Industry News
Australian IT spending set to grow 2.7% in 2017
Gartner expects total Australian IT spending to grow at a steady 2.7% in 2017, but potential growth both at home and internationally has been hampered by geopolitical uncertainty. [ + ]
Phishers rely on overconfidence, study shows
Many people believe they are smarter than the criminals behind phishing schemes, and are consequently caught out by them, research shows. [ + ]
Microsoft to tweak Windows 10 to appease privacy groups
Microsoft is introducing a tool to allow Windows 10 users to control what tracking information is collected by the company, as well as a web-based privacy dashboard. [ + ]
Artificial intelligence in health care meets with approval
A recent HCF survey suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) in health care would be embraced by Australians. [ + ]
Better broadband a must to improve rural health
The AMA is calling on the government to ensure all Australians have affordable access to quality broadband, saying it is essential to improving health outcomes in rural areas. [ + ]
Audit program announced by ISACA
ISACA has released a new audit program based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. [ + ]
FirstWave wins $1.14m cloud security contract with Qantas
Australia's FirstWave has secured a 30-month, $1.14m contract to provide security-as-a-service based on Cisco's cloud security services to help protect Qantas's IT operations. [ + ]
Uber makes data available to city planners
Uber plans to release its trove of GPS transport data from the thousands of Uber drivers on the roads, to help transport planners in cities including Sydney and Melbourne make smarter decisions. [ + ]
Aussie IT pros could see big pay rise in 2017
Australian IT professionals are expected to be in high demand in 2017 as companies continue to pursue digital transformation initiatives, with the sector among the most likely to see double-digit wage growth in 2017. [ + ]
Atlassian to buy Trello for $578.2m
Atlassian has reached a US$425m deal to add web-based project management platform Trello to its growing portfolio of team collaboration software. [ + ]
Qld Govt to help fund platform development
A new Queensland government program will provide co-funding for projects involving the development and adoption of platform technologies to create jobs and growth in key industries. [ + ]
Optus Wholesale introduces HFC NBN access
Optus Wholesale has expanded its suite of wholesale NBN connectivity services to cover HFC access, as well as access via aggregated virtual circuits in data centres in key capitals. [ + ]
Guess who? Yahoo? No, it's Altaba
Yahoo plans to change its name to Altaba following the US$41 billion sale of its core internet business to US telecoms operator Verizon, reportedly to reflect its substantial investment in Alibaba. [ + ]
CSIRO and HTA improve health care for regional Australians
A new partnership between CSIRO's Data61 and Health Team Australia (HTA) will provide a telehealth service for those living in rural and remote areas. [ + ]
Chrome tops list for over half of web users
Google's Chrome grew from being just the second most popular web browser behind Internet Explorer to capturing more than half of the total market by usage share, NetApplications data indicates. [ + ]