Invited Speakers

Professor Paula Swatman:

Abstract: The rapid development of the Information Economy brings with it changes to almost all aspects of commercial life. One of the areas in which the replacement of conventional methods of communication by EC will have the greatest influence, however, is in the delivery of products and services. This paper will look at the ways in which such delivery can be effected - including electronically - enhanced supply chain management, Internet Commerce and the Cashless Society - and will discuss the implications of electronic logistics for business and consumers.

Biography: Professor Swatman is the Director of RMIT's Interactive Information Institute (I-cubed), a Cross-Faculty Institute which forms the interface between the University's research and consulting expertise in research, innovation and development of online multimedia and the commercial world.

I-cubed undertakes research projects in partnership with commercial organisations, and also has four specialist programmes of activity: the Ideas Incubator, which provides an environment for outstanding undergraduates to develop innovative online multimedia projects; the Broadband Studio, which allows commercial partners to explore distributed production for film, television and multimedia; the Internationalisation project, which supports a programme of visiting academic and industrial research leaders in the fields of interactive information; and the Virtual Environments project, in partnership with Silicon Graphics Pty Ltd and the Victorian Government, which is developing a world-class simulation environment.

Professor Swatman spent over 10 years working in the banking and information technology industries and developing her interest in Electronic Commerce, before moving into academic life in the late 1980's - most recently spending 4 years at Monash University, where she was Deputy Head of the Department of Information Systems and Director of the Electronic Commerce Research Group. She is also one of the founding directors of CollECTeR (Collaborative Electronic Commerce Technology and Research), the inter-university e-commerce research group.

Paula has a wide network of contacts in both the academic and business sectors and has been involved in consulting to public and private sector organisations since returning to academic life. She is a member of the Programme Committee of the Bled electronic commerce conference (now in its 11th year, this is the only significant academic conference in the e-commerce field). Paula continues to supervise a number of PhD and masters students undertaken research into e-commerce. Her specialist interests lie in supply chain management, e-commerce evaluation and the implications of the online economy. She has published widely in both the academic and commercial press and has presented her work, in Australia and overseas, to similarly diverse audiences.

Professor Blake Ives

Abstract: Virtual Communities allow expertise to quickly flow across and within national borders while also encouraging the growth of new centres of influence and power. Blake Ives will discuss four such communities that he has helped to create over the past three years, and draw lessons for those wishing to develop virtual communities in South East Asia. The four communities he will draw his lessons from include: MISQ Central, the Management Information System Quarterly's electronic presence on the world wide web; ISWorld Net, a web repository and mailing lists intended to support the global community of information systems faculty and researchers; the Mondex Global Lesson a one week exercise in global learning; and the virtual Doctoral Seminar, a semester long online course involving doctoral students from seven universities.

Second Paper Title: "The Mondex Global Lesson: An Experiment in Worldwide Education"

Abstract: In a world grown smaller and more unified by information technology, both the demand and opportunities for cross border collaborative education have increased significantly. Blake Ives will discuss several such initiatives within the field of information systems, with particular emphasis on the Mondex Global Lesson, an exercise held in October of 1997 that involved students and faculty from throughout the world in both synchronous and asynchronous discussions of the Mondex global purse. The experience suggests a number of ways in which cross border collaborative education can be enhanced as well as situations in which it is particularly useful.

Biography: Blake Ives is Professor and Chair of Information Systems at the E.J. Ourso College of Business Administration. He is also Director of the Centre for Virtual Organisation and Commerce, a joint undertaking with LSU, the University of Melbourne, and University College Dublin. He also is founder and Editor-in-Chief of ISWorld Net, a virtual community consisting of some 2,000 information systems faculty from over 50 countries. The author of over 50 scholarly papers, he also has a long time involvement in executive education, including the development of many case studies for use with executive audiences. He is a past member of Board of Directors for the Society for Information Management International, a professional association primarily focused on senior information systems executives. Ives has consulted for dozens of firms, among the largest of which are IBM, AT&T, JC Penney, ICI, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, DEC Europe, and Chubb Insurance. His research and consulting interests focus on electronic commerce and, particularly, the use of virtual communities by profit making enterprises.

Blake has held faculty fellowships at Harvard Business School and Oxford University, and has been a visiting faculty member at London Business School, University College Dublin, and Queens University (Canada) and held tenured posts at Dartmouth College and Southern Methodist University.

Ms Anne Dickson

Abstract: Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) faces a period of major change, primarily driven by the deregulation and globalisation of the financial services industry. In order to meet these demands ASX is exploiting the new technologies that have been enabling this globalisation. This paper looks at the market place issues facing ASX and discusses some of the technologies being deployed to meet the new competition.

Biography: Anne Dickson, National Director, Information Systems, Australian Stock Exchange. Anne is currently responsible for the provision of Information Systems at Australian Stock Exchange. Prior to joining ASX two years ago, she had extensive Information Technology experience in both the financial services and mainframe computer industries. This experience has covered a range of technology infrastructure management, consulting, marketing and service management positions.

Mr Michael Carmody, or Mr Frank Merrick

Abstract: The presentation will examine the issues raised in the report 'Tax and the Internet' and the subsequent developments including the outcomes of the consultation process.

Biography: Michael Carmody is the Australian Commissioner of Taxation. Frank Merrick is Assistant Commissioner.

Mr Masahiro Horiuchi

Biography: Professor of Management Information Systems, Graduate School of International Business, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan 1975 Master of Commerce, Hitotsubashi University. 1978 Doctor of Commerce, Hitotsubashi University. 1978-1986 Research Fellow, Department of Management Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology. 1986-1990 Associate Professor, School of Economics, Niigata University. 1990-1994 Associate Professor, Graduate School of International Business, Aoyama Gakuin University. 1994 Professor of Management Information Systems, Graduate School of International Business, Aoyama Gakuin University. 1995 Visiting Researcher, Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon University.

Professor Emeritus Murray Wells

Biography: Professor Emeritus Murray Wells, Chief Executive, Australian Simon University, and Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney

Professor Wells was formerly Director of the Graduate School of Business, and Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences and was the American Accounting Association's International Distinguished visiting Lecturer in 1986. He was NSW State President of the Australian Society of CPA's in 1983, and President of the International Association for Accounting Education and Research in 1987 - 1992. He is a Director of Channel 7 and a number of technology based companies, and chairman of the Consortium of Australian Management Schools Ltd. In 1991 he was President of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, and from 1991 to 1994 he was a member of the NSW Science & Technology Council. He was the editor of the International Accounting Journal Abacus from 1974 to 1993. In 1993, he was the Accountant of the Year, in the category of Academic and Government, and in 1995 he received the President's Award from the Australian Society of CPAs and was awarded "Outstanding International Accounting Educator" by the American Accounting Association.

Dr Makhdzir Mardan

Biography: Dr. Mardarn is the Head of the CyberCreative Laboratory, and Manager, Multimedia Unit, University Business Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Mardan's experience includes 8 years in training and production of multimedia for interactive courseware and interactive information kiosks, and 2 years of experience in running a profit centre for the design and production of multimedia which produced more than 40 multimedia applications.

Dr Mardan has a M Sc. in Entomology (1979), and a Ph. D. in Apiculture and Pollination Biology (1987).

Mr Neil Richards

Abstract: Neil will draw on the experiences gained to-date and will discuss; the learning model adopted by Sampoerna the organisation foundation stones that must be in place for competency-based learning. The requisite systems that must be in place to reinforce behavioural change and the appropriate balance between virtual training, instructor led class room training and On The Job training and coaching.

Biography: Neil holds the position of Director, Organisation Development with P.T. H. M. Sampoerna Tbk. , a major public-listed cigarette manufacturer and distributor in Indonesia. His main focus has been the design and implementation of an enterprise transformation program to prepare the company for international expansion and diversification.

The key components of this program have included the development of a Requisite Organisation structure through alignment of Enterprise, wide business processes and adoption of Managerial Stratum, development of corporate-wide technical and managerial competency levels and the development of Competency-Based Training utilising Multi-Media self paced training and development modules via the Corporate Intranet and Internet. Prior to joining H.M. Sampoerna in 1995, Neil was an Associate Partner with Andersen Consulting in Indonesia for two years and a Partner with Ernst and Young Australia for some seven years including three years as the Managing Partner of Ernst and Young Australian Consulting Division.

Mr David Jonas

Abstract : While smart cards have been available in one form or another for decades it is only in recent years that their usage outside of Europe has started to proliferate. In Australia, the flurry of activity in this area reflects this trend. Today smart cards are increasingly identified as a key technology component of the infrastructure required for the online economy.

This paper identifies the current and probable future applications of smart cards in Australia. It takes a three to five year view of the smartcard market in Australia and highlights the challenges faced by regulators, users and providers and providers and possible responses to these.

Biography: David Jonas is a founding member and Managing Director of ETC Electronic Trading Concepts Pty Limited, Australia's leading provider of electronic commerce consulting, research and solutions integration services.

David has substantial expertise and experience in advising governments, industry groups and major corporations on the strategic issues to be addressed in regard to the online economy. Over the past seven years he has led the development of smartcard, electronic commerce, electronic services delivery and information management strategies for State and Territory Governments as well as the Commonwealth Government. David is currently chairing the working group advising the Commonwealth Government on the establishment of a National Public Key Infrastructure.

David was the editor and an author of the 1997 Smartcards as National Infrastructure report and a major contributor to the 1996 report entitled Smart Cards and the Future of Your Money. His current involvement in this area includes advising the Centrelink and the Victorian Health System smart card projects.

Mr Dave Mason

Biography: Mr. Mason is a senior project manager with experience in both the public and private sector including projects supporting senior government officials and implementation of internet banking. He has thirteen years experience in industry, and has a broad range of technical and business experience.

Prior to joining Lotus Consulting in September 1993, Mr Mason worked as a private consultant specialising in the implementation and leverage of groupware technology. Previous experience included 6 years with a major international computer vendor.

Ms Julie Heckenburg Topic: "Qantas College Online"

Abstract: Qantas College Online is Qantas' internet strategy for the delivery of training. The challenge for Qantas has been how to provide access to training for all of its 30 000 staff around the world, in diverse geographic locations and diverse work situations e.g. cabin crew and shift workers. The internet has been chosen as the delivery strategy to enable staff to access training at a time and in a place that meets their needs.

Biography: Since 1994, Julie has held the position of Manager Development and Training with Qantas Airways, and in that time has established Qantas College.

Prior to that, she was Staff Relations and Development Manager with Australian Resorts, a Qantas subsidiary.

In these roles, Julie has been responsible for innovations in training which include Qantas College Online and Satellite training programmes for staff on offshore and offshore island resorts.

Julie also currently participates in a number of industry and institutional advisory bodies, and in 1997 served as a Member of ANTA's National Flexible Delivery Taskforce.