Stories by Adam Bender

Sophisticated Siri could be next BYO challenge: Intel

Personal data agents could be part of the next wave of IT consumerization that will challenge IT managers, said Intel chief evangelist, Steve Brown

Optus to move Unwired customers to 3G, 4G networks

Optus will close the Unwired network on 28 February, an Optus spokesman confirmed. Optus plans to offer Unwired customers its 3G and 4G services instead, he said.

Augmented reality picks up speed, but barriers remain: Juniper

Augmented reality (AR) could raise $300 million in global revenue next year, according to Juniper Research. The research firm also found consumer awareness about AR remains low.

NBN targets Australia's small businesses

Many small businesses may not understand the benefits of NBN, despite many plans on the way targeting 2 million such companies in Australia, according to Flying Solo founder, Robert Gerrish.

iiNet eyes opportunities to grow SMB hosting business

Internet service provider iiNet is known for its residential services but people are less aware of its business services, according to the company's business hosting and domains manager, Kevin Clark

BYOD 101: What are BYOD and the consumerization of IT?

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) refers to the trend of employees wanting to use their own smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices in the workplace. With the consumer mobile market exploding, analysts say organisations of all sizes must develop BYOD strategies or risk employee dissatisfaction and security vulnerabilities.

CSIRO, Google partner for Earth watch

Australian scientists and non-profits will use Google Earth to save the Earth under several environment-focused partnerships with Google announced this week. Google yesterday announced it is bring its Google Earth Outreach program to Australia and New Zealand.

Companies 'still grappling' with basics of customer service: IPscape

Increasing connectivity and consumer expectations should force businesses to change how they interact with customers, according to participants at an event hosted by IPscape last week in Sydney. But fear and other factors have made progress slow.

Telstra's take two on Web tracking is opt-in

Telstra has revived its controversial “Smart Controls,” turning the filtering tool into a purely opt-in program. The product will become available in late November.

VoIP enhances Hobsons Bay customer service

A transition from analog to IP telephony in mid-2011 enhanced the Hobsons Bay City Council’s ability to communicate with constituents. Customer service manager, Suzanne Paterson, said the council plans to add Web chat to open a further channel for customer interaction.

Livescribe Sky smartpen review

Using a microphone and camera built into the pen, the original Livescribe Pulse smartpen digitised handwritten notes and automatically matched each pen stroke to the precise moment in the audio that the note was taken. The combined text and audio could be accessed through the pen or transferred to a Mac or PC for storage by USB.

Defence taps Telstra to overhaul terrestrial communications network

The Defence Department has chosen Telstra as a preferred vendor on the department’s request for a terrestrial communications service.

TPG bundles CCTV with broadband

TPG has bundled cloud-based video surveillance with broadband in a new double play aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.

Australia leading in APAC cloud adoption: F5

Australia leads other countries in the Asia Pacific on cloud adoption, according to F5 senior director, Mohan Veloo. But most companies are keeping their critical data on premise, he told Computerworld Australia at the F5 Agility Forum on the Sunshine Coast.

F5 moves beyond load balancing, into security

F5 plans to bear down on the security and cloud markets in Australia and New Zealand, F5 officials said at the F5 Agility Forum on the Sunshine Coast.