News

A digital dividend is delivered

The sale to TPG and Vodafone of the remaining lots of 700 MHz spectrum provides a useful opportunity for reflection on a public policy process that extends over two...

457s: Deep tech’s uncertain times

Petra Andren is the chief executive of the nation’s oldest and most successful tech incubator, Cicada Innovations at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney. It is home to more...

Visa shock: 457 program scrapped

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has abolished Australia’s 457 visa program in a surprise move that has sent shockwaves through the local tech and startup community. Announced via a Facebook...

Startup hub hits first big hurdle

Ambitious NSW Government plans to underwrite centralised innovation precincts in Sydney have run into significant trouble, with two big players pulling out of partnership negotiations. Just as Google announced...

Audit slaps Govt cyber practice

A Parliamentary inquiry is underway into two government agencies’ lack of ‘cyber resilience’ due to a failure to adhere to basic cybersecurity practices. The Joint Committee of Public Accounts...

Snapchatty fun with Asian apps

First there was Didi Chuxing, now there is Snow. Never heard of them? They are just two of the Asian developed and headquartered mobile apps that are challenging the...

An Israeli expat and Aussie growth

Israel has an enviable track record in nurturing fast growth, high tech startups and the culture appears to transplant neatly to Australia where the Israeli expat founded Epicon is...

Local, State, Fed digital delivery

The Commonwealth will unveil the ‘live’ pilot of a digital service that lets users complete end-to-end approvals transactions across all three levels of government through a single portal for...

Cyber’s uncertain career paths

For all the talk about the fundamental importance of cyber security and top-notch technical skills to secure Australia’s place in the global digital economy, there is little said about...

R&D tax: Hammer cracks a nut

The R&D Tax Incentive scheme has become muddled by middlemen and a hardening from the ATO in how claims are viewed could be scaring off the firms most in...

No progress on ACCC startup rule

A lack of clarity from the competition watchdog and government on the proposed crackdown on startup acquisitions could lead to an “investment freeze” in Australia, Shadow Minister for the...

Judgement Day for robo-debt

Centrelink’s robo-debt fiasco was the result of a lack of planning and poor usability and transparency, rather than bad digital transformation, the Commonwealth Ombudsman has found. The national watchdog...

TechOne’s Di Marco steps down

TechnologyOne executive chairman Adrian Di Marco will step down from his position on May 23. It will be 30 years since he founded the company in a spare room...

Disrupting VC: iAngels on Israel

You have to wonder at how far the world has turned on its axis when Israeli venture firms are arriving in Australia to raise money. This seems counterintuitive. The...