[LINK] IT News items

[Jan Whitaker]

This swag from  Slattery's Watch - 14th May, 2007

>Digital radio legislation
>The 
><http://slattery.slatteryit.com.au/rp/118/process.clsp?t=65ypPW5fV3tgD>Broadcasting 
>Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Bill 2007 
>has passed the senate without amendments. The 
>law allows for digital radio to be rolled out in 
>the state capitals by January 1, 2009, and 
>covers the licensing, planning and regulation of 
>the new generation of radio. The first services 
>will use the European Digital Audio Broadcasting 
>(DAB) standard, the most widely used system 
>internationally. A statutory review of 
>technologies for the transmission of digital 
>radio broadcasting services in rural areas will 
>be held by January 1, 2011. Funding has been 
>allocated in the 2007 budget to help the ABC and 
>SBS go digital, and $10.5 million has been 
>allocated for community radio broadcasters.
>
>TELSTRA to sue Optus
>Telstra and Optus will battle it out in the 
>courtroom this Tuesday after Telstra claimed its 
>rival’s latest mobile advertising campaign was 
>“misleading”. The Optus “Black campaign was 
>launched across TV, print, online and outdoor, 
>and shows a baboon spruiking Optus’ $49 capped 
>mobile phone plan compared to Telstra’s $40 
>phone plan. The baboon then tells people to eat 
>their next Telstra bill. According to a Telstra 
>spokesperson, the campaign is deceptive and is 
>like “comparing apples with avocados.” More 
><http://slattery.slatteryit.com.au/rp/118/process.clsp?t=65ypQvilteDor>here.
>
>And for IT in the Federal Budget
>Funding for the Australian Communications and 
>Media Authority (ACMA) increased by $16.3 to 
>more than $360 million over four years and a 
>package of $13.6 million over four years to help 
>protect Australians from sophisticated online 
>attacks targeting home and small business computers.
>
>Funding that will impact our industry includes: 
>additional $22 million over four years for the 
>operation of the Open Pool Australian 
>Light-water (OPAL) Reactor. CSIRO gains $244.5 
>million for new measures over the next four 
>years, including $174 million to enable the 
>establishment of three new Flagships focussing 
>on Minerals, Niche Manufacturing and Climate 
>Adaptation, as well as an extension to the 
>Energy Transformed Flagship to incorporate 
>research into alternate transport fuels. As part 
>of this package CSIRO will receive $51.7 million 
>to support construction of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder.
>
>Who should provide Australia’s Broadband plan?
>Noticeably absent from the Liberal budget were 
>the funds to upgrade Australia’s broadband 
>network. According to Treasurer Peter Costello, 
>the responsibility should rest with the private; 
>namely Telstra and G9; who he claims are willing 
>to fund the project. However, opposition leader 
>Kevin Rudd plans to spend $4 billion from the 
>Future Fund on the upgrade. You can view more 
>details about the budget 
><http://slattery.slatteryit.com.au/rp/118/process.clsp?t=65yor2Myzvtwx>here.
>
>In the Victorian Budget
>The Victorian Budget has outlined a $61 million 
>investment over the next four years to implement 
>Ultranet, a statewide online teaching and 
>learning system across Government schools and a 
>further $7 million for new PCs.  Victoria Police 
>received $700,000 for 250 new laptops; $3.4 
>million over the next two years for facial 
>recognition technology and $13 million to 
>increase the capabilities of the Office of 
>Police Integrity. $8.3 million had also been 
>allocated to replace outdated paper systems for 
>the Victorian State Emergency Service and 
>provide real time tracking of incidents and resources.
>
>Victorian ICT Contracts detailed in report
>The Victorian Government has launched its first 
>Technology Market Report, developed by Dandolo 
>Partners in collaboration with the Australian 
>Information Industry Association (AIIA), which 
>it plans to sell to industry. The Report 
>provides detail on upcoming Victorian Government 
>ICT contracts, worth more than $1 billion. The 
>Minster for Information and Communication 
>Technology, Tim Holding stated when launching 
>the report stated “This report is worth 12 
>months of marketplace research and will enable 
>businesses to better plan for upcoming projects; 
>become familiar with key decision-makers within 
>Government; and ascertain emerging policy priorities.”
>
>To purchase a report visit: 
><http://slattery.slatteryit.com.au/rp/118/process.clsp?t=65ypSM8HFXhUQ>www.dandolo.com.au 
>But be warned! You have to enter in information 
>about your company to gain access to report 
>pricing information – and then they get back to you!!




Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
personal: http://www.janwhitaker.com/personal/
commentary: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/

'Seed planting is often the most important step. 
Without the seed, there is no plant.' - JW, April 2005
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