Archive for the ‘E-mail & the internet’ Category
Tuesday, June 17th, 2014
Photo credit; FutUndBeidl on Flickr
Federal communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, wants Australian small businesses to adopt cloud computing, and the federal government plans to help them by releasing a series of guides this week aimed at helping small businesses adopt and employ cloud services.
The guides have been launched following the findings of the Department of Communication’s Cloud Computing Government Stock Take report (PDF), which was released recently and reviews the existing regulation that applies to cloud services in Australia.
The new series of guides for SMEs comprises four titles:
- cloud computing myths;
- questions to ask your cloud provider;
- small business privacy factsheet; and
- legal tips for small business using cloud services.
“The guides … will assist Australian small businesses to be part of this revolution. They cover a range of topics from questions to ask your cloud provider, to legal issues to consider in the cloud,” said Turnbull in a statement posted on his office’s website.
“Cloud computing is already proving to be revolutionary for small businesses, as it significantly lowers cost barriers to ICT adoption,” he said. “KPMG estimates the increased adoption of cloud services in Australian firms could boost the Australian economy by AU$3.32 billion a year.”
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: Australia, business, cloud computing, online
Posted in Australia, business, cloud computing, E-mail & the internet, Federal Government | No Comments »
Thursday, June 12th, 2014
Photo credit; Jason A. Howie on Flickr
Facebook is bringing its Premium Video Ads and Video Metrics to Australia, one of seven markets outside of the US where Facebook is rolling out the new services.
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) chief executive Alice Manners said recent estimates showed video advertising was growing at 55.7 per cent, representing 14.3 per cent of digital display dollars, for the quarter.
Facebook Australia and New Zealand managing director Will Easton said that Facebook Premium Video offers brands new ways to engage and connect with over 10 million Australians who access Facebook daily.
“In the coming months, we’ll be working closely with advertisers to deliver high-quality video campaigns that create the best possible advertising experience,” Mr Easton said.
The 15-second video ads appear in users’ newsfeeds and play automatically with the sound muted until they are clicked on.
Facebook began selling ads in the United States in March.
To read more about this story, click here.
Tags: Australia, business, Facebook, online, video, video ads
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, Expansion to Australia, Facebook, internet usage, online business, Online Sales, online shopping, online stores, selling online, social media, social networking | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014
Photo courtesy of Maryland GovPics on Flickr
Procurement professionals now have a place to collaborate online thanks to the launch of Procurious in Australia.
Procurious is an online hub aimed at procurement professionals looking to advance their careers, develop their skills and expand their professional networks.
The network will include groups and lively discussion forums, news tips and advice, access to online and offline events, plus a range of mobile and desktop accessible e-learning modules — all compatible with a full range of devices, from PCs to mobile.
“Procurement has a new face. It’s now younger, more ambitious and more global than ever before. There’s a huge opportunity for bright and ambitious procurers to begin changing the face of the profession from the inside out,” Founder Tania Seary said.
“Corporate supply chains are in the media spotlight every day — but procurement often remains the unsung hero for its role in creating competitive advantage and upholding the reputation and value proposition of businesses and brands.”
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: Australia, business, online, procurement, Procurious
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, internet usage, online business | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2014
Photo credit; Timothy H on Flickr
Both David Jones and Myers appear to finally be getting the hang of this whole internet fad.
While Myer’s third quarter sales were down, its online sales had increased. Myer says it has 119,000 products now available through the website and nine million visits to the site over the quarter.
David Jones fared better, but its third quarter sales still weren’t great. However, the upmarket department store reported a 190% increase in online sales over the past year, albeit from a very low base. It is seeking to offer a dual in-store and online offering.
To read more about this story, click here and here.
Tags: Australia, business, David Jones, Myers, online
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, internet usage, online business, Online Sales, online shopping, selling online | No Comments »
Friday, May 16th, 2014
Photo credit; Matteo Paciotti on Flickr
Online retail sales growth in Australia shot up during March, spurred on by products that don’t normally get associated with online sales: groceries and liquor.
Groceries and liquor posted the biggest increase in online sales, according to National Australia Bank’s Online Retail Sales Index.
To read more about this story, click here.
Tags: Australia, business, groceries, liquor, online
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, internet usage, online business, Online Sales, online shopping, online stores | No Comments »
Thursday, May 15th, 2014
Photo credit; Sylvia Schade on Flickr
WooThemes has just released a new, innovative booking plugin for WooCommerce.
The extension, aptly named WooCommerce Bookings, will allow online businesspeople to:
- trade their time for cash money,
- set up appointments,
- connect with clients,
- link dependent resources, and
- integrate their services with their website.
What makes WooCommerce Bookings unique is that it takes a website from being just an online brochure, to being a place where people can go to actually book an appointment online.
The plugin is highly flexible and the WooThemes team has been perfecting it since 2011, according to WooThemes co-founder Mark Forester.
To read more on this story and check out a video about WooCommerce Bookings, click here.
Tags: appointments, Australia, booking, business, online, woocommerce, woothemes
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, innovation, internet usage, online business, Online Sales, online shopping, online stores, selling online, technology, web-based, Woo extensions, Woo Plugins, WooCommerce, WooCommerce Extensions, WooCommerce Themes | No Comments »
Monday, May 12th, 2014
Photo credit; FutUndBeidl on Flickr
An Australian online security startup has won the backing of the Singapore government.
Singapore government-owned Assurity Trusted Solutions has entered a strategic alliance with Melbourne identity verification specialist iSignthis to provide identity verification for its OneKey two-factor authentication token. The government intends the token to be used as a national standard.
As part of the agreement it has also picked up rights to supply the tokens and its security network internationally in other markets. Assurity plans to distribute the OneKey token as a smartphone application for Android and iOS devices.
iSignthis chairman Tim Hart said the company had set its sights on south-east Asia and Europe.
“The citizens and residents of Singapore, the EU, most of south-east Asia, Australia and New Zealand will benefit from [evidence of identity] and [two-factor authentication] services being executed online. We look forward to building on our strategic alliance with other products and services going forward,” Hart said.
To read more about this story, click here.
Tags: Android, Assurity Trusted Solutions, Australia, business, iphone, iSignthis, OneKey, online, Singapore, startup
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, internet usage, smartphone, smartphones, Success story, technology | No Comments »
Friday, May 9th, 2014
Photo credit; vagawi on Flickr
One Australian digital startup will be selected to receive $5 million in funding, thanks to The Big Pitch, a competition run by Melbourne venture capital fund Oxygen Ventures.
In addition to funding, Oxygen Ventures is offering mentoring and operational support to the winner. Applications close on June 5.
Five finalists will be selected to pitch in front of an audience and an expert panel that includes Dodo founder Larry Kestelman, Network Ten executive general manager Russel Howcroft and BlueChilli founder Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin.
Oxygen Ventures investment director Ilya Frolov says the Big Pitch judges are looking for digital start-ups at the pre-commercialised or newly launched phase that are globally scalable and offer innovative technology.
“The Big Pitch is a great forum for these start-ups to showcase a game-changing concept,” Frolov says.
For more information on this story, click here.
Tags: Australia, business, online, Oxygen Ventures, The Big Pitch
Posted in Australia, awards, business, E-mail & the internet, innovation, internet usage, investment, online business | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 7th, 2014
Photo credit; David Bleasedale on Flickr
WooTheme’s Tom Ewer recommends the following plugins for conducting A/B testing on your WordPress-based ecommerce site:
Ewer says using a WordPress plugin is preferable to using an outside tool for testing because these plugins are specifically designed for WordPress and are far more intuitive for people who already know the platform.
He also explains that conducting regular tests of your ecommerce site is important for knowing what parts of it are working well and what parts need improving.
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: Australia, business, online, woocommerce, woothemes
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, internet usage, online business, Online Sales, online shopping, online stores, selling online, WooCommerce, WooCommerce Themes | No Comments »
Monday, May 5th, 2014
Photo credit; Alisa on Flickr
Research by Elance-oDesk has found that Australian businesses are increasingly hiring freelancers online for technical skills, such as PHP, CSS, and HTML.
Australia leads the way in hiring online IT freelancers on Elance-oDesk when adjusted per capita, according to new data released by the online work marketplace firm.
The Online Work in Australia study showed 161,000 Australian companies are registered on the Elance-oDesk platforms, representing 8% of all businesses in the country. This has grown over the last three years with Australian businesses increasing their online hiring on Elance-oDesk by 235%.
The research indicated the job skills Australian businesses were after the most in the last 12 months was in IT and programming (40%), where they hired people with skills such as PHP, CSS, and HTML.
This was followed by 26% of job posts being related to design and multimedia projects, including: logo design, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator.
Newly appointed Elance-oDesk Australia country manager Kyri Theos said Australian businesses are turning to online for the skills they need.
“We’re seeing a shortage of IT professionals in Australia; 40% of all jobs by Australian businesses on Elance-oDesk were for IT and programming, so that’s really telling us that they have gaps they want to fill,” he said.
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: Australia, business, elance, freelance, oDesk, online
Posted in Australia, business, E-mail & the internet, internet usage, online business | No Comments »
