A group of major big data vendors has formed the Open Data Platform, an industry body focused on developing and promoting big data technologies based on open source standards. [ + ]

In our new Tech Insights series, we quiz industry leaders to get their views of what the year ahead holds for the IT world. Today we speak with Shane Reid, General Manager of Forum IT. [ + ]

Microsoft has introduced the option to integrate more cloud storage services to Office for iOS and is working to introduce the same functionality to the Android and Windows 10 versions. [ + ]

The University of Melbourne's Melbourne Business School and SAS have entered a partnership involving setting up a Master of Business Analytics program and researching advanced analytics strategies. [ + ]

Microsoft and Samsung end dispute over Android royalties, Apple's secret electric vehicle project and cybercrims steal up to US$900m from banks. [ + ]

Australia lags behind some other developed markets when it comes to tackling and reducing electronic waste, and should implement new policies and strategies, a report argues. [ + ]

Strong demand for talent and a trend towards increasing the proportion of IT contractors mean that ICT contracting roles are taking more time to fill Australia-wide. [ + ]

In our new Tech Insights series, we speak with industry leaders to get their views of what the year ahead holds for the IT world. Today we speak with Sharryn Millican, QlikTech's vice president and regional director for Australia and New zealand. [ + ]

Microsoft's latest Patch Tuesday includes fixes designed to address a previously undiscovered Windows design flaw that dates back 15 years and could potentially allow remote code execution on all supported versions. [ + ]

Twitter CFO's account gets hacked, rare double failure was cause of airspace mess, computer glitch has Scottish bank holding onto your money and hair trigger missiles must go. [ + ]

Government agency IP Australia is joining the cognitive computing era, entering a deal to evaluate using IBM's Watson to help transform interactions with Australian innovators. [ + ]

The Australian online search ad market is continuing to grow strongly but showing signs of slowing down, and stalling in the case of the online directories segment, Frost & Sullivan estimates. [ + ]

Backup and business continuity services provider Plan B chose Schneider Electric to build its SXDC Tier 2+ Data Centre in Tawa in New Zealand, enabling niche data centre network solutions to safeguard business data. [ + ]

US court orders Symantec to pay US$17m for violating patents, CSIRO's digital unit and NICTA could join forces and Erez Yarkoni is Telstra's new CIO. [ + ]

60% of organisations surveyed by Gartner expect the Internet of Things to present major new revenue or cost-saving opportunities, but less than a quarter have established clear IoT leadership. [ + ]