ACS Week in Review: 28 February 2013
ACS in the news
Topics in the news
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Digital Economy: Australian ICT sector to grow by 5% in 2013
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Government: NBN Co asked to report on skills shortages
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Cyber Security: ABC Hacked
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Telecommunications: Skills shortages affect NBN roll-out
News for ACS newsfeed
Digital Economy
- Australia’s IT industry is expected to grow by 5% this year, with additional investment in social networks, mobility, cloud computing and analytics expected to fuel the sector.
- There was a shortage of 4600 IT professionals across Australia during the December quarter with skills in data warehousing, business intelligence and SAP technologies remaining in high demand, according to the Clarius Skills Index.
Government
- The parliamentary committee overseeing the construction of the NBN has demanded that NBN Co and the government provide more details on the effects of skill shortages on the projects.
- The Queensland State government will review all IT spending in the Department of Health, according to a blueprint which describes the current systems as inadequate. The biggest problem appears to be the payroll system which auditors estimate, will cost $1.25 billion to redevelop and redeploy between 2012 and 2017.
Cyber Security
- The ABC has confirmed that one of its subdomains has been breached by a cyber attack. The attack, claimed by the Anonymous hacking group in retaliation for the corporation airing an interview with anti-Islamic Dutch MP Dutch MP Geert Wilders.
- Security start-up Crowd Strike says it has freed tens of thousands of computers from the Kelihos botnet, in a demo of techniques used to attack cyber criminal networks.
Telecommunications
- Vodafone lost $800 million and 443,000 customers in Australia last year, according to documents filed by its Australian listed entity. The performance represents a more than doubling on last year’s $350 million loss.
- More rules will come into effect in how telecommunications companies will apply from March 1st as the revised Telecommunications Consumer Protection code comes into affect. Companies must now provide ‘Critical Information Summaries’ at the point of sale.
Government Announcements
- Minister for Broadband, Communications, and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said today's Dissenting Report of the Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network confirms that the Coalition will demolish the NBN if elected.
- The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced the appointment of Mr Mark Darras as the inaugural Chair of the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency (TUSMA).
- The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, and Senator for Queensland, Senator Claire Moore, today welcomed the announcement that planning has started to connect local communities in the Gympie and Sunshine Coast area to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
- The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, and Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, today officially switched on the first National Broadband Network fibre services in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria.
- The Gillard Government is embarking on a new round of consultation on Industry Innovation Precincts, one of the key initiatives announced in the $1 billion Plan for Australian Jobs. The Minister for Industry and Innovation Greg Combet said stakeholder feedback would inform the detailed design of Industry Innovation Precincts.
Opposition Announcements