ACS Week in Review: 30 Nov 2012
Reports out this week
ACS in the news
- Reach students with online ICT Course, The Australian
- Call for urgent action for more women in IT, Computerworld Malaysia
- Frightening statistics call for urgent action for more women in IT, MIS ASIA
ICT in the Media
- Digital Economy: Federal Government focuses on top tech giants tax bills
- Cyber Security: Australia’s greatest digital theft uncovered
- ICT jobs market and skills: Clarius to review skills index
- Telecommunications: Opposition NBN would have cost $15 bil, says Turnbull
Digital Economy
- The Federal Government is targeting top global tech players such as Google and Apple in an attempt to stamp out tax avoidance on Australian earnings.
- The ACCC Chairman Rod Sims has said that the online economy poses the ‘biggest regulatory challenges of a generation’.
- CBA has saved tens of millions by dollars by outsourcing 30 per cent of their testing and development to cloud based platforms.
Skills & Training
- Clarius is rethinking its skills index as it reaches the end of it’s contract with KPMG, saying that it could be enhanced. However, MD Kym Quick believes that falling ICT graduate rates will continue to drive skill shortages going forward.
- A global study by CA Technologies, almost 80 per cent of Australian organisations are expected to face a shortage of mainframe skills, with over half having problems in finding qualified talent.
Cyber Security
- The Australian police, working with Romanian authorities, have busted the gang behind Australia largest case of data theft. The Romanian based group used credit card details from 30,000 Australian’s to make AU$30 million worth of illegal transactions.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency, has revealed that information stolen from one of its former servers had been posted on a hacker site this week, and that it was taking "all possible steps" to ensure its computer systems were protected.
Telcommunications
- The opposition have said that if current contracts were not taken into account, its version of the NBN would cost $15 billion. Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the comments during a debate with his government counterpart, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy on ABC1’s lateline.
- BYOD is causing user profile headaches for struggling IT departments
Government announcements
- Minister for Broadband, Communications, and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced an inquiry will be held to identify what lessons can be learnt from the Warrnambool Telstra exchange fire that left more than 60,000 residents without fixed line telecommunications services.
- Well-known ICT entrepreneur, Steve Baxter, has been appointed to the board of Commercialisation Australia, to provide advice on the program which helps turn intellectual property into a commercial reality.
- Launching the National Research Investment Plan, Minister for Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, said for the first time, a comprehensive national research planning process will enable a coordinated approach to research investment to ensure it meets national needs and provides value for money.
- The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced that northern NSW has officially switched over to digital-only TV.
- The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced that people in rural and remote Australia can now listen to an expanded range of ABC radio services.