Microsoft acquires enterprise social network Yammer for US$1.2 billion
27 June, 2012Microsoft has acquired Yammer for US$1.2 billion, in order to gain inroads into the enterprise social networking market. The move follows a recent trend in enterprise software, with many vendors adding social elements to their products, seeking to tap into the strong consumer appetite for social networking.
NBN vital for Australia’s digital future, says IBIS
25 June, 2012 by Merri MackAustralia’s National Broadband Network will grow increasingly important in the years approaching 2050, according to a new report from IBIS. The report, ‘A Snapshot of Australia’s Digital future to 2050’, also predicts the demise of newspaper publishing, free-to-air TV and the term ‘employee’.
Advanced analytics growth surpasses expectation and set to rise, says IDC
22 June, 2012In 2011, IT analysis firm IDC estimated the Australian Business Intelligence (BI) software market generated $324.12 million in software licensing and maintenance revenue. This has resulted in a revenue growth of 5.4% from 2010 to 2011 and is forecast to grow at 8.0% CAGR between 2011 to 2016.
Lexmark joins Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP)
18 June, 2012 | Supplied by: Lexmark International (Australia) Pty LtdLexmark International today announced it has joined the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP) as a founding member. As a member of ANZRP, Lexmark will be compliant with the federal government’s new National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, due to begin in July 2012.
Data centre scene heats up with introduction of carbon pricing
17 June, 2012 by Merri MackWith the impending introduction of Australia’s carbon tax on 1 July, the data centre and its escalating running costs are coming under the spotlight. Contributor Merri Mack reports on a recent VMware oblong table discussion on what the carbon price will mean for Australian organisations.
Schneider Electric EnergySTEP Data Centre Assessment service
15 June, 2012The EnergySTEP Data Centre Assessment is a customisable assessment of the power, cooling, physical infrastructure and operational efficiencies of a data centre, which allows data centre managers to benchmark the performance of their facility against industry standards such as the Green Grid Data Centre Maturity Model.
ANU selects Fujitsu to supply NCI supercomputer
15 June, 2012Fujitsu has announced that it has been selected to supply one of the largest and fastest supercomputers in the world to the Australian National University (ANU), to be installed within the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), provider of high-end capability computational services to the Australian research community.
Getting the most from social media in customer service
14 June, 2012 by Stephen WithersMore and more Australian companies are looking to employ social media - including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn - as a means of customer service. But many are making mistakes that are often quite costly, causing damage to their brand. Stephen Withers explains how to get the most mileage out of your social media strategy.
Film, book and video game industries thrive despite P2P piracy
14 June, 2012 by John Stanton, CEO, Communications AllianceThe High Court of Australia recently ruled that ISP iiNet was not liable for the copyright infringements allegedly perpetrated by its customers through peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies like Bit Torrent. Meanwhile, a US study has found that despite the entertainment industry’s claims that piracy would kill content creation, the film, book and video game industries have thrived over the last decade. John Stanton, CEO, Communications Alliance, discusses the impact of piracy on content creation and the steps Australian ISPs are taking to limit piracy on their networks.
Avaya finalises Radvision acquisition
06 June, 2012Networking vendor Avaya has finalised its acquisition of videoconferencing vendor Radvision, as part of a US$230 million deal announced in March this year. Radvision will operate as an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Avaya, under the Radvision brand.
Brisbane data centre judged Australia’s greenest
31 May, 2012The iseek Communications Data Centre, located at Brisbane Airport, has won the WSP Award for Best Sustainable Development - New Buildings, at the Property Council of Australia/Rider Levett Bucknall Innovations and Excellence Awards 2012. The data centre has achieved a Green Grid power usage effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.3 - one of the lowest power usage indexes in Australia.
University of Michigan reveals eco-friendly data centre
30 May, 2012The North American University of Michigan has revealed its Modular Data Center (MDC), which it has labelled an eco-friendly data centre. The data centre, which houses equipment in a unit the size of several shipping containers, is different to most data centres in that it uses outdoor air to cool equipment, instead of expensive, industrial air conditioners.
Microsoft quietly announces the launch of its So.cl network
25 May, 2012Microsoft Research's FUSE Labs have quietly launched So.cl (pronounced 'social'), originally designed as a research network for students, to the general public.
VoNEX to partner with snom on SaaS VoIP services in US
24 May, 2012Australian hosted VoIP provider VoNEX will collaborate with VoIP phone manufacturer snom on a new software-as-a-service VoIP solution that will see the Australian company’s services delivered to North American customers.
Optical networking revenues slide around the globe
22 May, 2012Optical networking revenues are down across the globe, according to Ovum, with Q1 2012 figures indicating a 9% drop from the same period in 2011.
