Subliminal advertising gets iiNet ad banned
The industry self-regulatory body governing television commercials has withdrawn approval for an iiNet advertisement to be shown on television, following revelations the ad contained subliminal advertising communicating a hidden message to viewers.
Buy a HTC 7 Trophy, get a free XBOX 360 [mkt]
Been working up the courage to ask your spouse if you can buy an XBOX 360? Now you don't have to. Vodafone has a special until the end of March where if you buy one a HTC 7 Trophy handset on a $49 or higher monthly plan, you'll get a free XBOX plus either one of Microsoft's new Kinect motion-tracking controllers or a copy of Fable III or Halo Reach.
ABC wants Apple, Android, Windows tablets
I would not be surprised at all if major Australian corporations were eyeing off Windows 8 and its bevy of hardware partners at this point, and wondering if the platform will allow them a much greater degree of control, flexibility and manageability over the tablets that they use than Apple's iPad will.
Lockheed Martin wins ATO desktop deal
The Australian Taxation Office has awarded Lockheed Martin – a US technology giant more known for its strengths in the construction of fighter jets and missiles than in enterprise IT services – preferred tenderer status for a contract estimated at $60 million a year for the provision of desktop PC and other end-user computing services.
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.
NBN Co updates rollout maps with new premises
The National Broadband Network Company has updated its dynamic rollout map with details of thousands of new premises where construction contracts have been signed, giving Australians a great deal more certainty about whether their premise will be included in the company's next round of Fibre to the Premises broadband deployment.
Telstra apologises for further network disruption
Telstra has apologised to customers for disruptions to broadband services in recent days, and offered advice to those still suffering issues.
CommBank standardises in-house fleet on iPhone
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has revealed that it will standardise its mobile phone fleet on Apple’s iPhone platform, as it progresses plans to move away from its
high-profile softphone-based unified communications strategy recently implemented at its flagship Commonwealth Bank Place facility in Sydney.
Victoria Govt launches $11m ICT fund
The Victorian Coalition Government has launched an $11 million 'Digital Futures Fund', which is aimed at giving a substantial boost to cutting edge Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects in the state.
Health ID bills pass Parliament
In what amounted to one of the most chaotic days ever experienced in Canberra yesterday, Federal Parliament still found time to approve the passage of legislation to create a national electronic health record scheme.
Watch: Turnbull implies he complained to ABC about “failed” NBN coverage
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to have implied that he made the same complaint to ABC management that he has previously made in public before the 2013 Federal Election, stating that the broadcaster had "failed" to provide balanced coverage of the competing National Broadband Network policies.
Atlassian files for IPO on the Nasdaq Global Market
Australian enterprise software provider Atlassian has publicly filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbol 'TEAM'.
Suncorp invests in Trōv ahead of insurance app launch
Suncorp has bought a US$5 million (A$6.59 million) equity stake in US-based tech firm Trōv.
Turnbull rejects Kohler’s “pure fantasy” NBN analysis
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has sharply rejected a column by high-profile business commentator Alan Kohler this morning which argued the Coalition's NBN policy as being "madness", describing the Business Spectator founder's words as "pure fantasy".
Photos: Vodafone goes Android crazy
When local mobile carrier VHA invited us last week to visit them at a special launch for the "Android man", we didn't quite know what the company was talking about. It turns out the Android man is just that -- a massive Android mascot which has been travelling around Sydney.
iiNet stops selling NBN satellite plans
National broadband provider iiNet has withdrawn its National Broadband Network satellite plans from sale, as the rapid up-take of customers on the service has resulted in a lack of available network capacity for new sign-ups.
“Cooked books”: Abbott misleads on NBN
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott appears to have made a number of mistakes or factual inaccuracies in a wide-ranging speech criticising Labor's National Broadband Network project, alleging, for example, that the project's funding was based on "cooked books" and that retail prices would be three times higher than on current broadband networks.
Westpac revamps broking platform
Top-tier bank Westpac has launched a new online trading platform for its 250,000 broking customers, describing the new tool as providing "fast and efficient" access.
Tribunal backs ACMA in EFA link censorship
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal has ruled against Electronic Frontiers Australia in a case in which the digital lobby group was protesting a takedown request from the communications regulator over a link to a banned abortion website hosted in the US.
“No influence”: AFP denies NBN raids politically motivated
The Australian Federal Police today said there had been zero political influence on the seven month investigation into damaging leaks from the NBN company which yesterday culminated in raids on Labor Party offices, with the Government itself only being told about the investigation yesterday.
Telstra’s cloud computing suffers 24 hour outage
Telstra has confirmed that it suffered a major outage in its high-end corporate cloud computing platform last week that left a number of its most high-profile customers without some of their services for a period as long as 24 hours.
NEC reveals rural broadband rollout
Telco and hardware manufacturer NEC has revealed a nation-wide expansion of its wholesale broadband network is nearing completion, with the last stage of the works to be finished by the end of 2011.
Conroy to release NBN Co plan Monday
The office of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has confirmed plans to release the National Broadband Network Company's long-awaited business plan for public viewing from Monday.
FTTP “superceded” by FTTN, claims Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week made the controversial claim that the fibre to the premises technology used in Labor's National Broadband Network had been "largely superceded" by the Coalition's preferred fibre to the node model, and that there wasn't significant evidence to show that the higher capacity of FTTP was "necessary" or "valuable".
Melbourne Cup with Atlassian looks fun
Nice little video produced about Melbourne Cup Day at Australian software company Atlassian. Looks like quite a lot of fun was had by all :)
Telstra, Optus, TPG, spend $1.9bn on spectrum
The Australian Communications and Media Authority this morning revealed that the majority of its auction of wireless spectrum, as expected, was snapped up by Telstra and Optus to fuel their 4G mobile broadband rollouts, with surprise bidder TPG also picking up a tiny portion of spectrum. The total raised from the sale was $1.9 billion.
IBM’s Stevens fires shot over CSC’s bow
For the past year or so IBM’s been targeting the utilities sector with its ‘Smarter Planet’ initiative, but it looks like Big Blue is finally going to throw money at one of Australia’s biggest sectors — resources.
We’re starting our own Reddit, with hookers and blackjack
Reddit doesn't link to enough Australian technology news and views. So Delimiter decided we'd start our own technology news Reddit -- with hookers and blackjack! In fact, forget the technology news Reddit!
NSW has handed out 66,000 student laptops
NSW Education Minister Verity Firth today gave an update on the state's implementation of the Federal Government's Digital Education Revolution initiative, saying some 66,000 laptops were handed out to students in year 9 last year.
Sun’s Aussie chief leaves Oracle ship
Sun Microsystems Australia and New Zealand managing director Andrew Goodlace appears to have left the company following its acquisition by software giant Oracle.
Amazon launches new flagship Kindle e-reader for $449
Amazon has launched a new flagship Kindle called the Oasis – the eighth generation of its dedicated e-reader device -- which will sell in Australia for the high price of AU$449.
Qantas Credit Union deploys Infosys Finacle’s ‘core banking as a service’
One of Australia’s largest credit unions, the Qantas Credit Union, has revealed it will deploy a new core banking platform from Infosys’ Finacle division (EdgeVerve Systems(, as well as a host of other related services, in a move that the bank says will see it transition to a ‘core banking as a service’ model.
NBN to hold HFC launch days before Election
The NBN company has revealed plans to hold a product launch just days before the upcoming Federal Election, in a move which has the potential to be interpreted as a breach of the Caretaker Conventions that govern the pre-election behaviour of public sector organisations.
Telstra to build $457m Qld Govt wireless network
The Queensland State Government announced yesterday that the nation's largest telco Telstra would design, build, operate and maintain a new statewide wireless network to be used by public safety agencies such as Queensland Police, at a total cost of $457.3 million over the next 15 years.
Labor raises “glaring omissions” in mobile blackspot funding
The Labor opposition has said that, while it supports the Government's pledge to add a further $60 million to the Mobile Black Spot Programme if reelected, allocation of funding across Australia is missing out areas that need it most.
Bill Ferris appointed chair of Innovation Australia
The founder of Australia's first venture capital company, Bill Ferris, AC, has been appointed Chair of Innovation Australia.
No more TouchPads for Australia
HP has reportedly confirmed that the last batch of its TouchPad tablets currently being manufactured will be available only in its North America region only -- meaning Australians will not get one last chance to pick up the now-canned devices for a song.
DSD approves BlackBerry PlayBook
Research in Motion (RIM) this morning announced its new PlayBook tablet had received certification for use by the Australian Government.
Tasmania can pay for its own FTTP NBN, says Fifield
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield yesterday issued a statement stating the broadband situation on the West Coast of Tasmania was already being handled through the NBN company's Technology Choice policy, which allows for Australians to pay for their own NBN upgrade.
Lifeline calls for CIO
Crisis organisation Lifeline has advertised for a chief information officer, describing the position as a "newly established role" that would give the chosen executive a chance to make their mark in an organisation that itself makes a difference to the lives of many Australians.
NSW Govt to get another central CIO group
There is tremendous scope to clean up the way the NSW Government does technology. But there is a long and hard road ahead for anybody who wants to embark on that effort.
Dick Smith in new offer after game sale fiasco
Electronics retailer Dick Smith has kicked off a new sale on video games and accessories, to mollify customers miffed by a poorly handled sale last week which saw thousands of customers lining up in front of stores for deals, only to walk away empty-handed.
Fletcher wants Oz to learn from UK broadband policy
In a new blog entry entitled “What can we learn from the UK?”, Liberal MP Paul Fletcher has lambasted the broadband policies of the Gillard Government, unfavourable contrasting them with the approach of the Cameron Government in the UK.
Appeal won’t stop illegal downloads: iiNet
iiNet chief executive Michael Malone this afternoon rejected a renewed legal challenge by a coalition of film and TV studios as "disappointing and frustrating", adding it would not stop illegal downloads of copyrighted material.
ACCC seeking feedback for communications sector market study
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released an 'issues paper' seeking feedback from industry and consumers as part of a market study of the communications sector.
“SYSTEMIC BUSINESS RISK”: 90% of Qld Govt’s ICT needs to be replaced Total cost:...
Ninety percent of the Queensland Government's ICT systems are outdated and will require replacement within five years at a total cost of $7.4 billion, the state's first comprehensive ICT audit released today revealed, as Queensland continues to grapple with the catastrophic outcome of years of "chronic underfunding" into its dilapidated ICT infrastructure.
WME, Appscore to add 70 tech jobs at new Melbourne HQ
Australian digital marketing agency Web Marketing Experts (WME) has announced that it will add 70 new jobs at its new Melbourne headquarters over the next 12 months – a figure that includes staff at its mobile-focused subsidiary Appscore.
Telstra unhappy with ACCC ADSL regulation
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) decision to declare (regulate) a wholesale ADSL service and set an interim access determination for it has elicited strong reactions from Telstra and Optus. While Telstra expressed disappointment at the ACCC decision, Optus welcomed it as a significant win for both consumers and the industry.
Chorus launches gigabit broadband across New Zealand
New Zealand telco Chorus is to extend its 1Gbps residential and small-to-medium business fibre broadband service across its entire ultra-fast broadband footprint from 1 October.
Immigration dumps Lotus in Microsoft focus
The Federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship has revealed as part of documents associated with a major IT outsourcing initiative that it is midway through the process of migrating off its Lotus Notes/Domino email platform and onto Microsoft's rival Outlook/Exchange system, as well as a number of other modernisation initiatives.
Telstra to launch HTC Wildfire in August
Telstra and HTC this afternoon revealed that the telco had won an exclusive deal to launch HTC's Android-based Wildfire handset in Australia in August -- but details remain scant as to pricing and availability.
Redundancies hit QBE’s IT department
Insurance giant QBE this afternoon confirmed it had made a number of staff in its IT department redundant and was seeking to hire a new chief information officer, as the company's profits took a hit following the global series of natural disasters.
You’ll get the NBN: Conroy promises Tassie schools
The Office of Communciations Minister Stephen Conroy has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to bringing the National Broadband Network to Tasmanian schools, in the wake of news yesterday that schools in early stage rollout zones in Tasmania had not had the NBN fibre switched on a year after it was connected.
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".
Internode reveals Tasmanian NBN plans
Available for order today, Internode announced today 15 Fibre to the the Home (FTTH) plans for the National Broadband Network (NBN) Stage 1 pilot program in Tasmania, with installations expected to be started from early July.
“Witch hunt”? Turnbull opens Labor NBN policy review
Malcolm Turnbull has appointed seasoned executive and public figure Bill Scales to conduct what the Communications Minister today described as an "independent audit" of the policy development process which led to the previous Government's National Broadband Network project, in an effort which is already being described as a "witch hunt" against Labor.
Roxon conflates cyber-bullies, protests, data retention
Nicola Roxon has publicly linked the religious protests held in Sydney last week over a YouTube video and the issue of cyber-bullying to the Federal Government's wide-ranging packaging of surveillance and data retention measures, in what the Federal Attorney-General stated was "a lot of different trends coming together".
Wesfarmers applies whip to Coles IT
Coles parent Wesfarmers today said it was "driving" the re-development of the supermarket chain's supply chain and associated IT systems "harder" as it rolled...
Qld may kill IBM payroll contract, seek damages
The Queensland State Government has demanded that IBM provide reasons why its contract at the centre of Queenland Health's disastrous payroll overhail should not be terminated, with the state reserving its right to withhold payment on the deal and seek damages.
Govt doesn’t trust “internet companies”, says Conroy
The Federal Government doesn't trust internet companies -- which he said were solely interested in profit -- to regulate their own sector, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said yesterday in response to questions about the Government's mandatory internet filter policy.
NSW Office of Environment and Heritage boosts mobility with shift to Office 365
The New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) says it has rolled out Office 365 in order to boost mobility for its many employees.
92 percent of Whirlpool users against filter
Early results from broadband information site Whirlpool's annual survey have found that 91.8 percent of respondents do not support the idea of mandatory internet filtering, with most believing the government should focus on educating parents and children instead.
Labor slams Govt over personal data breach notifications
The Labor opposition has strongly criticised the federal government over its failure to pass legislation on personal data breach notifications, saying Australians currently have no recourse if their data is hacked.
Government: 80% of TVs and computers to be recycled by 2021
The Australian Government has released a set of draft documents detailing new TV and computer recycling regulations that it says will see up to...
Ormiston College deploys smart Wi-Fi network to boost learning
Brisbane's Ormiston College has deployed a high-capacity, high-speed Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi network across its campus to support the education of over 1,500 students.
NAB sets 2016 target for final core migration
The National Australia Bank has given itself less than three years to complete its long-running, Oracle-based core banking systems replacement, with the project being the major piece of work still lagging in its total business technology transformation program, which has been under way since 2008/2009.
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.
Turnbull tried to kick Conroy off NBN Committee, says Palmer
Clive Palmer claimed over the weekend that in 2014, Malcolm Turnbull tried to use the Palmer United Party's votes in the Senate to get former Communications Minister Stephen Conroy removed from the Senate Select Committee into the NBN, replacing it with a joint committee.
Tension as NBN trial agreement ends
Tension is mounting between the National Broadband Network Company and its retail ISP customers about the final form of the wholesale agreement which will govern their relationship, with an impasse likely to leave the two sides unable to connect new retail NBN customers once an initial trial agreement ends on Thursday this week.
SA Govt appoints Premier’s insider as CIO
The South Australian State Government has appointed the long-term executive director of the Department of Premier and Cabinet as its new whole of government chief information officer, to replace outgoing CIO Andrew Mills, who this month commenced the same role in Queensland.
Monash web server briefly hacked
Victoria's Monash University has acknowledged that its website was briefly broken into on Saturday and replaced with what appeared to be an Iranian flag encased in a geographical map of the country.
Will Optus launch the Motorola Droid?
Australian technology blog Techanist yesterday reported that Optus would launch yet another handset based on Google’s Android operating system into the Australian market -- Motorola’s Droid device, which has been marketed internationally as the Milestone.
Telstra shutters online DVD rental arm
Telstra has revealed plans to shut down its long-running online DVD rental service, with customers to be referred instead to rival service Quickflix.
Optus launches commercial femtocell service
The nation's number two telco Optus has ramped up its trial of femtocell technology into a fully-fledged commercial service offered across all of Australia's capital cities and large regional centres, with the flagship offer over the service seeing customers pay as little as $5 a month for unlimited calls nationally.
HTC Aria debuts on Optus
Consumer electronics giant HTC today launched its latest Android-based smartphone handset in Australia -- the Aria -- with exclusive distribution through Optus.
Reinecke gives Gershon qualified approval
Ian Reinecke has issued the Federal Government what could best be described as a series of 'B' or 'C' grades in his report card on how well it has implemented the recommendations of British efficiency expert Sir Peter Gershon into its use of technology.
FTTN or FTTH? It doesn’t matter, says Vodafone
The chief executive of ailing national mobile player Vodafone stated over the weekend that it wasn’t “important” whether Australia’s National Broadband Network policy pursued a fibre to the home or fibre to the node approach, with only “minor nuances” between the two platforms proposed separately by the Government and the Opposition.
Photos: Conroy enjoying himself at NBN launch
Last week, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy attended an event held by Nextgen Networks in Mulgrave, Victoria, to mark the halfway point in the completion of the National Broadband Network Regional Backbone Blackspots Program, which is seeing fibre rolled out in remote locations around Australia.
OneTable is scaling with Microsoft Azure
Ben Jackson has discussed how his organic food startup OneTable is scaling using Microsoft Azure, after a deliberately lean first year spent building support from the customers and developing the concept.
Labor avoids all comment on that bothersome massive metadata expansion
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has not responded to a request for basic information on whether Labor will support adding any of the 61 agencies who have applied to the bipartisan data retention scheme which passed Parliament in 2015.
NSW Dept of Finance seeks group CIO
The New South Wales Department of Finance, Services & Innovation (DFSI) has advertised for a new group chief information officer, with its longstanding incumbent CIO Malcolm Freame reportedly shifting into a different role inside the state’s public sector.
ACCC spurs Dell to action on warranties
It may be Christmas, but that doesn't mean the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is in a giving mood.
Apple, Google the new threat, warns Optus
Optus chief executive Paul O’Sullivan has warned of new “dangerous” players in the telecommunications market that could create new monopolies in the field of content and applications, flagging iconic US technology giants Google and Apple specifically as being worthy of attention.
Privacy czar wants Google Wi-Fi deletion evidence
Australia's Privacy Commissioner has written to search giant Google requesting it provide several forms of evidence -- including confirmation by an independent third party -- that all of the payload data its Street View cars had collected over the past several years as they brushed past Wi-Fi networks on their journeys around Australia had actually been deleted.
Microsoft report: Australia can learn from innovation hotspot Massachusetts
Microsoft has released its latest Joined-Up Innovation report, which highlights the key lessons learned from a fact-finding expedition to see how the US state of Massachusetts is rapidly becoming a notable hotspot for innovation.
Xperia neo: Telstra adds to Android love-in
The nation's biggest telco Telstra has added to a string of exclusive launches of Android handsets, revealing plans this morning to launch Sony Ericsson's Xperia neo on 26 July.
Australia to review digital sections of Copyright Act
The Federal Government has signalled that it will review its copyright laws to ensure that they keep abreast of the changing times, with Attorney-General Nicola Roxon releasing for public comment the draft terms of reference for an inquiry into the operation of copyright exceptions in the digital environment.
Call to arms: Budde says FTTdp NBN needs our support
Independent telecommunications consultant Paul Budde has called for Australians to do more to ensure the rollout a "future-proof" NBN that includes a full-fibre network (including FTTdp) rather than the fibre and copper mix that is currently being promoted by government.
iiNet launches terabyte broadband plans
National broadband provider iiNet today unveiled an extensive revamp of its broadband plans, including what it claimed was Australia's first plan with a terabyte of included download quota.
NSW Govt super group can’t afford to upgrade its IT systems
The New South Wales Government has announced that it may sell off state-owned superannuation services company Pillar instead of spending the estimated $30 million the fund needs to update its IT systems and deal with other internal matters.
Victoria abandons IT shared services? Core CenITex services to be outsourced
Dramatic internal documents leaked from CenITex this week have revealed that the Victorian State Government plans to turn the IT shared services agency into a 'broker', rather than a provider of services, and that the Government is considering outsourcing massive chunks of CenITex's work.
Research suggests site blocking effective against piracy
New research based on data from the UK has suggested that site blocking is effective against online piracy of digital content.
Optus launches Motorola Droid/Milestone
On the same day that Vodafone started selling Google's Nexus One, Optus has given its customers yet another high-end Android handset option, quietly adding Motorola's Milestone phone to its handset range.
Gillard must develop strategic IT plan, says analyst
Independent analyst firm Ovum has called on the Gillard government to publish a multi-year IT Strategic plan, claiming the state's public sector needed a new list of priorities following the knife-edge election, which resulted in a minority Labor Government.
Federal Court halts PS3 modchip sales
Australia's Federal Court has slapped a temporary ban on a handful of local retailers selling or importing hardware -- commonly known as "mod chips" -- that allows unauthorised software to run on Sony's PlayStation 3.
Startmate announces class of 2012
Startmate, the Sydney based mentor-driven seed fund that invests in Australian techies who have ambitions of creating startups, has announced its latest class of protégées for the 2012 program. The fund was announced at the Tech23 2010 event held in Sydney and it has a stated mission of helping create world-class companies that will solve customer problems.
US ambassador begs Australians: Stop pirating Game of Thrones
US Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich has published an impassioned statement appealing to Australians to stop breaching the copyright of US cable giant HBO by illegally downloading its popular Game of Thrones television show in record numbers.
auDA passes on Groupon domain scandal
Australia's domain name regulator late last week said the scuffle between US online coupon giant Groupon and local imitator Scoopon was out of its jurisdiction, because the Australian company had registered the "Groupon" business name in Australia as well as the local domain name associated with it.
Telstra to launch HTC’s latest Sensation
Forget the Desire HD and the Samsung Galaxy S II. There's a new top dog in Android smartphones in Australia, and it's coming to Australia very shortly.
TPG dumps Internode PR after 15 years
TPG appears to have dumped one of the longest-standing public faces associated with national broadband provider Internode and its parent iiNet, with South Australia-based technology public relations agent John Harris becoming the latest individual to part ways with the group following the TPG acquisition.
$800m gorilla: Telstra seeds its cloud
The nation’s largest telco Telstra today started throwing its sizable weight around in Australia’s burgeoning cloud computing market, throwing down a $800 million investment in the space and revealing a tranche of new corporate customers.
CCC demands better ACCC oversight of NBN
Industry group the Competitive Carriers’ Coalition (CCC) last week reiterated the need for all-inclusive Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) supervision of the National Broadband Network Company, which it said was currently absent from the company's newly released NBN Co Wholesale Broadband Agreement (WBA).
Technology giants evac Brisvegas as floods rise
A number of major Australian technology companies were yesterday forced to evacuate Brisbane staff from their premises as rising flood waters threatened the city's central business district.
Around 2,000 Telstra staff left the company's Brisbane facilities, with the location of its headquarters in the city particuarly being an issue.
Video: Dell Streak flashmob takes over Circular Quay
Looks like Dell organised a wee little flashmob to take over Circular Quay to promote its new Streak smartphone/tablet, which launches on Optus on October 1. Good effort or extreme marketing gone too far? You be the judge.
Video: Quigley talks the election + Coalition
With the fate of his company hanging in the balance depending on who wins the Federal Election this Saturday, NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley took a range of questions from the media yesterday after a landmark speech slamming the Coalition's broadband policy.
APN invests in Pollenizer’s Friendorse
Newspaper group APN News & Media has confirmed that it is investing in the Pollenizer-backed startup Friendorse.
Hackers attempt News Corp break-in
The Australian division of global media giant News Corp has warned its staff to beware of attempts of external attackers who are seeking to "hack" into the company's network.
Analysing cloud computing contracts: Video
The good chaps over at iTNews had a fascinating event last week where they sat down and got into the nitty gritty of cloud computing contracts — you know, the ones where you sign all your customer data away to the likes of Salesforce.com without reading any fine print, or host your sensitive secrets on Amazon Web Services. The videos make excellent viewing and we’ve watched quite a few this morning … when we were supposed to be doing proper work. So check them out, if you have the time and inclination.
Foxtel and Stan agree: Peak hour broadband congestion real, significant
Senior executives from two of Australia's largest online content providers have provided testimony to the Senate that peak hour and weekend broadband congestion is a real phenomenon that is significantly affecting broadband users around Australia.
Vodafone wallops Telstra, Optus in 4G speeds
A new series of independent tests has shown the 4G network of ailing mobile telco Vodafone can easily beat the rival networks of Telstra and Optus, at least in capital cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, with the telco claiming the results show it is the best option for streaming content and general Internet surfing.
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.
Internet Australia says broadband should be human right
Internet Australia, the peak body representing Internet users, has said the telecommunications Universal Service Obligation (USO) should be expanded to include the right for citizens to have Internet access via "fast and affordable" broadband.
Former Telstra staffer criticises offshoring initiatives
Former long-term Telstra staff member Rod Bruem has criticised the “massive wave" of offshoring that has occurred under the last two CEOs.
Internode sets up first ever offshore call centre
Adelaide-based ISP Internode this week revealed to staff that it would set up its first ever offshore call centre, in a move that represents a radical departure of the company's customer service and sales approach since its acquisition by iiNet and then TPG.
IBM clams up on union brawl
Technology behemoth IBM this afternoon issued a 'no comment' statement in response to demands from the Australian Services Union that it comply with a ruling by Fair Work Australia that it negotiate with the union in good faith.
Samsung Tab to reach Australia for Christmas
The Android invasion on Australia is set to push on with a new wave of stormtroopers -- Samsung's Android 2.2 Froyo-operated tablet. The company this morning announced that its Galaxy Tab device is set to arrive in Australia in the last quarter of the year and rival Apple's iPad tablet.
Vodafone, Huawei complete Narrowband Internet of Things trial
Vodafone has completed a trial of Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) – a 4G technology that could make connecting devices to the internet more efficient.
“Enormous damage”: Turnbull changes tune on Snowden
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to have completely changed his view on the revelations by Edward Snowden about US spying activities, telling the ABC yesterday that the NSA whistleblower had caused "enormous damage", despite having only six months ago described some of Snowden's revelations as having "very significant" implications.
Telstra still abusing monopoly powers, warns ACCC
The nation's incumbent telco and industry-described 800 pound gorilla Telstra is still abusing its quasi-monopoly powers and not treating its wholesale broadband customers the same as its retail customers, the national competition regulator has warned, as debate continues to swirl about the telco's role in the future National Broadband Network rollout.
Video: APC Magazine’s Master Builder final
This video documents the final of APC Magazine's Master Builder competition for systems builders. We think it's safe to say we're jealous both of the hardware used and of the speed at which these guys can put together an amazing PC rig!
Defence issues $340m systems integration tender
The Department of Defence's Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) today announced it would be shortly be selecting companies for an Applications Management Services Partner Arrangement (AMSPA) in a deal expected to push through approximately $340 million worth of value.
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.
Carosa’s Future Capital in US$30m Bitcoin fund
Experienced Australian investor Domenic Carosa has led the establishment of a US$30 million investment fund which will directly invest in companies that are leveraging services based in Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies.
Govt email may not be more secure, says Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull has advised the public not to assume that Government email services are more secure than private systems, in the wake of news that the new Prime Minister will continue to use non-Government email and instant messaging platforms for communication.
iiNet deploys a million Zimbra mailboxes
iiNet announced a deal signed with Vmware whereby Australia's second largest ISP has chosen Vmware's Zimbra Collaboration Suite for cloud based email platform and purchased a million plus Zimbra mailboxes.
Most ISPs sign NBN Co wholesale contract
The National Broadband Network Company this morning revealed some 27 wholesale customers -- generally retail Internet service providers, including major market players Telstra and Optus -- had signed its permanent Wholesale Broadband Agreement that will shape the way they work with the company. However, at least one major ISP -- iiNet, has reportedly refused to sign.
Conroy & Intel understand each other
Giant chipmaker Intel and Stephen Conroy's broadband department this afternoon announced a three-year memorandum of understanding which will see the pair work together to maximise future benefits stemming from the rollout of the National Broadband Network and other initiatives.
End of the line for ATUG
One of Australia's highest-profile voices for change in the telecommunications industry this week revealed it would close its doors, citing declining membership as one factor in its decision.
HP Australia product revenues head south
The Australian operation of the formerly merged Hewlett Packard company has revealed that its local revenues sank by a whopping $271.5 million in 2015, with most of the decline attributable to its technology products business, as opposed to the IT services business it is splitting off into a separate company.
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.
Union talks to Telstra, NBN over 457 visa workers, training issues
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has been in talks with both NBN and Telstra in recent days to discuss a range of issues including concerns over the use of 457 visa workers and funding for a proposed training scheme.
Vic dental agency seeks CIO
Government agency Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) has advertised for a chief information officer-level IT executive to lead delivery of ICT services to over 60 community health agencies throughout the state.
Aussie manufacturing ramped thru NBN deals
The National Broadband Network Company has inked a trio of small contracts with local equipment companies, in a move that industry minister Kim Carr today claimed would create four hundred Australian jobs.
DTO seeks top execs to lead gov.au, Digital Marketplace
The Digital Transformation Office (DTO) is seeking a top level executive to lead the new Digital Marketplace announced in the government's Innovation and Science Agenda just two weeks ago. A head is also being sought for the transformation of the gov.au web platform that is aimed to make it quicker and easier to access government services online.
Regulator pins Vodafone on Do Not Call breaches
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a statement noting that it has accepted an enforceable undertaking from Vodafone to restrain errant dealers telemarketing products from Vodafone and 3 Mobile.
Govt inquiry will investigate forcing business to open data to startups
The Federal Government has announced it will ask hold an inquiry into the potential costs and benefits of opening up more data to business, as well as review the uptake of the credit reporting framework.
Unlimited data plans unveiled by Westnet
Broadband provider Westnet has launched a number of new unlimited data bundles, covering ADSL and, for those in the footprint, NBN too.
Fifield denies Turnbull asked NBN Co to create “distorted” info to attack FTTP
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has rejected a claim by the Opposition that Malcolm Turnbull asked the NBN company to generate “distorted” information to help the Coalition attack Labor’s previous Fibre to the Premises approach to the NBN.
ICAC finds Sydney University IT manager corrupt
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has found that University of Sydney information technology (IT) manager Atilla "Todd" Demiralay engaged in corrupt conduct by using Succuro Recruitment, a business that employed his wife and later operated through a company in which he and his wife had a financial interest, to recruit contractors and staff for the university, without disclosing his financial interest in the business.
SMS shifts Vietnam staff to third-party
Australian technology services group SMS Management & Technology has shifted the staff in its development facility in Vietnam to a third-party it has signed a comprehensive partnership with, as part of the company's efforts to expand its offshore resources and reducing its fixed costs in the region.
NSW Govt adds to Qld and Victoria’s appalling record on IT disaster recovery planning
The NSW Government’s Auditor-General has severely criticised eight of the state’s agencies for failing to have basic elements relating to disaster recovery planning, in comments that come after the Queensland and Victorian Governments have recently suffered similar criticism.
“NBN or nothing” is a false dichotomy, says Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has lambasted the justification behind Labor's National Broadband Network project as featuring a series of false dichotomies between a glorious fibre future and a world where Australians are starved for broadband.
Redflow debuts ZCell enclosure at Sydney energy storage show
Australian energy storage specialist Redflow is set to show its recently launched ZCell home battery and new custom-designed enclosure at the Australian Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition this week in Sydney.
Much ado about nothing: SMH FTTN ‘revelations’ spur NBN circus
The Sydney Morning Herald has published internal NBN Co information purporting to heavily criticise the Coalition's rival FTTN model for the National Broadband Network. However, the information may not reflect the current state of play with the network or the Coalition's plans.
Conroy defends iiNet NBN prices
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has stepped in to bat for iiNet, in the wake of claims by the Coalition yesterday that National Broadband Network pricing released yesterday by the ISP was too expensive and demonstrated that Labor's NBN project wouldn't bring Australians cheaper broadband.
Microsoft to kill off SQL Server 2005 support in April
Software giant Microsoft has revealed it will formally end extended support for its ageing SQL Server 2005 database product in April next year, in news that will most likely not be welcomed by the substantial numbers of Australian organisations struggling to stay up to date with Microsoft’s refresh cycle.
Woolworths store managers get Gmail
Google Australia today revealed that retail giant Woolworths had also deployed the search giant's email application Gmail and other custom applications based on Google Apps to all of its store managers, as part of a nationwide rollout of Apple's iPad tablet slated to hit some 890 staff.
Luna Park madness: Visual Studio 2010 launch
Earlier this week Microsoft took over Sydney's Luna Park to launch its Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 platforms. The result looked like a whole lot of fun!
Seek CIO wins 168k pay rise in strong year
The chief information officer of SEEK has picked up a $168,000 more over the past year than he did before, as the online employment giant's revenues and profits soared over the past year.
Switkowski confirms FTTN for Tasmania
NBN Co executive chairman has confirmed the Coalition's Broadband Network model will see a Fibre to the Node deployment through at least part of Tasmania, in a move that the Opposition has branded as yet another example of "Liberal lies".
Optus’ filter can be defeated by ‘trivial’ DNS change
The nation's second-largest telco Optus this afternoon confirmed users would be able to defeat its implementation of a blacklist filter of sites containing child pornography merely by changing the DNS settings on their PC.
Startup pays local to line up for iPad
Australian startup Airtasker has used its fledgling jobs board service to advertise for someone to line up outside the Sydney Apple store to buy the new iPad when it is launched this Friday in Australia.
Megaport wins access to TPG’s datacentres
Independent telco interconnection company Megaport appears to have emerged as the victor in a landmark legal decision about whether telcos such as TPG are compelled to allow independent operators to connect infrastructure to serve customers located in their datacentres.
Huawei flags high-end Android play Down Under
Nobody could accuse Chinese telecommunications vendor Huawei of not being ambitious. After winning a number of significant deals with Australian telcos over the past half-decade since it entered Australia, the company this week flagged plans to establish itself as a consumer brand Down Under in its own right.
Exetel’s Linton thanks Conroy for “free plug”
The controversial chief executive of ISP Exetel has thanked Stephen Conroy for the "free plug" the Communications Minister has given the ISP's National Broadband Network fibre plans in Tasmania -- even while appearing to quietly change the final shape those plans will take.
Abbott won’t recreate Labor’s “ham-fisted” Internet filter
The Opposition has formed a new working group to deal with the issue of online safety for Australian children, stating that its rival policy will avoid the "ham-fisted" "cyber-censorship" mandatory Internet filtering approach that remains Labor Federal Government policy for dealing with the issue of how children are protected from Internet nasties.
Fibre speeds “amazing”, but Bernardi slams “hopeless” NBN installers
Conservative Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has labelled the performance of his his new National Broadband Network fibre connection as “quite amazing”, but has slammed the NBN company for a bungled installation which required repeated visits to get the connection running.
Turnbull’s NBN “fundamentally unfair”, says Michelle Rowland
Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland has delivered a speech criticising the Coalition’s version of the National Broadband Network for not being “fair”, highlighting among other factors the fact that premises with inferior technologies such as Fibre to the Node will pay the same access charges as those on full fibre.
Angry iiNet roars dissent at FOXTEL/Austar merger
National broadband provider iiNet has fired off a sternly worded missive to the national competition regulator arguing that a proposed undertaking by FOXTEL to mitigate anti-competitive outcomes in the subscription television space was wholly unsatisfactory and may allow FOXTEL part-owner Telstra to extend its broadband dominance in regional areas.
Conroy keeps local Telstra calls at 22c
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy today announced an extension of price control arrangements on Telstra that will see the telco be forced to continue charging 22c for untimed local calls from home phones and 50c from payphones.
Vodafone sends Interpol filter live
National mobile carrier Vodafone has revealed it has become the third major Australian Internet service provider to implement the limited Internet filtering scheme supported by the Federal Government and Australian Federal Police, in a move which will now see its customers blocked from accessing a set of offensive sites supplied by Interpol.
Announcing the winner: Delimiter’s Kindle Fire giveaway
As you might recall, in January we kicked off a competition to give away an Amazon Kindle Fire -- we had one sitting around spare after we reviewed it last year.
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.
Budget 2014: NICTA vows to soldier on
Australia's peak ICT research group, National ICT Australia, has revealed that it has known about the Federal Government's plans to completely cut its funding since late 2013, but has pledged to continue on and find alternative funding models regardless.
BigPond massively cuts broadband plan costs
Telstra's BigPond internet service provider arm has dramatically cut prices on a range of its broadband plans, including a massive chop on its 200GB Elite plan which will see monthly prices drop from $179.95 to $89.95.
Back in your box: NBN Co shuts down wireless “expert”
The National Broadband Network has shot down in flames inaccurate claims by a non-technical analyst today that all Australian telecommunications would be based on wireless technologies by the time the NBN was completed.
Internode forces some customers onto new plans
Internode have this afternoon confirmed a number of existing out-of-contract customers would have to be moved onto the company’s newer plans because of a wholesaler “price squeeze”.
Govt takes no action on website blocking
The Federal Government has admitted it has as of yet taken no action to improve the transparency and accountability of the unilateral use by individual departments and agencies of an obscure section of the Telecommunications Act to force telcos and ISPs to block websites suspected of conducting illegal activities.
Microsoft Surface to hit Australia next week
Microsoft will start selling its Surface tabletop multi-touch system in Australia next week after a formal launch.
Microsoft Australia picks new government chief
Microsoft Australia this morning revealed its health chief Michael Gration had been promoted to lead its local public sector business, following the promotion of incumbent Pip Marlow to lead the local company as a whole.
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.
$90 million payday: Aussie startup sells RetailMeNot
Melbourne based internet startup Stateless Systems has sold its RetailMeNot site to emerging US online media player WhaleShark Media for an amount close to $90 million.
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...
ISPs still buying ADSL infrastructure
Australian internet service providers are increasing their purchases of ADSL equipment, according to Ericsson, despite the potential for the construction of the National Broadband...
“They don’t get it”: Huston slams “Village Idiot” approach on Data Retention
Global Internet networks expert Geoff Huston this week said Australia was at risk of being positioned as the “Global Village Idiot” courtesy of the Data Retention legislation passed by the “bureaucrats” in the Government, alleging that none of the organisations in support of the policy actually understand technology.
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.
R18+ game delays frustrate Pirate Party
The Australian branch of the Pirate Party has expressed its dismay about the continuing delay over the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games, in a statement issued last week.
YOU’RE WRONG AGAIN, Hackett tells Conroy
Simon Hackett has accused Communications Minister Stephen Conroy of again making factually incorrect statements about Internode's approach to the National Broadband Network, claiming Conroy hadn't even read some of Hackett's recent statements on the matter.
NEXTDC inks leaseback deal for Brisbane DC
The directors of datacentre company NEXTDC have announced that the company has entered into a sale-and-leaseback agreement for its Brisbane datacentre property. During 2011, NEXTDC had announced a capital recycling program intended to unlock the increasing worth of its property assets and to re-invest the income in higher yielding datacentre infrastructure assets through sale-and-leaseback arrangements.
Kmart calls police to investigate IT security breach
National retailer Kmart has called in the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to investigate an IT security breach which it has confirmed saw customers’ data accessed by unknown parties.
Foxtel ramps up its IPTV offering in competition with Netflix
Foxtel has revamped its approach to package pricing for its IP-delivered subscription TV service, Foxtel Play, presumably aiming to lower the cost bar for customers in the face of competition from rival services such as Netflix.
Coalition releases long-awaited rival NBN policy
The Coalition this morning released its long-awaited policy alternative to Labor's flagship National Broadband Network project, promising Australians download speeds of between 25Mbps and 100Mbps by the end of 2016 and 50Mbps to 100Mbps by the end of 2019, at a projected reduced total cost of $29.5 billion.
Canon faces union battle over CSG deal
The Australian Services Union has taken Canon to workplace tribunal Fair Work Australia over the transfer of technicians to the Japanese imaging giant from IT services firm CSG.
Outsourcing to impact 188 Westpac jobs
Top-tier Australian bank Westpac today confirmed 188 local jobs would be affected by a shift in its technology sourcing strategy which is slated to see some internal work handed off to external suppliers.
Screw the NBN, says TPG: We’ll do our own FTTB
National broadband company TPG has flagged plans to deploy so-called fibre to the basement infrastructure to some 500,000 apartments in major Australian capital cities, in a move which will compete directly with the new Coalition Government's plans to conduct similar rollouts under the National Broadband Network scheme.
NBN rollout update a “fantasy”, says Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has dismissed the latest update to the rollout plans for Labor's National Broadband Network project as a "fantasy", pointing out that the initiative has been under way for four years but has failed to meet its targets and has only successfully rolled out infrastructure to a "miniscule" number of premises.
Telstra restructures … yet again
Telstra chief executive David Thodey has again embarked on a major restructuring effort within Telstra, representing the latest in half a dozen such initiatives since the executive took Telstra's reins in mid-2009.
‘No apology, no explanation’: Residents want FTTP back, says Labor
The Opposition today claimed it was being inundated by "countless" complaints by Australians alarmed after the new Coalition Government 'wiped them off the NBN rollout map' with "no apology and no real explanation".
Conroy to hold midday NBN report press lockup
The office of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy will today exclusively reveal the contents of the controversial National Broadband Implementation study to the Canberra press gallery in a budget-style lock-up lasting from 12 midday to 1:30pm.
No UXC buyout for now
Diversified Australian IT services group UXC has decided to continue as an independent company for now, after deciding not to accept offers from parts or the whole of its business from similar companies and private equity firms.
NBN Co limps in to June target
The National Broadband Network Company this afternoon confirmed it had met its revised targets for the rollout of its fibre network to the end of June, revealing that at the end of last month it had connected a total of 207,500 premises; a figure in the middle of its target range of between 190,000 and 220,000.
Steinhoff dumps Lotus for Telstra T-Suite
Microsoft has inserted yet another nail in the coffin of IBM's Lotus Notes/Domino suite and is hammering it home, with the company and partner Telstra convincing furniture specialist Steinhoff to dump its Lotus installation and shift to the Telstra-branded version of Redmond's Business Productivity Online Suite.
More Internet regulation unnecessary: Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has delivered a major speech arguing that government regulation is not the solution to societal challenges posed by the onset of new technology such as the Internet, in contrast to what he said was the Federal Government’s “command and control” approach to the medium.
Conroy sees “positive outcome” ahead on filter
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has indicated the Government is having discussions with the telecommunications industry about the future of its controversial mandatory Internet filtering project, the future of which is currently hanging in the balance, following the delivery of a review of Australia's classification system.
Coalition slams computers for schools delays
The Coalition has heavily criticised the Federal Labor Government's Computers in Schools program, claiming the project is behind schedule to the tune of hundreds of thousands of machines.
Nine deploys Centrify to assist with Mac/Active Directory admin
Identification management and security vendor Centrify has revealed the Nine Network has deployed its solution to drastically simplify administration of its recently expanded fleet of Apple Mac desktops.
Vodafone finally dumping ‘3’ brand
National mobile carrier Vodafone has taken another significant step to ditching the '3' brand it inherited with its merger with Hutchison, radically overhauling the brand's separate website and revealing plans to sign up no further new customers using the '3' labelling.
Westpac poised to dump Lotus Notes
Westpac Banking Corporation, one of Australia's largest users of IBM's beleagured Lotus Notes/Domino ecosystem, has finally confirmed it is ready to dump the platform in favour of Microsoft's rival Outlook/Exchange system, in a move which constitutes the latest nail in the coffin for Notes in Australia.
LG Optimus 2X hits Harvey Norman
LG today revealed its flagship Optimus 2X smartphone would launch in Australia this month – but without a major telco partner to support it, with the Korean electronics giant to initially sell the handset unlocked through retailer Harvey Norman for the up-front cost of $649.
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...
Telcos and Govt in TSSR “unity ticket”, claims Turnbull
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has claimed that the telecommunications industry and the Government are on a “unity ticket” with respect to the new tranche of national security-related telco reforms, despite sharp disagreement from the industry and a recent history of the Government ignoring industry concern on such issues.
New Delimiter office: Renovation photos
Delimiter's new office has been outfitted, and we're almost ready to move in -- we're just waiting for iiNet to connect the ADSL, which should happen by Thursday. While the place is still a bit of a dump, we've cleaned it up and installed some cool stuff, so we thought we'd publish an "after" gallery to contrast with the "before" one we put up previously.
Consumer advocacy group calls for independent assessment of TPP
Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has called for an independent assessment of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement after the full text was released last week – months after the Australian government already agreed to its terms.
Telstra preparing mobile network for 1Gbps speeds ‘later in 2016’
Telstra has made a raft of announcements this week, including the launch of 1Gbps speeds on its mobile networks in certain areas.
“Half true”: Politifact partially backs Turnbull’s $94bn NBN figure
Fact-checking media outlet Politifact has rated the controversial claim by the Coalition that Labor’s National Broadband Network could cost as much as $94 billion as “half-true”, as debate continues to swirl around the veracity of the Coalition’s own figures.
“Fibre witch-hunt”: Budde says MTM defenders getting “desperate”
Independent telecommunications consultant Paul Budde has said that defenders of multi-technology mix (MTM) are getting "more and more desperate" in their defence of the fibre to the node (FTTN) model used for the NBN.
Amazon CTO hits Australia in cloud push
The chief technology officer of global retailer and technology giant Amazon has scheduled in a trip to Australia in mid-July to spruik the company's cloud computing offerings, as interest in the burgeoning field of online cloud platforms continues to boom.
Taxi 2.0 service Uber hits Sydney
US-based personal transport startup Uber has started testing its service in Sydney, encouraging Sydneysiders to download its mobile application and start requesting rides instead of using existing taxi services.
Quickflix movie streaming hits PCs, Macs
DVD rental service Quickflix yesterday announced its new instant movie streaming service had gone live. Most householders in Australia with entry level broadband speeds can now stream unlimited movies from Hollywood’s leading studios at any time, for a monthly fee.
Mana Bar Melbourne opens 16 July
It's taken quite a bit longer than expected, but trendy video game-focused cocktail bar the Mana Bar today finally confirmed the launch date for its Melbourne facility as 16 July this year.
Telstra employs drones to inspect mobile towers
Telstra has announced that it is using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, to inspect its mobile towers, and said that the technology has "enormous potential" to change the way Australians work.
‘It’s not our fault’: Kogan on dumping high-usage customers
Maverick online retailer Ruslan Kogan has blamed an upstream wholesale Telstra partner for a policy which has seen some early adopters of his company's "unlimited" mobile plans dumped for using too much of their quota.
iiNet wants it all in AFACT case
iiNet has filed a Notice of Contention in the Federal Court in an attempt to win those aspects of its court battle with the...
“It’s a shocker”: Telstra board faces shareholders
Telstra's board and senior management today faced down a series of shareholders angry about the company's dwindling share price, with one accusing the beleaguered telco of having suffered "ten years of failure" in terms of its management and another branding the situation "a shocker".
Tony King helps Bartlett grow the Apple isle
Tasmanian premier and former IT industry staffer David Bartlett has hosted a roundtable involving the reclusive chief executive of Apple Australia, Tony King.
Aussie retailers put Vista on sale
Windows 7 has been available for purchase in Australia since October last year. But has Microsoft's previous operating system, Windows Vista, passed away? Not quite.
Three senior telco commentators agree: Ziggy must be sacked
Three of Australia's most senior telecommunications commentators have agreed that NBN chair Ziggy Switkowski must resign or be sacked in the wake of confirmation that he deliberately breached the Caretaker Conventions during this year's Federal Election campaign.
Video: Apple faithful await iPad 2 in Sydney
In the middle of the Sydney central business district, surrounded by only a few essential belongings -- a chair, a sleeping bag, some grocery and a suitcase -- several young men are temporarily living on the street. They've been there for 24 hours already and don't expect to get much rest until 5PM on Friday night. They are the Apple faithful.
Unisys IT modernisation gives Co-operative Bank a boost
Unisys has released a statement saying that its New Zealand subsidiary has improved the Co-operative Bank’s IT infrastructure using Unisys ClearPath Forward systems.
Fire + Rescue NSW deploys real-time SAP
NSW emergency services agency Fire and Rescue NSW this month revealed it has implemented SAP's Business Suite and HANA products, in an effort to support a move towards real-time reporting and access to information across its entire emergency services network.
NSW Housing loses CIO Leonas
New South Wales Department of Housing this morning confirmed its long-standing chief information officer after Dr Vladas Leonas resigned from his position late August after holding the position for more than four years.
Fifield leaves door open for greater NBN FTTP rollout
Senator Mitch Fifield appears to have opened the door for the NBN company to change its percentage mix of broadband technologies, in his first interview since being sworn in as Malcolm Turnbull’s replacement Communications Minister on Monday this week.
Telstra CFO Stanhope to retire
The nation's biggest telco Telstra today announced its long-time chief financial officer John Stanhope would retire at the end of this year, putting paid to a career with the company of more than 40 years.
Ovum predicts 4.5% growth for IT services
Analyst house Ovum today predicted the Australian and New Zealand IT services market would grow more than 4.5 percent in 2010 in what the firm described as a "relatively rosy picture".
HP layoffs likely to hit Australia
Technology giant HP this morning said it expected its massive global job cuts -- which are expected to see some 27,000 employees exit the company -- to affect all of its regions across the world, with the implication that Australia will not be left off the list of locations to receive retrenchment targets.
Greens, independents demand NBN Co business plan
The Greens and key independent MPs have requested that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy table the business plan which has been delivered to the Government by NBN Co.
NBN election: Labor polling voters on Coalition’s NBN performance
The Australian Labor Party has started directly calling voters to ask whether the Abbott/Turnbull Government's handling of the National Broadband Network will influence how they vote at the upcoming Federal Election, in a sign Labor sees it as a key election issue.
Ballarat’s BitTorrent study “horribly wrong” says TorrentFreak
Global BitTorrent news source TorrentFreak has ridiculed the veracity of a study on the legality of BitTorrent usage published by the University of Ballarat last week, labelling some of its claims “horribly wrong” and that “mistake after mistake” was made during its preparation.
Adobe faces piracy backlash over Australian pricing
Many Adobe customers have taken to the Internet to openly pledge to dump the software vendor's products or pirate them illegally, with thousands more signalling their general displeasure with what many saw as the arrogant refusal of its chief executive Shantanu Narayenlast week to answer the question of how the company can justify charging Australians up to $1,400 more for its software than US residents.
Telstra pledges strong NBN asbestos controls
The nation's biggest telco Telstra has announced a wide raft of new measures designed to ensure safety around the handling of dangerous asbestos materials in its pits and pipes, as concern continues to grow regarding the issue unearthed by the rollout of the National broadband Network.
“Obstruction, avoidance and evasion”: IT giants stonewall price inquiry
Members of Parliament from both major sides of politics have very publicly blasted global technology giants such as Apple, Adobe and Microsoft and even representative group the Australian Information Industry Association, for what they described as “deep reluctance and resistance” to give evidence before a parliamentary committee investigating local IT price hikes.
FTTN a huge “mistake”, says ex-BT CTO
One of the UK's foremost telecommunications experts, a former chief technology officer of British telco BT, has publicly stated that fibre to the node-style broadband is "one of the biggest mistakes humanity has made", imposing huge bandwidth and unreliability problems on those who implement it, as the Coalition may do in Australia.
Candle: ICT skills shortage back
Recruitment firm Candle ICT (a division of Clarius) today claimed Australia's ICT industry was on the brink of again suffering skills shortages, returning to...
Vodafone claims fastest 4G speeds in Sydney and Melbourne
National mobile carrier Vodafone has issued something of a public challenge to rivals Telstra and Optus, claiming that a clutch of recent speed tests had comprehensively shown its fledgling 4G network was the fastest such infrastructure in the major capital cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Cisco picks up EnergyAustralia deal
Cisco might have have only launched its Connected Grid range of solutions focused on the electricity sector in May 2010, but the global networking giant has already picked up a large deal locally to supply NSW utility EnergyAustralia.
Medibank CIO quits after five months for Suncorp
Banking and insurance giant Suncorp today revealed it had appointed Sarah Harland as its new chief information officer, just five months after the executive took up a similar position at health insurer Medibank Private.
AGIMO strategy disappoints Gartner analyst
blog There was a lot to take in in yesterday's wide-ranging ICT strategy announcement by the Australian Government Information Management Office, and we still...
Screw you, Australia: We’ll get new Google gear late and pay more
US-headquartered technology giant Google has completely left Australia off the list of countries that will receive its new smartphones, tablet and other devices announced in the United States overnight, with countries like the UK, Korea, Japan and even Ireland getting the nod over the lucky country for access to the new kit and Australians to pay more when the devices do eventually launch
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.
NBN Co releases wholesale pricing calculator
The National Broadband Network Company has released an online calculator that allows users to calculate projected wholesale costs for providing services to its planned network, as debate continues to swirl about whether its pricing model will disadvantage smaller ISPs who want to play on the national stage.
Treasury costings scant on NBN details
You might have expected that the Treasury's costings of the two major party's election policies -- released to the Independents and the media late yesterday -- would contain a fair amount of detail about how much each party's wildly differing broadband policy would cost.
EB Games backs R18+ campaign
One of Australia's largest video games retailers, EB Games, today threw what it said was its "full support" behind the push for an R18+...
iSOFT CEO silently falls on sword
The long-time chief executive of troubled e-health giant iSOFT, Gary Cohen, has resigned without a statement and is refusing to take calls from the press, in the face of disastrous annual results over the past year that have seen revenues shrink.
Qld Police trial Segways for crime-fighting
The Queensland Police Service yesterday revealed that it would kick off what it said was the first Australian trial of the Segway personal transportation vehicle in pedestrian areas, to test their suitability for police operations.
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.
TEDx tech talk takes place on Qantas flight to Silicon Valley
Passengers on a Qantas flight from Sydney to San Francisco yesterday had the novel experience of a mid-flight TEDx lecture that the organisers have called "the world’s first tech talk in the sky".
Piracy: iiNet refutes content industry “doom and gloom”
National broadband provider iiNet has renewed its public attack on the content industry, using a high-profile report published in February to push the argument that the overall global content ecosystem is booming and that content providers should stop trying to stop Internet piracy and instead focus on new business models.
Labor proposes measures to boost Australian startups
The Labor opposition has announced a tranche of proposals to drive innovation across Australia – a move that is likely aimed to take the wind out of the government's sails with a big innovation announcement due on Monday.
Queensland’s flood-hit Grantham gets the NBN
Internode has switched on high-speed broadband at the first newly completed house in a subdivision of Grantham. The Queensland town is under reconstruction, with 150 residents moving to higher ground, after it was destroyed by floods in January this year. This makes the newly connected home the first to link to the National Broadband Network in South East Queensland.
Spark Ventures deploys BMC Remedyforce
Digital services firm Spark Ventures has moved to BMC’s cloud-based Remedyforce solution to better manage the back-end infrastructure that supports its consumer and business digital services.
HTC One? Telstra will take two
The nation's largest telco Telstra has confirmed it will shortly be launching two handsets in HTC's new flagship One line-up in Australia, firming suspicions that HTC's new top-end LTE model could be headed to the big T's flagship Next G 4G mobile network.
Redacted: AFP cuts ISP details from filter docs
The Australian Federal Police has sought to prevent the public from ascertaining the identities of ISPs participating in the Federal Government's voluntary filter scheme for child abuse materials, through redacting the ISPs' details from relevant documents released under Freedom of Information laws.
CSC swallows iSOFT’s bitter pill
US-headquartered IT services giant CSC today revealed it had closed the acquisition oftroubled Australian e-health player iSOFT, in a move that will finally give CSC full control over the company it has long partnered with in the UK Government’s makeover of its national health technology systems, and will bring long-awaited stability to iSOFT’s operations.
“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".
ATO finally ditches e-tax system for MyTax portal
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has announced that its legacy online tax return service e-tax is being retired, with the MyTax portal to take its place going forward.
iiNet gives huge quota boost to ADSL2+ plans
Internet provider iiNet has updated its on-net ADSL2+ plans, giving all options hefty quota increases without additional conditions.
Optus adds 182k mobile customers
Australia's number two telco Optus reported a net profit of A$177 million for the third quarter, representing growth of 4 percent, according to a Singtel Group news release yesterday. The company’s operating revenue was up 2 percent to A$2.42 billion, while EBITDA increased 2 percent to A$562 million.
NBN: Is Conroy telling ‘porkies’ on Tassie schools?
The Federal Opposition has accused Communications Minister Stephen Conroy of telling "porkies" over the extent to which NBN-connected schools in Tasmania are actually using their new broadband service, more than 12 months after the infrastructure was rolled out in select locations in the state.
50Mbps good enough for ‘ten years’, says NBN’s Morrow
The chief executive of the NBN company, Bill Morrow, has stated in several comments over the past month that the 50Mbps base speeds which the company is aiming for across much of its network will be good enough "for the forseeable future" -- ten years after the NBN is initially built.
Adam confident on NBN despite Internode exit
South Australian internet service provider Adam Internet has reiterated the company’s commitment to the South Australian market, subsequent to the surprise $105 million acquisition of fellow SA-based ISP Internode by long-time rival iiNet; expressing confidence about the company’s future in the National Broadband Network (NBN) environment.
AGL to launch $300 million digital transformation
AGL has announced the launch of a three-year, $300-million digital transformation programme aimed to improve customers' experience with the company.
Regulator clears Alan Jones of NBN falsehoods
Australia’s broadcast media regulator has cleared Alan Jones of any wrongdoing in a controversial broadcast in October 2012 in which the radio shockjock claimed the National Broadband Network was a “white elephant” and a “disaster” and that the future of telecommunications was “clearly wireless”, with the regulator giving Jones a pass because his statements were classified as "opinion" and not as "fact".
Epic Vodafail: 30 page report smashes Vodafone
Vodafone accountability website Vodafail today opened up a new and dramatic front in its ongoing war against struggling mobile telco VHA, dumping a 30 page report on its head that the site claimed documented a history of failures, both technical and human, over the past few months.
Aussie author society backs 35% eBook royalties
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has published an extensive analysis of how the onset of electronic books changes the publisher contractual landscape, including a recommendation that Australian authors attempt a return of 35 percent of royalties from eBooks – much higher than traditional paper books.
New Qld shadow attacks OneSchool ‘delay’
Queensland's new Shadow ICT Minister Scott Emerson has slammed the state's Labor government this week for what he claimed were delays in Education Queensland's ongoing OneSchool project.
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 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...
Turnbull backs away from encryption reform
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to have rejected the need to reform laws on telecommunications encryption technology in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, telling the Parliament today that human factors were more important than ever in the context of a different technological landscape.
Feisty iiNet debuts wireless bridge
The flow of consumer electronics products emerging from the fledgling laboratory operation of national broadband provider iiNet shows no signs of stopping, with the company this week announcing it plans to shortly bring a 'wireless bridge' product to market.
‘Partisan ideology’: Turnbull blasts pro-NBN ‘media apologists’
Shadow Communications Minister has taken a verbal pick axe to a number of ‘pro-NBN specialist commentators’ who he said were delivering a “partisan ideology” and helping “fantasy” triumph over fact in the ongoing national debate over the specific details of how Labor’s flagship National Broadband Network project should go ahead.
Android tablets: Weaker sales than expected
Apple will take an even stronger slice of Australia's fast-growing tablet market than previously expected, one of the nation's major technology analyst firms said today, with Android vendors slow to bring their devices to market and not having different enough features to take much away from the iPad 2.
Evernote buys Aussie startup Skitch
Information collation service Evernote has acquired Australian startup Skitch, which publishes a popular Mac OS X image editing application and associated web service, for an amount which has not been disclosed.
Telstra may release NBN pricing shortly
The nation's largest telco Telstra last week gave the first indication that it may shortly be about to release details of its commercial pricing for access to services over the fledgling National Broadband Network infrastructure, as debate continues to swirl around what exact price Australians will pay for access to the infrastructure.
Avoiding future ICT disasters: Qld outlines next steps
The Queensland Government today stated that it would accept all four major recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland Health payroll disaster, with the state's LNP administration already taking action to stop other projects going off the rails in a similarly catastrophic manner.
Government role in NBN needs “re-evaluation”, says US think tank
The Technology Policy Institute, a US-based think tank, has published a paper on the NBN concluding that, while the network was set up to increase competition in the broadband sector, as well as boost quality and lower prices, it has evolved into a "intrusive policy subject to political pressures".
BT FTTN network hits 25 million premises milestone
BT has announced that its UK wholesale fibre network, Openreach, has passed the 25-million premises milestone.
Virgin ups quota on postpaid broadband
Optus subsidiary, Virgin Mobile, has announced it is refreshing its suite of Postpaid Mobile Broadband plans.
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.
AICD’s membership data stolen
Australia's peak organisation for company directors has warned its members to be on the lookout for attempts at identity fraud, after today disclosing that a computer had been stolen from its offices which may have contained data on its many thousands of high-profile members and clients located around the nation.
“Chaos” in NSW Govt IT shared services
A landmark report into the management of the NSW Public Sector commissioned by the state's new Coalition Government has described how dozens of overlapping and competing systems and services providers have created "chaos" when it comes to the state's current IT shared services paradigm.
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.
NBN HFC trial to start in November
The NBN company has revealed it will conduct a pilot trial of HFC cable technology on the National Broadband Network starting in November this year and lasting until March 2016, in a move which appears set to finally provide some hard data around the performance of the HFC networks the company is buying from Telstra and Optus.
TPG, iiNet, ACCC support competitive FTTB rollouts
National broadband companies TPG and iiNet, as well as the competition regulator, have published extensive submissions to the Federal Government supporting the right for commercial telcos to deploy their own Fibre to the Basement (FTTB) infrastructure throughout Australia in competition with the Coalition's Broadband Network (CBN) project, rejecting the idea that such planned investments should be blocked or otherwise regulated to support NBN Co's finances.
VHA loses CTO Reeves
Vodafone Hutchison Australia is set to lose its chief technology officer Andy Reeves shortly, with the mobile telco confirming this morning that the executive had resigned his post.
Harbour City Ferries goes Microsoft across the board
Sydney Ferries operator Harbour City Ferries has recently undertaken a "significant" technology refresh project which has seen it deploy a slew of next-generation Microsoft products, from Windows 8 on PCs and tablets, to Windows Phone 8, Office 365 and more.
DTO immigration project passes first test
A new booking service being developed by the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for people about to take their citizenship test has passed its first assessment.
Two years on, Virgin happy with Exadata
When it was first revealed in 2008, Oracle's Exadata machine was an unproven new factor; its new model tying Oracle's software to a specific hardware platform for the first time. But two years after its implementation, one of the first Australian customers to deploy an Exadata has praised the platform, giving credence to the idea that it has earnt its place.
You’re flat out wrong, NBN Co tells AFR
NBN Co and two of its key contractors have categorically denied a front page report by the Financial Review this morning that the contractors weren't bidding for the next round of NBN construction deals due to rollout delays, describing the newspaper's report as "patently untrue".
AGD ASIO’s “puppet”, claims Pirate Party
Digital rights political party the Pirate Party Australia this week claimed that a parliamentary submission made by the Attorney-General's Department (AGD) arguing for substantially increased government electronic surveillance powers indicated that the Department was little more than a "puppet" and "lobbyist for law enforcement and intelligence agencies".
Our Prime Minister may have been factually inaccurate on 7:30 on NBN copper costs
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to have made a statement on national television which may have been factually inaccurate regarding the National Broadband Network, claiming on 7:30 tonight that the cost of remediating Telstra's copper network was not ten times the amount originally estimated, despite evidence to the contrary.
Consumers paying up to 92% more with Telstra, says Choice
Choice, the not-for-profit consumer advocacy group, has said that consumers are paying "up to a 92% price premium" to access Telstra’s network, which has experienced a number of major outages in the last six months.
Rudd: I’m proud of the NBN
A tearful outgoing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today told journalists he was "proud" of his Government's work on the National Broadband Network, describing it as "the missing piece of 21st century kit for our country".
Screw you, Turnbull: TPG starts FTTB deployment
National broadband company TPG today revealed it had started deploying its planned Fibre to the Basement rollout in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, in a move which directly challenges a statement by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the legality of such deployments would be examined by a panel within the next six months.
“Shocking”: Turnbull accuses Rudd of NBN “lies”
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has publicly accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of telling "shocking lies" about the National Broadband Network and the Coalition's rival NBN policy, as election tensions continue to grow between the two major sides of politics over the issue of who's telling the truth about the key project.
CSC, Telstra want longer-term AGIMO strategy
Several of Australia's largest suppliers of technology suppliers to the Federal Government have called for it to be more forward-thinking, in reactions to a draft whole of government strategic vision published by its peak IT decision-making agency in mid-April this year.
ACS hires CEO with no IT experience
Australia's peak organisation for technology professionals has hired a new chief executive without any direct experience in the technology sector.
15-year-old IT system helped Victoria lose $886m
The Victorian Ombudsman has found that the poor-performing nature of a 15-year-old IT system operated by the State Government has been one of the main contributors to the state losing more than $1.2 billion of revenue from millions of uncollected legal infringement fines. A project to replace the system kicked off in 2007 has not yet delivered on its aims.
Turnbull “stuffed up” NBN costs, says Labor
The Labor Opposition has responded to the release of NBN Co's Corporate Plan 2016, saying that that document confirms that "every assumption [Prime MInister] Turnbull made when he was Minister responsible for the NBN was wrong".
Qantas to use NBN, ViaSat to deliver in-flight Wi-Fi from 2017
Qantas is set to introduce inflight Wi-Fi from next year under a partnership with international broadband services provider ViaSat and the NBN network.
BigPond Movies baked into LG TVs
LG will this year introduce a range of televisions that will come with access to Telstra's BigPond Movies on-demand service, the two companies announced in a statement this morning.