Huawei beat Nokia, Ericsson, ZTE for Voda deal
Chinese giant Huawei beat European rivals Nokia Siemens Networks and Ericsson to win VHA's mammoth network replacement project, the mobile telco said this afternoon -- as well as compatriot ZTE -- in a hard-fought tender process which lasted throughout most of 2010.
Take that, Telstra: Optus has 500 4G towers
The nation's number two telco Optus has revealed it has already upgraded some 500 mobile phone towers across Australia to support high-speed 4G mobile broadband services, in a rapid-fire rollout aimed at curtailing Telstra's lead in the provision of the next-general mobile services.
Telstra launches “best ever” terabyte broadband plan
Telstra has launched what it is calling its "biggest and best value home bundle offer" that sees users get a hefty 1 terabyte of data, along with other features.
Telstra playing favourites, Internode claims
Internode late last week speculated that Telstra's wholesale division was giving some retail internet service providers better deals because they hadn't built out their own competitive broadband infrastructure as some like Internode, iiNet and TPG had.
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.
NBN corporate plan lands 2PM today
The National Broadband Network Company will release its latest corporate plan at 2PM today, with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley to host a press conference in Sydney this afternoon.
Capgemini appoints new CEO for Australia and New Zealand
Global consulting, technology and outsourcing company Capgemini has announced the appointment of Nicolas Aidoud as its new Chief Executive Officer for Australia and New Zealand.
Clothing with Bluetooth safety alerts idea wins mining hackathon
After over two days of non-stop brainstorming, a team composed of university students and scientists has won the 2015 Unearthed Melbourne Hackathon.
First South Brisbane fibre customers go live
The nation's largest telco Telstra last week carried out the first copper to fibre customer migrations in its South Brisbane exchange area -- including those of customers belonging to other ISPs -- as it continues its project to replace its copper network in the region.
Conroy’s attacks lack “hard evidence,” claims Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has issued a cold and lengthy rejoinder to a fiery speech by his opposite Stephen Conroy this afternoon, arguing the Labor Senator had failed to provide "hard evidence" regarding a number of claims about the Coalition's rival telecommunications policy.
Transformer Pad Infinity hits Oz for $999
Taiwanese consumer electronics giant ASUS has launched its most high-profile Android-based tablet yet, the Transformer Pad Infinity, with the device to sell in Australia for a local recommended retail price of $999.
Industry ‘confused’ on e-health funding, says Ovum
Analyst house Ovum has questioned the Federal Government's Budget commitment of $466.7 million to create a national health identifier system, saying industry reaction to the scheme is typified by "confusion" about its implementation and claimed results.
Ballarat best ‘on-shoring’ IT services hub
Enterprise IT analyst firm capioIT has crowned the Victorian region of Ballarat as the best non-metropolitan location in Australia for IT services delivery, for a range of factors including historical investment in the area and integration between the government, education and commercial sectors.
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.
‘Superceded’: Hadley joins Jones in wireless NBN attack
Radio shockjock Ray Hadley has joined fellow 2GB commentator Alan Jones in attacking Labor's National Broadband Network project for using fibre technology to upgrade Australia's broadband infrastructure, with Hadley claiming the fibre could be superceded over the next two decades by "something we don't even know about".
Defence dumps distributed computing plans
The Department of Defence has taken the unusual step of abandoning plans to go to market for one of the three major tranches of IT outsourcing programs it has been evaluating over the past several years, opting instead to renew a contract in the area with Unisys, despite the fact that it will shortly be forced to re-examine the deal anyway.
New leaked docs appear to show further FTTN delays
The Coalition's controversial Multi-Technology Mix approach to the NBN has taken another body blow, with a fresh set of leaked documents from inside the NBN company reportedly showing that its Fibre to the Node rollout is comprehensively missing its targets.
Qld Govt inks $26.5m deal for Office 365
The Queensland State Government yesterday announced it had signed a $26.5 million deal with Microsoft which will gain the state access to Microsoft's Office 365 software and services platform. However, with the deal not covering operating system licences and not being mandatory for departments and agencies, it remains unclear what its impact will be.
Datacom launches “National Network” of datacentres
Datacom has launched what it calls its "National Network" of interconnected data centres and digital assets.
Detailed analysis of NBN Co’s finances shows FTTP better value than FTTN
A researcher from Monash University has published a detailed analysis of the NBN company's costs which appears to show that Labor's technically superior Fibre to the Premises model represents better financial value than the Coalition's preferred Fibre to the Node technology only a scant few years after FTTP was deployed.
Slattery + Rebel Alliance propose NBN 3.0
A splinter group of rebel telecommunications players has broken with their Australian brethren's long-standing support for Labor's National Broadband Network policy, publishing its own, "NBN 3.0" model in an apparent attempt to influence the independent members of parliament who may help decide the next Federal Government.
National Broadband Network … or Super Mario Bros?
The Government has stolen the plot to Nintendo's hit circa 1986 video game, and are now using it as strategy!
Ballarat Uni claims 89% of BitTorrent is illegal
The University of Ballarat has published a research paper claiming 89 percent of BitTorrent files it studied during a certain period were confirmed to infringe copyright, a result immediately hailed by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft as a victory in its war against file sharing.
Turnbull links data retention with Conroy’s filter
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has likened the Federal Government’s controversial data retention and surveillance plan to the mandatory Internet filtering project which remains official policy of the Federal Government, despite the fact that Labor’s attempt to introduce it several years ago was met with near-universal political and popular opposition.
Telstra boosts 4G capacity in some areas
Telstra has expanded its 4G mobile capacity in North Queensland and South Australia, with "up to 200 sites receiving up to 50% more capacity", the firm said.
NBN Co, Telstra help Greg Hunt out with election campaign event
The NBN company join Telstra at an election campaign event to be held by Environment Minister Greg Hunt in his electorate of Flinders in late March, Delimiter can reveal, in a move that further calls into question the NBN company's independence in the pre-election period.
Rental chain deploys Office 365 to 90 stores
Home appliance rental franchise chain Mr Rental has deployed Microsoft's software as a service-based Office 365 productivity platform to more than 90 stores across Australia and New Zealand, Microsoft announced this morning.
Movie Rights Group website shut down, VP leaves
The website for controversial anti-piracy organisation Movie Rights Group has inexplicably vanished from the Internet and its vice president of sales and marketing has quit, leading to speculation that the organisation has been shut down for good.
Australian spam goes on holiday
Australia's spam rate has fallen by more than 15 per cent since July 2010, and it's now 1.3 percentage point below the average 78.6 per cent registered globally by Symantec.
US VC firm pumps $30m into Aussie software vendor
US-based venture capital firm Technology Crossover Ventures has invested $30 million into Australia-based company SiteMinder, which develops software that allows hotels to better monetise their inventory themselves and via more easily connecting to online platforms.
Xenophon announces plan to save Dick Smith gift card holders
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has announced a possible solution for Dick Smith gift card holders following the electronics retailer's collapse.
Turnbull has no NBN plan, says Conroy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has demanded that the Coalition publish its policy platform for the next election in the area of broadband and telecommunications, pointing out that this is the third time, in as many months, that he has made this inquiry of the Coalition; asking it to disclose its broadband policy, the technology it proposes to use, and the cost to Australians.
iiBorg assimilates Adam Internet
Highly acquisitive Internet service provider iiNet has revealed plans to buy Adelaide-based ISP Adam Internet, swooping in quickly on the company following the collapse of a controversial deal that would have seen it bought by Australia's incumbent telco Telstra.
UXC overhaul “low risk”, says Defence
The Department of Defence has characterised the risk involved in a $16 million ugrade to its ailing human resources platform PMKeyS as "low" and outlined how it plans to use the project to lay the foundation for a much wider overhaul.
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 blocks Internode FOI request for Telstra/NBN deal
The Federal Government's Information Commissioner has rejected an attempt by internet service provider Internode to obtain the complete text of Telstra's $11 billion deal with the National Broadband Network Company under Freedom of Information laws.
Google Nexus 7 (2013 model): Review
The new version of Google's flagship seven inch tablet, the Nexus 7, has landed in Australia. The first edition of the Nexus 7 proved a hit locally and helped Android finally succeed in challenging Apple's dominance in the tablet sector. But does its successor represent a worthy upgrade or only a minor improvement? Read on to find out.
Foxtel launches special Game of Thrones plan
Foxtel is offering a discounted subscription to its Premium plan for the broadcast of HBO's much anticipated Game of Thrones Season 6, which the company will commence airing on Monday, 25 April.
Turnbull insists Coalition’s NBN still “national”
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has hit out at critics of the Coalition's broadband policy, describing them as "ignorant" and insisting that the project still constitutes a "National" Broadband Network, despite the fact that the new Government is taking a multi-technology approach to the broadband rollout described by one senior analyst as a "dog's breakfast".
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".
CeBIT: Conroy releases Digital Economy strategy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy this morning released the Federal Government’s Digital Economy Strategy, a document which aims to lay out a vision for how the nation will best take advantage of the Government’s flagship National Broadband Network project.
Vodafone ‘guarantees’ network quality — or your money back
‘Vodafone Network Guarantee’ is mobile telco Vodafone’s latest move to assuage irate customers in the face of continuing network concerns and coverage woes. The Guarantee, introduced on a trial basis in South Australia and the ACT from the first week of September 2011, and nationally on December 4th, 2011, is applicable to all new and upgrading customers who had signed up for the post-paid plan.
Nintendo Wii U hits Australia on 30 November
Nintendo announced this morning that its new Wii U console would launch in Australia on 30 November this year, with several different pricing options available ranging from a "Basic Pack" at $349.95 to a "Premium Pack" containing a black model with more space for $429.95.
DTO reveals progress on digital transformation projects
The Digital Transformation Office has revealed the state of progress on a number of Digital Delivery Hubs that were set up in October 2015.
Amendments turn NBN Co into a retailer: Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has issued a sharp warning that an extensive package of amendments to key National Broadband Network legislation published by the Federal Government yesterday made a mockery of the claim that NBN Co would be a wholesale-only player in the telecommunications market.
Victorian Govt still disappointed in NBN
The Coalition-led Victorian State Government has again sharply criticised the Labor Federal Government's National Broadband Network project for not adequately meeting the needs of residents of the state.
Costello says Qld should sell IT services units
A landmark report into the Queensland Government's financial position penned by Howard-era Treasurer Peter Costello has recommended the state government consider selling off its IT shared services unit, as there was no guarantee they could provide IT services to the government efficiently.
Google leaves Australia off cloud expansion list
Google has announced two new regions for its Cloud Platform network of datacentres, with more on the way, but it is still unclear if Australia will eventually be included in the list.
Aussie email provider FastMail says it is exempt from Data Retention law
Australian email provider FastMail has claimed it will not be subject to the Data Retention law which is shortly scheduled to come into force in Australia, due to the fact that it is not a telecommunications carrier and does not operate hosting infrastructure in 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.
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 NBN prices too high, says Coalition
iiNet's National Broadband Network pricing released today were higher than existing ADSL prices and demonstrated Labor's flagship NBN project would not bring Australians cheaper broadband, Liberal MP Paul Fletcher said this afternoon.
Not today, Conroy: House of Reps rejects NBN transparency reform
The Government has used its dominance of the House of Representatives to reject amendments successfully moved by Labor Senator Stephen Conroy in the Senate which would enforce a degree of radical transparency on the NBN company.
Melbourne Uni students ‘strongly’ prefer Gmail
The University of Melbourne has picked Gmail for its new student email platform, after polls of students indicated a "strong" preference for the Google offering over the alternative Live@EDU platform, despite the popularity of the Microsoft offering amongst university IT administrators around the nation.
Nintendo Wii U to hit Australia before Christmas
Japanese video game giant Nintendo has reportedly confirmed plans to launch its next-generation Wii U console in Australia before the end of 2012, listing a local launch in line with simultaneous releases in Japan, the US and Europe.
‘Unacceptable’: Cisco’s Chambers tells Obama re NSA interceptions
Long-time Cisco Systems chief executive John Chambers has written a strongly worded letter to US President Barack Obama stating that the company "simply cannot operate" if the National Security Agency continues intercepting its routers and injecting spyware onto them before they are delivered to customers.
Melbourne CDN startup wins $2.3 million
Melbourne-based cloud content delivery network startup MetaCDN this week revealed it had completed one of the largest early stage investment rounds in an Australian technology startup over the past several years, winning $2.3 million in funding from investors including Starfish Ventures and the University of Melbourne Endowment fund.
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.
Wi-Fi Motorola Xoom hits JB Hi-Fi
Motorola has launched a version of its Xoom Android tablet without 3G mobile broadband support, with the device having gone on sale through JB Hi-Fi and other retailers today for a recommended retail price of $689, a price which makes it comparable with the Wi-Fi version of Apple's market-dominating iPad.
Seittenranta to be permanent DPS CIO
Long-time Centrelink and Department of Human Services IT executive Eija Seittenranta has been appointed to a permanent role as the chief information officer of the Federal Department of Parliamentary Services, following a temporary appointment to the role in October.
Stephen Conroy announces retirement from Senate
Labor Senator Stephen Conroy has made the surprise announcement that he is to retire from Senate later this month.
$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.
BioShock 2 hits Australia tomorrow
The highly anticipated atmospheric first person shooter game BioShock 2 is slated to launch in Australia tomorrow morning.
Vodafone investigates reported security breach
Mobile telco VHA this afternoon said it was investigating an alleged breach of its security which has reportedly seen customers' personal information -- including details of who they called and when -- made available to some individuals who have gained password access to its internal customer database for its Vodafone brand.
Vodafone, 3 Mobile, Telstra, Optus to offer iPad plans
Mobile carrier VHA today revealed it would offer dedicated iPad pricing plans for all of the models of Apple's new tablet from the end of May in Australia on both its 3 and Vodafone brands.
Data retention goes back to drawing board: Parliament’s report criticises AGD secrecy
The Parliamentary Committee examining the Government's controversial national security reforms has recommended that the data retention segments of the reforms go through the committee process once again and criticised the Attorney-General's Department for the cloak of secrecy it has hung around the issue.
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.
Vodafone “pleased” with network fix progress
Mobile telco VHA this morning said it was pleased with the progress it had made in resolving customer complaints about its Vodafone brand, in reaction to the publication of a 30 page report by critic website Vodafail.com overnight, which details a raft of customer complaints about the telco.
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.
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.
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.
iiNet IPTV available this month
Earlier this week iiNet chief executive Michael Malone teased iiNet's (Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) launch date as "before the end of this month" and pricing to be revealed at the end of this week.
Ads not misleading: Google wins High Court case
Search giant Google has won a High Court case against the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in which the regulator had alleged that Google breached the law by displaying misleading or deceptive advertisements on its search results pages.
NBN could cost $100 billion, claims Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has publicly claimed that Labor's National Broadband Network project could could cost as much as $100 billion to build, despite the company’s own estimates showing that it will require around $37 billion of capital injection from the Government and eventually make a return.
Pirate Party, EFA hail ‘common sense’ victory
The Pirate Party Australia has welcomed iiNet's internet piracy victory over a coalition of film and TV studios, describing it as "a victory for common sense", while civil liberties group Electronic Frontiers Australia said sanity had prevailed.
Tech Mahindra takes control of VHA’s IT
Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) today confirmed it had appointed Indian IT services giant Tech Mahindra as its new IT managed service provider, in a deal which the Australian Financial Review has valued at around $250 million.
Tradie search site hipages.com.au takes $6m
Tradie search site hipages.com.au this week announced it had secured $6 million in venture capital from a range of investors to expand its operations connecting Australians with small service providers in their area.
Reader giveaway: A new Nexus 7!
Today we're kicking off a new competition to give away one of Google's new Nexus 7 tablets: Just sign up for our weekly "Best of the Week" email newsletter before November 15 to enter.
Froyo imminent for Telstra HTC Desires
Telstra today promised customers the long-awaited Android 2.2 update (Froyo) would be introduced to its flagship HTC Desire handsets within the next four weeks.
Volvo starts testing kangaroo avoidance tech
Volvo is developing a unique system that uses radar and camera technology to detect kangaroos, in order to avoid collisions with the animals, one of the most common causes of traffic collisions in Australia.
Oh dear: Conroy’s “spams or scams in the portal”
"There's a staggering number of Australians being in having their computers infected at the moment, up to 20,000 -- uh -- can regularly be getting infected by these spams or scams, that come through the portal," says Stephen Conroy. Right.
Australian tech startup BigCommerce closes US$30m funding round
Australian e-commerce platform BigCommerce has announced the closure of a US$30 million (A$41 million) funding round.
Analysis by ex-NBN CTO shows NBN activation rate is actually slowing
Analysis by the NBN company's first chief technology officer Gary McLaren appears to have shown that the activation rate of new NBN broadband connections is actually slowing, in a move that McLaren has speculated may be due to political reasons in an election year or merely the difficulty of dealing with copper and HFC technologies.
Budget 2011: Filter grants cancelleddue to lack of interest
The Federal Government tonight announced that it would not proceed with a funding program which has seen Australian internet service providers provided with grants to offer internet filtering options to customers; citing a lack of interest in the project.
Financial problems take down 99dresses
Pollenizer-backed startup 99dresses this week took its site down for renovation promising that it would eventually return, but revealing it was suffering from financial problems linked to its use of virtual currency.
UNSW, GoGet working on self-driving car
Researchers at the University of New South Wales have taken the first step towards creating a self-driving car by fitting sensors and other technology to a vehicle owned by car sharing service GoGet.
Blizzard mulls Aussie World of Warcraft servers
World of Warcraft publisher Blizzard Entertainment this week reportedly said it was discussing the possibility of hosting Australian servers for the popular massively multiplayer online game.
Technology One making inroads into Federal Govt
Home-grown Australian software firm Technology One appears to be making significant inroads into the Federal Government, with a $5.8 million deal with the Federal Department of the Treasury reportedly building on existing success the company is having selling its software into major institutions.
Second high-end Huawei phone hits Australia
Chinese technology giant Huawei this week revealed it would launch a second high-end smartphone in Australia, the 'Honor', following its recent launch of its highly rated Ascend P1 model.
Hackett’s premise flawed, says NBN Co
NBN Co has defended its pricing approach in the face of strident criticism from an ISP which will be one of its largest customers, claiming comments by Internode managing director Simon Hackett this week didn't reflect the "reality" of how it would sell services to the telecommunications market after its network was rolled out.
Vodafone to cut up to 500 jobs
Troubled mobile telco Vodafone has flagged its second staff restructure in less than a year, in a move that has seen a number of senior executives appointed and internal investment priorities changes, and which could see up to 500 staff lose their roles in the near future, representing about 10 percent of the company’s Australian workforce.
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.
NBN should be in caretaker mode, claims Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called for the National Broadband Network Company to stop entering into major contracts that would affect a Coalition Government, due to what Turnbull described as being a form of the traditional government 'caretaker mode' that keeps governments running during elections.
“Large ISP” got away with refusing filter
Former Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has revealed that the Australian Federal Police appears to have given up on pursuing the un-named large Australian ISP which flatly refused to implement the Federal Government's limited mandatory ISP filtering scheme based on a list of offensive sites supplied by Interpol.
$999 November launch for Samsung Tab on all carriers
Korean electronics giant Samsung announced tonight that its hyped iPad rival -- the Galaxy Tab -- will be available to Australians in November this year through all the major mobile carriers.
Vodafone up for sale, reports The Australian
The Australian newspaper has reported that embattled mobile telco Vodafone Australia has been put up for sale, with a memorandum on the issue having been issued to potential buyers such as telcos and investment houses in Asia and Europe.
Analysts unfazed by CommBank’s extra $370m dollop
Australian technology analyst firms have indicated they are not concerned by the Commonwealth Bank's unexpected revelation last week that it would pour a further $370 million into its core banking modernisation project, bringing the total investment in what has become one of Australia's largest ever IT overhauls to $1.1 billion.
Telstra top hat fixing NBN failures, says Vic IT minister
Victoria's Liberal IT minister has praised Telstra for deploying so-called 'top hat' upgrades to its ADSL2+ infrastructure in the Victorian region of Narre Warren in his electorate, stating that the rollout would provide high-speed broadband in areas where the National Broadband Network had so far failed to deliver on its promises.
Fairfax columnist prints blatant NBN falsehoods
A senior columnist writing for Melbourne newspaper The Age has falsely claimed that the fibre technology used in Labor's NBN project had a life of only 25 years and that it could be made obsolete by "low earth orbiting satellites", in an article riddled with inaccurate and highly disputed claims regarding the project.
HTC’s update “nightmare”: Desires finally get Froyo
Six months after Google first released the 2.2 or 'Froyo' version of its mobile operating system, HTC has made the update available to Australian owners of its flagship HTC Desire handset – through its website, if not directly over the air.
Macquarie Uni gets deep into virtual desktops
Following on from the news last week that recruitment firm Hudson (and a number of others over the past year or so) is rolling out an extensive desktop virtualisation project internally, comes further detail about a similar (and quite innovative) program at Macquarie University.
Sydney iPhone 4 launch: Photos by Delimiter
In this last photo gallery of the Sydney iPhone 4 launch last night, Delimiter journalist Jenna Pitcher goes behind the scenes at Telstra to meet the crew from Masterchef -- and witnesses the cutting of a giant iPhone-shaped cake. Jenna also checks out the (lengthy) queue outside Optus' store down the street.
Govt maintains Huawei ban for now
Attorney-General George Brandis and Huawei have issued statements stating that no decision has been made by the new Coalition Government with relation to the Chinese vendor’s ability to tender for National Broadband Network contracts, contradicting a report by the Financial Review newspaper on the issue.
OzLog unveiled: Senate lays data retention bare
A flood of new information emerged this afternoon in Federal Parliament about the controversial and secretive proposal by the Attorney-General's Department (AGD) to force internet service providers to store a wealth of information pertaining to Australians' emails and telephone calls.
Pollenizer raises another $1.1m for startups
Australian startup incubator Pollenizer today revealed it had added a further $1.1 million in investment to its coffers, with the aim of furthering its mission of helping to build innovative technology startups.
“No public interest” in PCEHR review release
The Department of Health has stated it does not believe there is a public interest case for the Federal Government's review of the troubled Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records project to be released publicly, despite the fact that Health Minister Peter Dutton has stated the document contains "a comprehensive plan for the future of electronic health records in Australia".
Abbott confirms Coalition FTTN policy; Hints Turnbull will be Comms Minister
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott this afternoon confirmed the Coalition would take Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull's fibre to the node-based broadband plan to the Federal Election as its broadband policy and appeared to hint that Turnbull would become Communications Minister in an Abbott administration.
A brief note about comments
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Victorian Govt continues to suffer major issues with ICT projects
A new report from Victoria's Acting Auditor-General Dr Peter Frost has criticised the state government over failed and badly planned ICT projects that he said were, in some cases, "not acceptable".
Sunrise hangs out on Google+
Channel 7′s breakfast show ‘Sunrise’ has made what it has described a “TV first”, using a Google+ feature to power behind the scenes footage for an hour this morning.
ABC unlocks 3G iview iPhone app, Android coming
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has modified its highly popular iview streaming video iPad app so that it will function on Apple iPhones, as well as unlocking the streaming ability for the app on 3G networks and revealing that it also has a separate version in the works for Google's rival Android platform.
News Ltd chief slams “scumbag” Internet pirates
The chief executive of the Australian division of publisher News Limited has given a major speech slamming what he described as "copyright kleptomaniacs" supporting "scumbag theft", arguing that Internet piracy was undermining the business case for the creation of great cultural works like never before.
Labor slams Turnbull’s NBN “broken promises”
The Labor Party has hit out at what it calls Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's "broken promises" over the NBN rollout and listed a number of perceived "stuff-ups" during his first year of office.
CA buys Sydney company Torokina
Global software giant CA Technologies yesterday revealed it had acquired a Sydney startup, Torokina Networks, which specialises in providing fault, several level and performance management technologies and services to support the implementation of next-generation mobile networks.
Cool SydStart videos: Live now
At the recent SydStart startup conference in Sydney, the guys from StartCastAU did a great deal of filming, and have recently published a handful of excellent speeches by luminaries from Australia's startup scene. We've embedded what we think are the best ones below -- but check out StartCastAU's YouTube channel for others.
IT strategy to lead NSW from “the dark ages”
New South Wales' Coalition State Government late last week revealed a new and wide-ranging strategy which it said was slated to make it "the leader in ICT" when it came to public sector service delivery and the development of the state's technology sector as a whole.
Adobe misleads IT price hike inquiry
Adobe appears to have given a number of misleading and highly contestable answers to key questions posed to the software giant by the Federal Parliament's inquiry into IT price hikes in the Australian market, in a move which builds on questions currently being debated about the company's future relationship with its customers.
A basic NBN Co revenue calculation: $1.73bn a year
Just how much revenue will NBN Co be making once it is finished rolling out its network? Michael Wyres has calculated the minimum case.
Govt chaos: Has NBN Co stopped the rollout?
The National Broadband Network Company would not confirm this morning whether it would continue to roll out optic fibre around the nation while Australia’s Parliament attempts to resolve whether the Coalition or Labor would form Government.
VMware’s Harapin takes APJ role
The long-time managing director of VMware Australia and New Zealand has been promoted to an Asia-Pacific and Japan role, with his replacement to be Duncan Bennet, the former leader of Sun Microsystems in Australia.
‘Open letter’ galvanises marketing sector into NBN action
An 'open letter' from a senior figure in Australia's marketing and advertising sector calling for action to address the Coalition's "sub-standard" National Broadband Network has generated an instant and strong response from other high-profile industry figures.
Conroy retains communications portfolio
New Prime Minister Julia Gillard has confirmed that only minimal changes will be made to her cabinet team, with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to retain his position.
Vic IT Minister requests inquiry into “grave allegations” of ABC NBN gag
Victoria's Innovation Minister has written to the ABC's Managing Director requesting a meeting and internal investigation regarding what he described as "grave allegations" that the broadcaster had gagged its former technology editor Nick Ross from reporting on the National Broadband Network.
TPG reveals $69.99 unlimited NBN plan
National provider broadband provider TPG has revealed it is planning to offer at least one plan on the National Broadband Network's fibre infrastructure featuring the same unlimited downloads it offers on ADSL networks, with speeds of 12Mbps and a monthly charge of $69.99 including a home telephone line.
NBN denies HFC launch in uber-marginal seat breaches Caretaker Conventions
The NBN company has denied that its launch yesterday of its new HFC cable network breaches the election campaign Caretaker Conventions, despite the company promoting the Coalition-backed technology in the uber-marginal seat of Petrie.
Telstra kills mobile market; Optus, Vodafone wilt
The nation's largest telco Telstra has continued its incredibly strong drive to take back a huge slice of Australia's mobile market, adding 739,000 customers in a period in which both Optus and Vodafone appeared to go slightly backwards.
NSW Govt settles Tcard dispute
New South Wales Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian has announced the settlement of the long-running Tcard legal dispute with Videlli (formerly ERG). The trial had been due to start next Monday in the Supreme Court of NSW. The resolution of the matter will spare taxpayers a potential loss of around $200 million.
NBN statement not Coalition’s final NBN policy
The Coalition has confirmed that a statement issued late last week does not constitute its final National Broadband Network policy for the Federal Election, hosing down speculation that it was the last it would have to say on the matter ahead of the Election in July.
Tasmania mandates opt-out NBN model
The Tasmanian Government this afternoon revealed it would prepare legislation to mandate an "opt-out" model for the National Broadband Network rollout in the state -- essentially meaning all premises will receive the infrastructure unless they explicitly choose not to.
Jetstar deal the Asian wind beneath Telstra’s wings
Telstra is talking up the international prospects for its Network Applications and Services (NAS) arm after securing a significant contract to manage IT management and procurement on behalf of expanding regional budget airline Jetstar.
Coalition NBN policy launch: Full video
Missed the Coalition's rival policy launch on TV this morning and want to catch up? No worries, Delimiter's got your back. Catch the whole presentation by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull in this YouTube video. We're also working on uploading the question and answer session in which yours truly and a number of other journalists put the tough questions to the pair.
Qld expansion: Optus beefs up 4G coverage
Optus has revealed that it has rapidly expanded its 4G coverage in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, as the SingTel subsidiary races to catch up with the more widespread coverage offered by Australia’s largest 4G network operated by Telstra.
Snowden, Manning ‘not whistleblowers’, claims Australia’s Attorney-General
Australia's Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has made an extraordinary public statement that former CIA and NSA operative Edward Snowden and accused WikiLeaks collaborator Bradley Manning are not technically "whistleblowers", claiming that the information they had released publicly related to no wrongdoing by government agencies.
Turnbull agrees with Alan Jones: Wireless is NBN future
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has publicly backed as "the facts" a number of highly contentious statements by radio shockjock Alan Jones about Labor's National Broadband Network project, including Jones' contested claim that wireless represents the future of broadband in Australia.
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.
Abbott pledges sleepless NBN vigilance
Tony Abbott has warned Julia Gillard's government-in-waiting that the Opposition will be "hyper-vigilant" in its monitoring of Labor's National Broadband Network project for screw-ups.
Has Alcatel-Lucent cut 100 staff?
Alcatel-Lucent has issued a broad statement that it is “rebalancing workforce” requirements in reaction to a report that it has cut 100 jobs out of its Australian workforce.
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.
Western Australia announces major cloud push
The Western Australian state government has announced a cloud computing initiative that is aimed to boost services while cutting back on overall spending.
Telstra adds weekend option to home visits
The nation's largest telco Telstra will now allow its customers to book appointments for its technicians to visit their houses on weekend to fix thorny problems, ending a long-running problem where their visits were restricted to the normal working week.
Fixing the hole: Labor pledges FTTP for Tasmanian West Coast
The Opposition today promised to deliver Fibre to the Premises to most of the West Coast of Tasmania if it wins the upcoming Federal Election, in a move squarely aimed at resolving the complaints of residents and businesses in the area over being relegated to satellite broadband access under the Coalition.
Conroy nemesis Minchin to retire
Former Shadow Communications Minister Nick Minchin, who is still one of Stephen Conroy's most virulent opponents in the Senate, has reported confirmed plans to retire from the Opposition front bench, saying he won't contest the next Federal election.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank adopts IBM cloud
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has adopted IBM Cloud to boost development of new banking products and services for its 1.6 million customers.
Consumer group invited to secret piracy talks
The Federal Government has invited the nation's leading telecommunications consumer groups to participate in the latest round of the closed door talks it is holding on the issue of Internet piracy, reversing a previous ban on consumer representatives attending such talks.
iPad 2 to hit Australia March 25
Iconic US technology giant Apple this morning revealed the next version of its flagship iPad tablet would hit Australia on March 25, along with most countries outside the US; but the company has yet to unveil localised pricing for the device.
Was Datacom’s Melbourne datacentre flooded?
Dissension has emerged in Australia's ICT industry about whether a Melbourne datacentre belonging to New Zealand-headquartered player Datacom was flooded due to hailstorm weather conditions in the Victorian capital over the weekend.
Telstra, Internode tentatively back iiNet’s piracy authority
Several of Australia's major internet service providers have cautiously indicated support for a proposal unveiled by iiNet last week to set up an independent authority to administer allegations of copyright infringement by internet users.
Govt reintroduces media reform legislation
The Federal Government has reintroduced its media reform bill to parliament, a move aimed to support the Australian media organisations in the face of increasing competition from less regulated services.
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.
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.
Optus: We’re fixing our 3G network
The nation's number two telco Optus today defended the performance of its 3G mobile network and said it was working to improve customers' experience on it.
Tassie NBN “will take 80 years”, claims Abbott
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has inaccurately claimed that the rollout of Labor's National Broadband Network in Tasmania will take "80 years" to complete, in what Labor's Regional Communications Minister Sharon Bird immediately labelled a deliberate attempt to deceive residents and businesses in the state.
Unlimited 100Mbps for $89.99: TPG equals top NBN plan
TPG has launched a new plan on the National Broadband Network fibre infrastructure which appears to match the existing best option on the market from rival Exetel, with the national broadband provider also now offering an unlimited option at speeds of 100Mbps for just $89.99 per month.
Optus offers early phone upgrade option, new data deals
Optus has introduced a new offer that will give new customers the option to receive an early phone upgrade on its My Plan Plus deal.
Anna Bligh appeals to Facebook chief Zuckerberg
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has reportedly written to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg (pictured), appealing to the social networking supremo for help in blocking...
Internode unveils NBN pricing
National broadband provider Internode this afternoon revealed its initial pricing plans for commercial services over the planned National Broadband Network infrastructure, with the ISP to only offer so-called 'bundled' plans which come with a telephone connection and prices starting at $59.95 a month.
NBN “a joint venture with Telstra”
blog Business Spectator commentator Alan Kohler has taken an axe to the Federal Government's flagship NBN policy, describing the project as "effectively a joint...
Fujitsu wins $140m IT services deal with Gold Coast
Global IT services provider Fujitsu has won the contract to manage Gold Coast’s ICT infrastructure and applications services.
BlackBerry rises to knees with several local wins
Ailing smartphone and mobile device management company BlackBerry has announced several minor smartphone and software wins in the Australian market, as it continues its push to maintain relevance in the face of the continued onslaught of rival platforms such as iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
Free ‘trinkets’ while courses cut: Union condemns UWS iPads plan
The academics union has condemned a plan by the University of Western Sydney to give away 11,000 iPads as part of a $35 million bid to keep its content and teaching relevant to students.
We’ll filter when the law makes us: Internode
National broadband provider Internode has clarified its position with respect to the limited filtering scheme being implemented by other ISPs, saying it will implement the scheme when it's forced to by law - but not otherwise.
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.
StarCraft II beta to hit Australia before March
Video game publisher Blizzard has announced that the beta of its hotly anticipated real-time strategy game StarCraft II will be available in Australia before the end of February this year.
HP joins Australian private cloud race
Global technology giant HP has signalled its intention to strongly enter the Australian market for private cloud services, in the wake of prior moves by competitors Telstra, Optus, CSC and Fujitsu.
Twitter must toe the troll line, says Gillard
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has singled out social network Twitter for not yet signing up to the Federal Government's new complaints handling process for major social networking sites, in a speech this morning pointing out that rival companies such as Facebook and Google had already done so.
Govt delays multiple tech FOI requests
Three major Federal Government departments and agencies have delayed the release of sensitive information relating to controversial technology sector issues under Freedom of Information legislation, citing the need to closely examine the documents and consult with third parties before the information is released.
Telstra, NBN offshoring copper support to India
The NBN company and its partner Telstra appear to be offshoring support for Telstra's ageing copper network to India, with consultants in that country to be responsible for ensuring that broadband users can receive acceptable services over the copper that facilitates the Fibre to the Node model.
Xenophon demands uniform NBN pricing
It's only been a matter of days since independent Senator Nick Xenophon forced the Federal Government into a corner over one piece of legislation pertaining to the National Broadband Network; now he's flagged plans to do it again.
‘Keeping the company in Australia’: Freelancer.com turns down $400m buyout to list on ASX
Outspoken Freelancer.com chief executive Matt Barrie today noted that the company would turn down the offers it had received to sell to a larger group or take investment, instead flagging plans to list on the Australian Securities Exchange later this year and continue the drive to develop Australia's home grown technology industry.
Review brands ATO’s Change Program a success
An extensive review of the Australian Taxation Office's colossal $814 million Change Program IT platform overhaul has found the program broadly to be a success, with the initiative delivering on most of its objectives and making a return on its investment in just four years, despite a history which at times seemed close to going off the rails.
iPad Sydney queue video: First in line
Rahul Koduri is first in line to buy an Apple iPad at Sydney's Apple store. He works in a Telstra shop, studies engineering and develops iPhone and iPad apps.
Crackdown: ATO targets eight major tech giants paying little tax
The Australian Taxation Office has revealed plans to investigate eight major multinational technology companies, some of which which are paying "very low or no" tax in Australia, as scrutiny on so-called 'profit-shifting' activities by the local operations of technology giants such as Apple and Google continues to ramp up.
ATO clarifies: Lockheed deal worth $283m
The Australian Taxation Office has clarified that its five-year desktop services contract with defence giant and IT contractor Lockheed Martin actually has a total pricetag of $283.4 million -- not the $380 million it mistakenly published through the Government's tendering system.
AFR claims on NBN sale just plain “wrong”, says Fifield
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield today flatly rejected claims by the Financial Review newspaper that the Government was in talks to sell the bulk of the National Broadband Network to Telstra for as little as $20 billion, stating: "There are no plans to sell NBN".
iiNet’s Malone takes 3-6 month sabbatical
iiNet chief executive Michael Malone has signalled plans to take a break of between three to six months from the business he founded in his garage some 20 years ago, with iiNet's chief financial officer David Buckingham to step in as acting chief executive in his absense.
Fix your separation plan, ACCC tells Telstra
The competition regulator has asked Telstra to make several key changes to its plan to structurally separate its operations and migrate its customers onto the NBN, with the regulator being particularly concerned about the telco's commitment to providing the same services to its wholesale customers as it does its own retail arm.
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.
Telstra iPhone users finally get visual voicemail
Two and a half years after much of the rest of the world got access to the visual voicemail feature used on Apple's iPhone range, and a year and half after the service hit Vodafone locally, Telstra has implemented the option, announcing this morning that it would charge customers $5 per month for the privilege of using it.
Telstra launches new mobile broadband plans
Telstra has introduced new mobile broadband plans with what it calls its "most generous" data allowances to date.
Govt admits staff lost IT equipment valued at over $100k
Government employees have cost the taxpayer may thousands of dollars-worth in lost or stolen IT equipment, it has been revealed.
ACT audit praises IT security; without testing it
The ACT Auditor-General's Office has published a report praising the security of the territorial government's IT systems, basing its conclusions on the evidence presented by government staff, but without actually testing that security, as some State Governments have done over the past several years.
‘Improved’ telco consumer protection code released
The Communications Alliance has released a series of proposed revisions to the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code 2012 that are aimed to improve the code's provisions and reduce complaints to the industry ombudsman, CommCom.
Video review: the ABC’s iPad app
Australian Apple site MacTalk Australia has posted this video review of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's iPad app.
Suncorp scopes Win Server 2012, Hyper-V
Second-tier banking and insurance giant Suncorp has revealed it has plans to deploy Microsoft’s latest Windows Server 2012 server operating system and Hyper-V virtualisation platform and reduce use of VMware’s rival technology, to assist in gaining efficiencies as part of its virtual desktop infrastructure rollout to staff.
Telstra cancels covert filter testing
The nation's largest telco Telstra today announced it had stopped archiving the web browsing activity of its users for the purpose of implementing a new voluntary Internet filter product, following widespread concern expressed this week after the test was revealed by a savvy group of network administrators.
ISPs will take coordinated approach to site blocking
A number of internet service providers (ISPs) have agreed to take a coordinated response to orders requesting website blocking over copyright infringement.
The shape of things to come: FTTN criticism will not die
The creation of a fast-growing petition and the publication of a landmark article by the ABC on the issue are among growing signs that a powerful level of dissent about the Coalition's unpopular fibre to the node-based National Broadband Network policy will come to dog the incoming Abbott government on an ongoing basis.
iiNet shareholders vote ‘yes’ for TPG buyout
iiNet shareholders have overwhelmingly voted for the company to be acquired by rival TPG, with approval by the competition regulator and the Federal Court the two remaining conditions before the acquisition can take place.
Australia’s Internet services slower in 2012 than 2011: Akamai
Australia’s average Internet speeds have decreased by 23% compared with a year ago, according to the latest quarterly figures from global content distribution network (CDN) giant Akamai.
NBN Co awash with review consultants
The National Broadband Network Company revealed late last week that it would appoint three consulting firms to assist with its Strategic Review process, despite the fact that Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull had stipulated it was his intention that the review be conducted by NBN Co itself.
Australia gets new fibre cable to Singapore
Australia’s international internet capacity is in for a significant increase with the planned development of a new optic fibre submarine cable system, ASSC-1, between Perth and Singapore.
Optus signs NBN wholesale contract
The nation's number two telco Optus this afternoon confirmed it had signed the wholesale services agreement which Optus and other telcos have been negotiating with NBN Co for the past 15 months.
AFACT issues BitTorrent warning to ISPs
'Deal with us or else': The Australian organisation representing film and TV studios in their war against online content piracy has written to local ISPs inviting them to work with it on a solution to the issue -- or else it will take action in its own right off the back of precedents set in its lawsuit against major ISP iiNet.
New chair takes reins as NBN Committee sits this Friday
The Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network will hold its first public hearing under the control of its new chair, Senator Jenny McAllister, this Friday morning, with nbn’s recent hiring spree and progress around its deployment of Fibre to the Node technology likely to be on the agenda.
BT’s FTTN has passed 16m since 2009
British incumbent telco BT revealed overnight that its fibre to the node network has passed more than 16 million premises since the network rollout was commenced in 2009, with more than 1.7 million customers having signed up for active connections to the infrastructure.
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.
This is the year for NAB core banking overhaul
It's taken a while, but the Commonwealth Bank of Australia's ambitious project to overhaul its core banking system finally has a rival, with National Australia Bank flagging plans to rapidly increase the pace of its own core overhaul -- with a key tranche of the project to be delivered by the end of this year.
Firing back at the ‘innovation PM’: Labor to extend HELP to ‘startup year’
Labor has fired the first shot at Malcolm Turnbull in what looks set to become a war beterrn the major parties on who can develop the best innovation policy, announcing it will extend the HELP system to allow university students to take 12 months after their degree to launch their own startup.
Telstra sells most of Sensis to private equity
The nation's biggest telco Telstra this morning revealed it would sell 70 percent of its ailing directories and advertising business Sensis to US-based private equity firm Platinum Equity, with the sale to net the telco $454 million.
Atlassian announces huge revenue growth but profit slump
Atlassian Corporation – the Sydney-based provider of team collaboration and productivity software – has revealed in its third quarter of fiscal 2016 earnings report that, while revenue grew considerably compared with the same period last year, it still suffered an operating loss of US$4.9 million.
New MacBooks Air are already in Australia
Iconic technology vendor Apple overnight unveiled a host of new products, including new models of its MacBook Air laptop, which are available in Australia starting from today.
Federal Govt tenders $400m desktop deal
The Federal Government has issued a long-awaited $300 million to $400 million whole of government request for tender for desktop and laptop computers.
Nokia’s 6″ Lumia 1320 hits Australia
Finnish smartphone vendor Nokia this week revealed it would in February launch its new Lumia 1320 handset in Australia, which it is billing as introducing many of the high-end features and bold colours Lumia has become known for in an affordable six inch large-screen smartphone.
Apple iBooks manager could be Sydney-based
Iconic technology giant Apple has advertised for an executive to manage its fledgling iBooks product for the Asia-Pacific and Canada regions, adding the position could be based in Sydney or Toronto.
Netspace founders to leave post-iiNet deal
Netspace co-founders and sole investors Stuart Marburg and Richard Preen plan to leave the internet service provider before its $40 million acquisition by rival iiNet is completed by the end of April, iiNet chief Michael Malone revealed this afternoon.
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.
Gen-i Australia sacks most of its staff
The Australian division of IT services company Gen-i Australia this morning revealed it would cut its staff numbers from 180 to 60 and stop competing for most contracts on the market as it focuses only on Trans-Tasman contracts as per the instructions of its parent Telecom New Zealand.
Cash Converters deploys Windows 10
In a move aimed to "streamline its information ecosystem", Cash Converters has rolled out Windows 10 to 350 stores around the world, including Australia.
Salesforce.com promises Australian datacentre
Global cloud computing giant Salesforce.com has given Australian customers concerned about losing control of their data to other jurisdictions the first ray of hope in the past decade, confirming today it was evaluating the case for creating a local datacentre.
CBA and Barclays announce UK-Australia mobile payments solution
Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Barclays have announced a new technology partnership that is aimed to ease the movement of money between Australia and the UK.
Mike Quigley to join NBN election debate
The founding chief executive of the NBN company, Mike Quigley will publicly discuss the history of the National Broadband Network as well as the various options for its future, in a major speech to be held just over a week before this year's Federal Election on 2 July.
UniSA, RACV deploy NEC IP telephony
Nearly 40 thousand additional people will be serviced by NEC Australia's voice and data solutions next year, with the subsidiary of the Japanese IT giant adding two new local contracts to its portfolio over the past several weeks.
Vic Govt releases motherhood ICT strategy
The Victorian State Government has released the draft of a new whole of government information and communications technology strategy, with which it aims to start addressing extensive IT project and service delivery issues which have resulted in more than a billion dollars in budget overruns and a string of failed IT projects over the past half-decade.
Telco reform bill passes Senate
Labor's controversial legislation to break up Telstra and restructure the telecommunications sector was approved in the Senate this afternoon, in a long-awaited move that the Federal Government has been pushing for for more than a year.
Commission of Audit recommends “transformative” chief digital officer
The new Coalition Government's Commission of Audit (CoA) has strongly recommended the Federal Government adopt a "transformative" strategy to make all its interactions with Australians online by default, with a new chief digital officer to spearhead the strategy and report to Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
PCRange CEO moved suburbs to get NBN fibre
The chief executive of consumer electronics distributor PCRange, Raaj Menon, moved Adelaide suburbs earlier this year with the specific aim of being one of the first customers to be connected to the National Broadband Network, he revealed yesterday -- although his wife was happy as long as she could still get Facebook over Wi-Fi.
NBN raids an “attack on press freedom”, says media union
Australia's peak media union has described last night's Australian Federal Police raids as an "attack on press freedom", stating that the action by the NBN company and law enforcement represented a "disturbing new twist in pursuit of whistleblowers and legitimate public interest journalism".
Nobody has connected to NBN at 100Mbps, claims Christopher Pyne
Federal Shadow Education Minister Christopher Pyne has inaccurately claimed on national radio that the National Broadband Network has not connected any customers at speeds of 100Mbps, despite the fact that in fact, 44 percent of NBN customers connected so far to the project's fibre infrastructure have taken up such speeds.
Amazon mulls Aussie distribution centre
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, giant international Internet retailer and cloud computing giant Amazon is considering deploying a distribution centre -- Amazon-speak for giant warehouse filled with goods to ship to customers -- in Australia.
NBN commences real-world FTTN, FTTB trials
The National Broadband Network Company today confirmed it would shortly kick off real-world trials in several locations in major Australian cities of the Fibre to the Node and Fibre to the Basement technologies which the Coalition plans to use as key parts of its own Broadband Network project, which is seeing Labor's all-fibre NBN vision heavily modified.
Video: Melbourne startup RedBubble
In this video, Techfluff.tv talks to Melbourne-based startup RedBubble for The Next Web’s Melbourne Silicon Beach series on local technology startups. RedBubble is a successful Australian startup which has built an online marketplace for artists.
Telstra launches Motorola Xoom 2 tablet
Hot on the heels of the Motorola Xoom, Motorola Mobility and Telstra are introducing the Xoom 2 tablet to Australia. The company claims the new slimmer and lighter version of the tablet is also faster, super-powerful, and features higher productivity, rich entertainment and customisable experiences. The Motorola Xoom 2 is available from Telstra starting this week.
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.
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.
CIO promoted as Boral outsources IT
Diversified materials company Boral this morning revealed it would embark on a wide-ranging IT outsourcing program which would see an undisclosed number of jobs go and its chief information officer promoted.
Seven to build Vivid Wireless nationally
updated The Seven Network has revealed plans to start building out its Vivid Wireless 4G wireless broadband network in most of Australia’s capital cities,...
Angry consumers flood IT price hike inquiry
Dozens of frustrated Australians describing themselves as concerned private citizens have flooded the Government's IT price hike inquiry with hundreds of examples where they allege technology retailers and vendors have been ripping them off with unfair markups, while the major vendors concerned have yet to formally respond.
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.
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.
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.
Greens slam “extraordinary” OzLog secrecy
Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam has described as "extraordinary" a decision by the Federal Attorney-General's Department to black out the majority of its response to a freedom of information request filed by the Sydney Morning Herald on its controversial data retention proposal, known as 'OzLog'.
Commentators pan ‘uncompetitive’ NBN plan
A number of Australia's most senior business and economics commentators have opened fire on Labor's flagship National Broadband Network project, claiming NBN Co's corporate plan released on Monday was based on flawed assumptions and demonstrated the project would wind back competition in the telecommunications sector.
Motorola cuts Wi-Fi Xoom to $399
Motorola has announced that the Wi-Fi version of its Xoom tablet is now on on sale in Australia for a recommended retail price of $399, translating to a saving of 39 percent in the build up to the Christmas season.
US telco Verizon launches 300Mbps unlimited fibre
Giant US telco Verizon has launched a 300Mbps broadband service with unlimited data quota included that uses the same fibre to the home technology as the National Broadband Network, stating that homes with multiple devices using high-bandwidth applications simultaneously need the extra speeds.
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.
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Xenophon wants Senate inquiry into cyber attacks following BoM breach
Independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenophon, has called for an urgent inquiry into cyber security following recent revelations that the Bureau of Meteorology’s systems have been breached, along with those of other government agencies.
AFACT demands Govt action over iiTrial loss
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) today said its high-profile loss in its High Court case against ISP iiNet illustrated that Australia's Government needed to step in and take action on the issue of Internet piracy in Australia.
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.
Telstra plans 5G trial with Ericsson tech
Telstra has announced it will soon be testing 5G with Ericsson's radio test bed to examine the potential of the technology.
Vocus to buy Nextgen Networks for $861m
Vocus Communications has announced the acquisition of Nextgen Networks, along with two undersea cable projects, the North West Cable System and Australia Singapore Cable.
Australia again leads world in Game of Thrones pirating
Australia has once again topped the list of countries breaching copyright by downloading HBO's Game of Thrones television show from BitTorrent sites, despite efforts by the show's local licensee Foxtel to cash in on the popular series.
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.
Surprised MS apologises for Meter Maids’ bikinis
Microsoft has apologised to any attendees at its Tech.Ed conference on the Gold Coast who were scandalised by its use of Meter Maid girls...
Telstra makes Govt cloud pitch
Telstra has extended an olive branch to a Federal Government market traditionally hostile to the incoming wave of cloud computing services, offering departments and agencies a 45 day free cloud computing trial so that they can test the water on its infrastructure.
Qantas CIO jets off to Airbus
Qantas Airways' Chief Information Officer, Luc Hennekens, is leaving the company to take on the same role at Airbus, effective 1 October.
Renewtek buy brings Vietnam capability to SMS
SMS Management & Technology has delivered on its promises to continue growing through acquisition, picking up local enterprise content and business process management group Renewtek in a purchase that will bring it 140 staff, $17.3 million in annual revenues and an offshore facility in Saigon, Vietnam.
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.
Caliburn rubber-stamps NBN business case
Corporate advisory firm Greenhill Caliburn has delivered a positive appraisal of NBN Co’s business case in a report published this morning by the Federal Government, with the firm labelling the broadband company’s assumptions of its future operations as “reasonable”.
Telstra and NBN Co haven’t started talks yet
Telstra yesterday confirmed it had not yet kicked off renewed negotiations with NBN Co over access to its HFC cable and copper networks, as concerns continue to grow that the Coalition's Broadband Network Project, which has several components highly dependent on the talks succeeding, is likely to be significantly delayed.
Exetel flooded with Internet piracy notices
National broadband provider Exetel has published a day by day breakdown of the numbers of copyright infringement notices it has been receiving from content owners such as film and TV studios, with the figures regularly ranging into the hundreds each month, and potentially even beyond a thousand in any given 30 day period.
Victoria slams ‘risky, uncompetitive’ NBN policy
Victoria's Coalition State Government has heavily criticised the Labor Federal Government's flagship National Broadband Network policy, arguing in a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the NBN that the project could see the telecommunications sector's existing "dysfunctional" market structure replicated and competition put at risk.
Harris Farm deploys IBM all-in-one servers
Retailer Harris Farm Markets revealed in late December that it had deployed IBM's all-in-one compute, storage and networking Flex System in its operations to meet a variety of aims ranging from reducing IT costs and complexity to boosting the performance of business systems such as its ERP platform.
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.
Sydney Apple iPad queue is huge
If you're curious to know what the launch overnight and this morning of Apple's new iPad, check out these two videos posted by Gizmodo of the event.
Govt outlines guidelines for data retention grants
The government has initiated a grants program that will provide up to $128.4 million to assist the telecommunications industry with the upfront costs of meeting their data retention obligations.
NSW Govt directly regulates taxi mobile apps
The NSW Government has formally embraced and started regulating the taxi smartphone apps which have been taking Sydney and other locations by storm, setting regulations to support the apps against the wishes of incumbent players in the taxi industry and capping surcharges at five per cent to stop overcharging.
BigPond price cuts anger Internode, iiNet
National broadband providers Internode and iiNet have cried foul with regards to a massive price cut unveiled yesterday by Telstra's BigPond internet service provider...
Sharing economy an opportunity for NSW, says Govt paper
The NSW Government has released a position paper suggesting that the burgeoning collaborative or sharing economy offers opportunities for the state.
Optus, Uber team up to trial in-car Wi-Fi
Optus has inked a deal with ride-sharing firm Uber that will see the two firms trial in-car Wi-Fi, as well as introduce Uber as a business travel option for Optus employees.
Optus to refund $2.4m over mobile insurance breaches
Optus is being forced to refund around $2.4 million to around 175,000 of its mobile customers following the Australian Securities & Investments Commission's (ASIC's) concerns about the telco's compliance with financial services laws.
Visionstream secures $250M Telstra ‘wideband’ contract
Visionstream, a services provider to the telecoms industry, has inked a new deal with Telstra to extend its delivery of 'wideband' services across Australia.
Lacking reality: Sysadmins slam “snooping” claims
Australia's peak representative body for systems administrators has taken an axe to claims published in the Sydney Morning Herald last week that a huge proportion of IT professionals abused their system access to illegitimately read others' email, calling for evidence to be presented to back the claim.
Privacy Foundation outlines ‘major concerns’ with opt-out e-Health scheme
The Australian Privacy Foundation (APF) has aired “major concerns” with the Personally Controlled eHealth Record (PCEHR) system and the government's proposals to make it an ‘opt-out’ scheme.
By 2015, Australians will have 2.4 mobile devices each
Networking giant Cisco has predicted Australians will have 2.4 mobile devices each and a five-fold increased mobile speed connection by 2015.
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.
Telstra’s “epic” HTC Sensation goes on sale
Telstra today started selling HTC's new flagship smartphone the Sensation in Australia, pricing the handset at the top of its range, with customers to pay a minimum of $79 a month for the device on a plan.
UK pledges “fastest” broadband in Europe
One of the key politicians responsible for delivering telecommunications policy in the UK delivered a major speech overnight pledging to deliver UK residents the "fastest" broadband of any major European country by 2015, through a range of initiatives combining fibre to the home, fibre to the node and wireless technologies.
Telstra’s 4G HTC Android on sale Tuesday
The nation's largest telco Telstra will next Tuesday start selling the first smartphone to be able to fully take advantage of its growing 4G/LTE network: A HTC model running Google's Android operating system and dubbed the 'HTC Velocity 4G'.
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.
Profiteers snap up Boston Marathon, Waco domain names
Australia’s tight domain name policies may have prevented opportunistic cybersquatters from cashing in on local disasters, but this week’s Boston Marathon bombing and Waco fertiliser explosion have had less luck avoiding cybesquatters, analysis by a local domain-name specialist has revealed.
Turnbull ignores FTTN cost issue
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has avoided responding directly to a claim by NBN Co chairman Harrison Young yesterday that the Coalition's fibre to the node-based broadband policy could end up costing more than the current fibre to the home-based NBN.
Aussie SMBs want tablets for Christmas
The latest research conducted for Telstra by StollzNow Research has shown that one in three Australian small business owners are thinking of buying an iPad or other brand of tablet in the lead up to Christmas.
ACCAN CEO wins Charles Todd Medal for championing consumers
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) CEO Teresa Corbin has won this year's Charles Todd Medal for her efforts representing consumer interests throughout her almost 20 year career in the telecoms industry.
Virgin customers extremely satisfied
Roy Morgan Research has revealed that customers of Virgin Mobile and VHA brand '3' are more satisfied with the service that they were receiving from their mobile provider than customers of other telcos -- although the nation's biggest telco Telstra is catching up fast.
Spectrum re-farming in NSW, ACT boosts Vodafone 4G coverage
Vodafone has completed re-farming the low-frequency 850MHz mobile spectrum in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to bring about stronger 4G coverage and extra capacity.
Kogan adds brand name products to gadget range
Kogan has this morning announced it's now begun selling homebrand electronic gadgets, from companies including Apple, Nikon, Samsung and Canon.
In a major move for...
Fed Govt releases motherhood ICT strategy
The Federal Government today published what it described as a new strategy document which would set the overall direction for the Australian Public Service’s use of ICT in the future. However, the document contains few specific details of steps that will be taken, preferring to focus instead on a series of high-level motherhood statements.
Liberal MP missteps in NBN Co ad rage
Liberal MP Paul Fletcher has written to the competition and press regulators complaining about what he said were misleading advertorial-style paid articles about the National Broadband Network, despite the fact that NBN Co has denied paying for the articles, which were independently written by News Ltd and Fairfax journalists and, in one case, sponsored by Optus.
Data#3 claims “best ever” financial result
Diversified IT products and services outfit Data#3 this morning claimed to have experienced its "best ever" financial result over the past year, with both revenues and profits increasing. However the good news hasn't resulted in extra bonuses for its top executive -- although others picked up bonuses.
IT’S MANDATORY: Govt forces open source option
The Federal Government has dramatically changed its position on the use of open source software by departments and agencies in Canberra, publishing a policy today that mandates the consideration of such options in any technology purchase.
Bartlett launches Tasmanian digital economy strategy
Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett (pictured above, second from the left) yesterday released a new innovation strategy for the state, including a segment on how the state government can invest to promote Tasmania’s digital economy.
The sharp end of copyright policy: Village Roadshow will sue Internet pirates, block websites
Film distributor Village Roadshow has officially confirmed it will take legal action to both sue alleged Internet pirates and block websites which host pirated material, in moves which signal the start of the implementation phase for the Government’s controversial policies on Internet copyright infringement.
Nokia N8 goes for $749 on all carriers
Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia this morning revealed it would sell its flagship N8 handset through all of Australia's three major mobile telcos for $749 up-front from 1 November.
Closed Govt: Coalition may walk away from transparency
The Coalition Federal Government has reportedly signalled it is reconsidering the previous Labor administration's commitment to join the multilateral Open Government Partnership aimed at increasing citizen engagement and government transparency, in a move which would place Australia alongside just one other nation to withdraw: Russia.
Telstra wholesale 3G to beat NBN wireless clause?
The maverick owner of national broadband provider Exetel has speculated that Telstra may be planning to provide wholesale access to its flagship Next G mobile network to get around the clause in its contract with NBN Co that will prevent it advertising its mobile broadband services as an alternative to the NBN fibre.
Telstra forcing fibre voice bundling
From Communications Day yesterday comes the news that Telstra will force other ISPs who sign up to sell services over its new fibre network in South Brisbane to also resell a compulsory voice service alongside broadband.
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.
Dept can’t find piracy meeting invitations
The Federal Attorney-General's Department has stated that neither it nor Attorney-General George Brandis has recently sent Australian telcos letters inviting them to reboot long-running talks between the telecommunications and content industries over Internet piracy, contradicting a report in The Australian newspaper.
Campari replacing HP tablets with Microsoft Surface Pros
Specialist beverage company Campari has replaced HP tablets with Microsoft Surface Pros within its sales team, and is now rolling out the devices across the remainder of the business.
Greens unveil rival cyber-safety policy
The Australian Greens has released its own cyber-safety policy to rival that of the two major parties, with the central planks being an obligation for ISPs to offer PC- or modem-based filtering technology to customers, stronger cybercrime law enforcement and better research and education in the field.
Pipe founder predicts NBN will fail
Pipe Networks founder Bevan Slattery today delivered a ringing slap in the face to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, predicting most of the promises around his flagship National Broadband Network initiative would fall flat, with the project to end up being a liability to the country's taxpayers.
ON HOLD: WA slams brakes on shared services
Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett has hit the pause button on one critical aspect of the state's Shared Corporate Services project, pending a further review into what the Liberal leader described as "teething problems".
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.
iiNet’s Malone praises BigPond’s Milne
iiNet chief executive Michael Malone has paid tribute to long-time rival Justin Milne's time steering BigPond, describing the Telstra executive's ability to grow the telco's share of the broadband market as "extraordinary".
WA audit finds schools “struggling” with ICT management
Western Australia's schools are struggling to keep on top of ICT management and students could be adversely affected if the situation is not remedied, according to the state's Auditor General.
April Fools’: Telstra appoints new BigPond chief
The nation’s largest telco Telstra has appointed a new head of its BigPond internet service provider division as it attempts to inject new energy into its ranks following the departure of long-time BigPond chief Justin Milne.
Government reveals new IT services panel policy
The Australian Government’s Special Minister of State Gary Gray has announced a policy that will halve the number of IT panels servicing Government agencies.
Censored: Appeal for AG’s Blue Book fails
The Attorney-General's Department has rejected an appeal for a Freedom of Information request which would have seen the incoming ministerial briefing (known as the ‘Blue Book’) provided to new Attorney-General George Brandis, censoring the release of the entire document.
LTE will kill the NBN, just as unicorns are real
Mobile broadband just isn’t the answer to replace our current, falling apart copper network. It’s just not. So can we just stop with saying it is?