IT spending by Australian utilities companies increased to $1.7 billion in 2014, with the focus of investments starting to shift from efficiency gains to improving the customer experience.

Microsoft and NetSuite have announced a collaboration involving integrating NetSuite's cloud ERP offerings with Windows, Office 365 and Azure.

As the business world moves rapidly into the API-centric era, those companies that treat their API strategy as important will stay in the game, while those that don't will risk falling by the wayside. Your API may be your most successful product, says Mulesoft's Will Bosma. [ + ]

When Sydney's Knox Grammar School needed to boost its storage, backup and disaster recovery assets, the combination of a Nimble Storage CS240 array and VMware Site Recovery Manager was the right solution for the job. [ + ]

Vocus CEO not impressed by TPG's share-buy block of merger deal with Amcom; Windows 10 will have iOS, Android apps; and Telstra appoints an insider as new CFO.

IDC now expects Australian IT service spending to grow just 2.2% this year - down from the 2.8% forecast a year earlier - due to factors including economic uncertainty. [ + ]

An overwhelming 91% of IT jobs went to contractors rather than permanent staff during the March quarter, and increasing demand for talent meant contracting roles took longer to fill. [ + ]

Docker is the next revolution that's going to overtake data centres and cloud computing, enabling more efficiency and greater availability from cloud infrastructure.

Equinix has revealed plans to construct its fourth IBX data centre in Sydney - and fifth in Australia - the 3000-cabinet SY4. [ + ]

This week: iPad crash grounds airline flights, Obama emails hacked, professor fails entire class via email, Starbucks roasted over POS glitch and $52m jackpot evaporates due to computer failure.

TPG Telecom has successfully defended against a court case lodged by nbn over the former's FTTB rollout, while rival M2 has swooped in with a counter-offer for ISP iiNet.

Research firm Telsyte has estimated that Australian tablet sales declined 20% last year due to shrinking demand, but the company is predicting a rebound in 2015. [ + ]

XENON Systems has secured a contract to build a high-performance research computer designed by a University of Queensland professor.

Cloud computing is the number one way in which savvy businesses are engaging their mobile workforce, enhancing employee collaboration, improving productivity and unleashing innovation. [ + ]

Report says almost 200,000 Magento sites are vulnerable to an exploit, major Australian websites blocked by IE filter and Xero's losses double despite revenue increase.