Stories by Len Rust

Aussies worth watching

MICROLISTICS develops and implements the ISIS suite, a supply chain executive technology to ensure distribution environments are robust yet flexible enough to react to market demands. Some of the company's clients include Nestle, Toll Logistics, Mitre 10 Qatar Port Authority, Berli, Jucker Logistics Thailand, and CEVA Logistics.

Slash & burn

The headlines have said it all over the past two weeks regarding the termination of the Commercial Ready Grant scheme. Wayne Fitzsimmons, director of M-Group, recently commented: "The abrupt termination of the scheme caught many of us by surprise as there were no portents signalling any likelihood of such a change. There is no likely alternative in the short term at least. This will cause several of my early stage companies significant challenges and, for some, a likely cessation of trading."

Money hard to make from digital media

The most hotly debated topic in the digital media industry is how to make money and it is to the entertainment sector that many involved in the industry are directing their focus.

Executive demand in Australia hits new lows

Demand for executives in Australia has fallen to its lowest level since 2006, according to EL Consult's Executive Demand Index, an indicator of general employment and economic activity in Australia. The index has fallen a further six per cent this month, the eighth fall in the last nine months.

Make way for the new hotspots

Move over Bangalore. Step aside Shanghai. The Indian and Chinese cities' status as the hottest spots for information technology and manufacturing development may be ending. According to a recently released report, American cities like Madera and Elmira are emerging hot locations for development.

Aussies worth watching

Source Dynamix, Impact Investing, Charismatek Software Metrics, M2 Telecommunications, Challenger Momentum, and ARC Research come under the microscope

The greening of the data centre

It seems that almost all leading organisations in the IT arena are clamouring to establish their green and environmentally friendly credentials -- especially the purchasing of IT products.

GPS devices and systems spread

GPS satellite technology is becoming increasingly important as it is being embedded in an ever-wider range of mobile consumer devices to enable navigation and location-based services. While GPS handsets and in-vehicle navigation systems will remain the most lucrative markets, industrial applications such as network timing, land surveying, and machine control are quickly gaining momentum. By 2013 global navigation satellite system (GNSS) end-user devices and systems will generate $US240 billion a ye

Nothing halts BI's progress

Despite major consolidation among business intelligence (BI) vendors in 2007 and growing fears of an upcoming economic slowdown, BI platforms are expected to continue to grow at a strong rate, according to Gartne

Telcos spend up on outsourcing

Facing pressure to develop new services quickly and to cut operational expenditures (opex) telecommunications, service providers are increasingly outsourcing their day-to-day network operations to professional service houses, according to a recently released report from analyst firm Infonetics Research.

Aussies Worth Watching

INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT delivers customised software and consultancy in simulation, optimisation, and automation for the defence and water industries. ISD's technology is used in complex distributed defence and commercial applications like logistics, command and control, emergency response systems, electronic commerce, information fusion, UAV, monitoring and analysis, and manufacturing.

A mixed quarter

Overall, IT business leaders are an optimistic bunch. Although the industry is maturing and changing dramatically, most feel they will emerge from this transition successfully. It is difficult, though, to read a newspaper or browse the Internet, or even turn on TV without finding commentary, opinion, gossip, or rumours about all kinds of issues.

Converged threats catch IT managers

Only 33 per cent of IT managers in Australia and New Zealand consider the convergence and sophistication of online threats to be the biggest threat to security systems according to research carried out for MessageLabs, by Galaxy.

Aussie, NZ consumers happy to dump bad suppliers

More than half of the consumers surveyed in a recent customer experience report have ceased buying products and services from a company due to poor customer service, and a high number felt that the supplier didn't know it had lost their business. Only half of the companies aware of the loss of business had attempted to win the business back, the survey found.

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