The founding principles for data centre design are to select the right infrastructure architecture, choose the most thermally efficient layout and equipment, and monitor and dynamically manage the operation. [ + ]

The federal government has opened a new data centre in Fyshwick in a move that it says will save taxpayers millions in operating costs and provide vital stability for numerous government departments. [ + ]

This week: Applying the 'Dear Leader' filter, Taekwondo champ loses due to computer freeze, lawyers sue over their own exams, glitch causes cargo pile-up and officials find a new way to deal with pesky ship passengers.

The ACCC has warned Australian businesses of an influx of malware and ransomware threats, while research has shown that corporate devices are most vulnerable when away from the security perimeter. [ + ]

Australian organisations are increasing their spending on data centres, but the absolute number of facilities in use is decreasing. [ + ]

Macquarie Telecom has become the first Australian cloud provider added to the ASD's Certified Cloud Services List, following a review of the telecom operator's security capabilities. [ + ]

The Internet Society of Australia has welcomed both the government's digital transformation investments and the Opposition's pledge to address STEM skills while encouraging innovative start-ups. [ + ]

In his Budget reply speech, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has pledged that a Labor government would ensure that coding and computer science are taught in all Australian primary and secondary schools. [ + ]

Australian government spending on ICT is set to grow from $5.8bn last year to $6.2bn in 2018, with growth driven by software, cloud and security investments. [ + ]

Microsoft reveals 7 editions of Windows 10, CSC reportedly sues former employee for more than $120m and Verizon to buy AOL for the sum of $5.5 billion. [ + ]

As Windows 10 and its as-a-service approach comes closer, enterprises should equip themselves to manage this new paradigm or pay the price in inefficiency and unavailability of critical business tools. [ + ]

This week: World's first autonomous truck approved for highway use, identity theft is easier than ever, machine vs people poker game a close draw and NASA working on an electric eel robot for planetary exploration.

The federal government's 2015 Budget includes some substantial ICT investments, including $254.7m on the Digital Transformation Agenda, $153.8m on the data retention scheme and $485.1m on the MyHealth system.

Experts from Australia's technology industry believe the 2015 federal Budget will help stimulate the sector but are calling for more initiatives to improve the economy and address the growing ICT skills gap.

Research released this week indicates that Australian organisations are not using enterprise resource planning (ERP) to its full potential, with 66% of CIOs believing their organisations are using less than half of the features of ERP systems.