Technology, Innovation & Science

Two Western Australian information technology companies have captured the attention of the world's largest technology firms.

A new competitor for car-booking app Uber has emerged out of Sydney and is setting its sights on Perth as its first stop in an Australia-wide expansion plan.

Telstra's forgotten pay phone booths will be repurposed as Wi-Fi hotspots as part of a plan to blanket public spaces with internet.

Online technology allowing organisations to organise secret ballots.

Asia-focused social entertainment platform migme has announced a partnership with Universal Music Indonesia; following migme's August backdoor listing to the ASX in a reverse takeover of Latin Gold.

Rubber recycler and manufacturer Reclaim Industries says it will raise $2 million to provide funding for its proposed $3.8 million takeover of cloud-based recruitment business Skills Connect and has placed a formal share sale agreement to the company.

Internet provider TPG Telecom's golden run is set to continue as the company looks to lift earnings by a quarter over the next year.

Tap Into Safety offers "interactive safety training tools".

Experts argue Fiona Stanley's ‘paperless hospital' plan could have been achievable under a government-wide IT strategy.

Nextgen Group will start building its $120 million subsea cable in the Pilbara in December with a final completion date set for the first half of 2016.

Triplify claims to be "what's on guide for the world".

Perth-based national IT services provider Empired has expansion in its sights, after completing a $10.5 million capital raising on the back of strong year-end profit results.

Perth Internet provider iiNet has acquired a 60 per cent stake in New South Wales-based technology firm Tech2 Group for an undisclosed amount.

Australia Post wants a two-tier letter delivery service to help it staunch the bleeding in its loss-making letter delivery operations.

Foxtel will slash prices and revamp its channel offerings from November in the face of a surge in competition from internet streaming services.

Perth-based Marine safety equipment developer Mobilarm has signed a $1.8 million rental contract for the supply of the new sMRT V100 beacon and sMRT life jacket to the international fleet of geoscience organisation Polarcus DMCC.

A Perth start-up has captured the attention of global technology firm IBM, with indications an acquisition could be on the table.

Movie and TV streaming service Quickflix has blown out its full-year loss to more than $10 million after ramping up spending to attract new customers.

Bitcoin trader Digital CC has claimed a profitable entry into the computer-generated currency sector, highlighting a $630,146 profit for three and a half months of business, despite the vehicle through which it conducted a backdoor listing recording an $11.8 million loss for the financial year.

Perth-based mobile application developer Applabs Technologies is looking to spin-off its recently launched HomeOpen app into its own company, to facilitate an Australia-wide rollout.

Local IT firms reap rewards from innovative technology and public sector enthusiasm.

Financing group ThinkSmart has reported a six-month net profit of $11.3 million, up 391 per cent from its posted $2.3 million in full-year profit result in February.

More than a decade after leaving Perth, a local entrepreneur has returned west to drum up investment for his latest venture.

Kibaran Resources-backed 3D Graphtech Industries has entered into an agreement with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to research the effectiveness of graphite and graphene inks in 3D printing.

iiNet has broken the $1 billion revenue mark for the first time following a 7 per cent growth in turnover, leading to a 19 per cent gain in underlying net profit.

Belmont-based event production and management services provider Corporate Theatre Productions has been sold to Presentation Technology for an undisclosed amount.

Perth-based ASG Group has announced plans to offshore 10 per cent of its workforce on the back of a return to profit for the 2013-14 financial year.

Australia's second biggest telco, Optus, has suffered a slide in profit and revenues during the first quarter of its financial year.

Telstra has increased its dividend after lifting its full-year profit by more than 14 per cent.

Oil and gas firm Coretrack has signed a licence agreement with Specialised Oilfield Services for its core level recorder system technology, which will give SOS exclusive rights to develop, operate, manufacture and sub-license the technology.

Black Fire Minerals has completed an $810,000 share placement to complete its reverse takeover of mobile game developer Animoca Brands Corporation.

Perth-based mining services firm Ausdrill announced today that its subsidiary Energy Drilling Australia would be mobilising its new $20 million high-tech rig, the Schramm T500XD Telemast.