Technology, Innovation & Science

WITH the Federal Government’s Spam Act now in effect, some Western Australian organisations are considering how they will conduct aspects of their business to make sure they are in line with the new laws.

KWINANA Technology Business Incubator has signed an agreement with one of South-East Asia’s highest profile technology centres as part of a plan to establish a regional technology network.

IINET managing director Michael Malone has secured the top individual honour at this year’s Western Australian Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards.

WESTERN Australia has the highest proportion of tech-savvy farmers in the nation, according to the latest statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

LESS than 15 per cent of information technology university graduates are women, according to figures from the tertiary education sector.

In the back blocks of Canning Vale, where Perth’s urban sprawl gives way to small farm lots, a group of scientists is creating a unique research and development centre.

WESTERN Australian ICT organisations, in conjunction with the State Government, are planning a joint study into the needs of ICT employers with regards to graduates and employee t

salaries in Western Australia’s information technology sector are increasing on the back of an industry turnaround.

THE recently launched joint State and Federal government National Broadband Strategy has received a lukewarm reception from industry observers.

JOB sentiment in Western Australia’s information communication technology sector has been buoyed by two separate reports indicating a significant improvement in the employment levels for ICT professionals.

WA’S Internet service providers have continued their criticism of Telstra for alleged anti-competitive behaviour despite the telco responding to regulatory and market pressure to cut its wholesale prices.

WIRELESS specialist Memo Communications is developing a niche market for its products to assist hearing-impaired workers gain employment and work more effectively.

THE cost of software project failures to business is estimated to run into many billions of dollars each year.

SOUTH African businesses will implement technology developed in Western Australia as an electronic crime-fighting tool in a bid to tackle the problem.

AFTER several years of less-than-impressive growth, online advertising looks ready to make a comeback, with revitalised interest in the medium leading to multi-million dollar jumps in expenditure in the past year.

SWIFTEL chief executive Chris Gale looked like a man with a clear conscience as he mingled with the corporate crowd at the weekend’s Leeuwin Concert.

Communications Australia named Siemens best dealerPERTH-based company Communications Australia has won Siemens’ Dealer of the Year award for 2002-03.

PERTH-BASED information technology company AutumnCare Systems has set out to capitalise on the significant growth expected in the aged care market over the next decade.

WHILE it’s too early to gauge the long-term prospects of subscriber-based online DVD rental companies, the increasing number of new players entering the market suggests strong support for the idea.

ORGANIC chemists at newly formed start-up Epichem will commence drug discovery research from next week.

SAM Ward, a 27-year-old Edith Cowan University business student, was last week awarded the prize for Best Western Australian Blog.

THE early adoption of hand-held technology in the hospitality sector has been good news for Wangara-based developer and manufacturer PalmTEQ, which has undergone steady growth in

Following on from last week’s story on hand-held technology, Alison Birrane talks to some of the main movers in the sector in WA.

E-COMMERCE and multimedia firm Global iQ, which has carved out a niche by developing hand-held technology for use by property managers in the real estate industry, is now hatching

FOR the majority of businesses hand-held devices have taken longer than expected to evolve from the realm of expensive luxury toys to that of indispensable work tools.

IN a bid to pursue opportunities in Canada and the US, the agricultural division of electronics specialist, Computronics Corporation Limited, has opened an office in Saskatoon, Canada.

LOCAL software developer CAZ Software has beaten international competition to win a $A1 million contract to supply an integrated school management system in Hong Kong.

WHILE the hairdressing industry may not have an obvious organic association with information technology, one East Perth-based salon has implemented an IT system it hopes will provide a point of difference.

Western Australia has a strong basis for a vibrant IT industry, but more needs to be done to ensure its viability and growth. Alison Birrane reports on a sometimes-turbulent year for the ICT sector.

INTERNET and email monitoring software developer WebSpy Ltd will utilise its existing sales infrastructure to launch the products of a new partner company into the tough US and European markets.

INTERNET Service Provider iiNet is planning to build its own network as part of a strategy to capture an increasing share of the broadband market.

LOCAL nanotechnology developer Advanced Powder Technologies has started a multi-million-dollar equity raising with plans for Australian Stock Exchange listing firmly on the agenda.