the 25,000 to 30,000 job cuts it is making globally will have an impact on the company’s extensive Australian workforce, although speculation flying around Australia’s IT industry this afternoon and the company’s past history suggests Australia will not be spared.
‘Bring your own app’ revolution hits Australia
Australian organisations are increasingly allowing their staff to use their own software at work, in a trend being dubbed "Bring Your Own Apps" or BYOA, according to a new survey of Australian chief information officers and other senior IT staff.
NBN satellite engineer wins Australia Day honours
One of the key engineers who helped guide the NBN company's first satellite into orders has been awarded Australia Day Honours.
NBN finally overhauls damaged CVC pricing model
The NBN company has finally overhauled its controversial 'Connectivity Virtual Circuit' (CVC) pricing model in an attempt to unlock further uptake of its infrastructure and reward retail Internet service providers who provide adequate broadband capacity to their customers.
iiNet enters mobile market … but you’ll need your own phone
iiNet yesterday launched a range of mobile phone plans, allowing existing customers of its broadband offerings to bundle mobile services into their bill. But there's just one catch; customers will need to bring their own phone.
Cohen supported iSOFT buyout, claims investor
One of the key investors in troubled e-health software giant iSOFT has claimed that the company's former executive chairman Gary Cohen was supportive of a buyout of the company by IT services giant CSC, despite the fact that Cohen last week filed legal proceedings in what appeared to be an attempt to block part of the acquisition.
MyNetFone blasts Labor, Coalition for ignoring NBN congestion
MyNetFone, the provider of hosted voice and data communications services, has hit out at both the Coalition Government and Labor, saying neither has addressed the "inadequacies" of the NBN’s commercial model in their election pledges.
Trinity iPad trial recommends wider rollout
A detailed report into one of Australia's first iPad rollouts in an educational setting has recommended the popular Apple tablets be rolled out to all staff and students at a university college, following positive results from a trial involving limited numbers of staff and students.
‘Insane’ NBN pricing will kill small ISPs: Hackett
Internode managing director Simon Hackett today described the National Broadband Network’s pricing model as “insane” for small internet service providers, warning that none will survive their walk through the “valley of death” transition from the current copper network to the fibre future envisioned by the Federal Government.
Australian standard published for IT governance
Australia's peak standards-setting body in late December claimed to have published what it described as "a significant new standard" that would support in successfully governing major information technology projects.
Can Australia lead global cloud market?
The Australian Government’s IT industry advisory body has stated in a report that the nation has the scope to become a global leader in cloud computing technology and drive innovation and productivity.
Apple Australia sold 1 million iPads in 2011
New research published by analyst house Telsyte has revealed that Apple sold about one million iPads in Australia in 2011, representing around 76 percent of the total local market for new burgeoning tablet category.
NSW releases draft ICT strategy to lead tech sector
The NSW State Government has released a draft ICT strategic framework, which it hopes will help it become a leader in technology across Australia.
TPG pledges to retain iiNet, Internode brands, call centre
news TPG has told iiNet staff that it will maintain the iiNet and Internode brands as well as the pair’s call centre operations, as...
ANZ becomes Apple Pay’s first Australian bank partner
ANZ Bank has announced that it now offers Apple Pay to its five million Australian customers, becoming the first bank in the country to do so.
Conroy factually incorrect on Internode NBN submission
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has been caught out making a factually incorrect public statement about national broadband provider Internode, falsely claiming the company did not make a submission to the competition regulator's 2010 inquiry into the number of points of interconnect the National Broadband Network would need.
Google destroys Aussie Wi-Fi data
Search giant Google today revealed that several months ago it had destroyed the payload data its Streetview cars had collected over the past several years as they brushed past Wi-Fi networks on their journeys around Australia, finally putting an end to one of the Australian technology sector's most controversial privacy scandals.
Fixed broadband replacement? Voda unveils 20GB mobile plan
National mobile operator Vodafone this week launched what it said was Australia’s largest data allowance in a smartphone plan, offering customers 20GB of quota for $130 per month on a two-year plan and pitching the plan as a potential replacement for customers’ traditional fixed broadband plans.
ABC tech editor claims broadcaster “gagged” his NBN coverage
The ABC's outgoing technology editor today claimed he had been "gagged" by the broadcaster from publishing further articles about the National Broadband Network, after several initial articles heavily criticised the Coalition's Multi-Technology Mix model.
NBN revises June forecast to 190k to 220k
NBN Co today revealed it would substantially downgrade its forecast figure for how many premises its fibre network will have passed by the end of June this year, with the figure shifting down from an initial 341,000 premises (including green- and brownfields premises) to between 190,000 and 220,000 premises, as construction delays have continued to bite the company.
Sell off the NBN? Abbott won’t confirm or deny
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has repeatedly refused to confirm or deny whether the Coalition would sell off finished portions of the National Broadband Network infrastructure if it won the next Federal Election, stating only that the Coalition believed the private sector could deliver broadband to Australia better than the Government.
Nokia: Lumia 800 hits Australia in March
Nokia has reportedly revealed that its first smartphones to feature the Windows Phone 7 operating system, the Lumia 800 and 710, will hit Australia in March, with the 800 to launch through all major local carriers.
Status quo remains in Telstra’s South Brisbane
The nation's largest telco Telstra has confirmed it will not address several of the largest complaints by other ISPs about the way it is handling its new fibre rollout in the South Brisbane exchange area, despite signing a new accord regarding the region with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
Carnegie unveils $120m ‘digital’ fund
Venture capital and private equity firm M. H. Carnegie has revealed it is preparing to launch an $120 million venture capital fund using local user interface and digital marketing firm Vivant as an incubation facility, in one of the more unusual such collaborations seen so far in Australia.
Transport for NSW signs huge IT deal with CSC
Transport for NSW has announced the signing of a "major contract" with multinational IT corporation CSC to transform its back-of-house IT systems.
Foxtel is about to go after The Pirate Bay
Foxtel has indicated it will shortly take to the courts to use brand new legislation to have websites allegedly infringing copyright blocked, with analysis of the company’s public statements on the issue indicating that popular file-sharing site The Pirate Bay is likely to be one of the pay television giant’s first targets.
Telstra bill hits parliament, supported by … Telstra
Labor has reintroduced its controversial telecommunications industry overhaul legislation back into parliament, backed by heavy-hitting statements about the bill's necessity by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and Telstra itself.
SAP user group launches CIO Council
The SAP Australian User Group has created a chief information officer council with an initial steering committee from the retail and energy sectors to provide a collective voice for IT chiefs in communicating with the German software giant.