Brislen on Tech: Ante up
The Australian government is introducing a law that will require social media platforms to pay for access to professional media.
Google has agreed to set up commercial relations with the providers…
Facebook pulls the plug on news in Australia - will the ban last?
Big Tech's relationship with Australians has taken a dive, with Facebook following through on its threats to block news from Australian media outlets from appearing on its platform.
Aussie govt aims to take control of social media accounts
Not content with forcing providers to include back doors into any kind of messaging software, the Australian federal government has introduced a bill giving it the power to take over social media acco…
SpaceX keeps the Starlink launches coming, reveals NZ pricing
Space X will undertake back-to-back Starlink satellite launches this week as it races to build out its global network and launch services, including in New Zealand.
Quick ITP update and upcoming events
[From Monday] We hope you're keeping well and dealing with this week's emerging news as well as possible. But don't despair - we have lots going on to beat the lockdown blues!
The ITP fortnightly w…
Revealed: Kiwis online behaviours
The annual Hootsuite We Are Social digital report suggests Kiwis spent a lot of time online last year. But with COVID restrictions, working from home and the advent of decent streaming services, is it…
Call for Book Chapters - 60 years of tech innovation
2020 was the 60th anniversary of tech innovation in New Zealand, marking 60 years of IT Professionals New Zealand Te Pou Hangarau Ngaio.
Edited books were produced in 1985 and 2010 to mark the 25th…
Why the current education reforms are bad for Tech
Last week, Government consultation on the proposed Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) closed. The WDCs are the supposed "industry-led" standard-setting component of the broader Review of Vocational…
Brislen on Tech: Shop til you drop
If COVID has taught us anything it's that online shopping is the way of the future. But the retail experience is really important to many shoppers and seems unlikely to go away.
So what does shopp…
Microsoft secures BNZ as second Azure region customer
Microsoft has another anchor tenant lined up for the new data centre region it will open here, with BNZ moving in as part of a major cloud migration push at the bank.
More trouble for Google from Australian regulators
Australia's competition watchdog has released an interim report into the digital advertising market in Australia that suggests Google has near-monopoly power and the industry as a whole needs more tra…
Law change being considered over Covid tracing privacy
The Government is getting advice on a potential law change to clarify when Covid tracing app data can be used by agencies, including the Police and our intelligence services.
Brislen on Tech: the rise and rise of Amazon and Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is the first person to break the US$200 billion barrier and become the world's richest man. He might only be in number two spot today but he still has more money than most countries.
As …
Jassy's job: keeping the Amazon empire intact
It's less of a changing of the guard at Amazon than a consolidation of the old order. But new CEO Andy Jassy has his work cut out for him fending off regulators and satisfying investor demands.
Search engine wars: Bing to the rescue?
As Australia's tense stand-off with Google continues, Microsoft hAS reached out to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison with an offer of help.
Facebook forced to rethink Groups
The introduction of Groups was supposed to make Facebook a kinder, more considered place where like minded people could discuss their hobbies. What Facebook didn't realise was it was creating a safe s…
New Digital Skills Report: It’s a call to action
This week the Digital Skills Aotearoa report was released at an event in Wellington, taking a deep dive into the data around professional digital and technology skills.
The report is an update on …
Brislen on Tech: Digital Skills
We have a skills shortage in New Zealand tech companies, yet our new graduates can't find work. We have a growing reliance on the tech sector, yet we're hardly growing our pool of talented staff.
…
Google dominates digital ad space - ACCC
Google's woes in Australia deepened today as the Australian competition watchdog released a report outlining how Google dominates aspects of the A$9.1 billion Australian digital ad market.
Bumper quarter for PC sales
Reversing a trend that has been accelerating for many years, sales of PCs (you know, "computers") increased in the third quarter of 2020. COVID lock downs may be partly to blame.