In what is likely to be his last Budget between the Prime Minister's office or the back bench, Treasurer Peter Costello has bet the farm on a series of across-the-board tax cuts, backed by an ambitious series of welfare reforms where big picture IT simply does not figure - at least not for this year.
IT Minister Helen Coonan's portfolio is marginally poorer, while security agencies including the Department of Immigration and Attorney have walked away with significant funding boosts for biometrics, identity management and data-drilling.
Australia's immigration authorities, either unable or unwilling to provide details on the origins of 10,000 migrants issued temporary work visas based on their ICT skills, have conveniently blamed their database for the problem.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has delayed its initial deployment of its Siebel 7 CRM platform by almost six months, saying the delay has been caused by a later than scheduled kick-off to its Change Program and an end of financial year system lockdown.
A study into government e-procurement has found concerns over security and integration risks must be addressed before agencies jump on the e-commerce bandwagon.
Australia's elite criminal suspects will soon be treated to DVD-quality interrogations at Australia's most powerful law enforcement body. The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) is pushing ahead with digital recording upgrades to its five interviewing facilities across Australia, tender documents reveal.
EDS has scored another tactical victory in its battle for to secure smaller and more lucrative contracts, this time with .Net-centric Bank of Queensland (BoQ), spinning its current 10-year outsourcing agreement out to 12 years.
Cheap imported labour is gravely undermining local wages in Australia's ICT industry and contributing to high levels of unemployment among Australian IT graduates.
The most serious wake-up call to date about a looming ICT skills shortage in Australia has been delivered by the head of Australia's largest IT shop.
A report from an expert cyber committee to George W Bush calling for immediate investment in security research is has local security stakeholders worried. Julian Bajkowski reports.
Australia's two largest IT industry lobby groups, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and the Australian Electronic and Electrical Manufacturing Association (AEEMA) appear set to merge by year end, if not within weeks.
Public servants who routinely flout tender regulations by stipulating their preferred brands or vendors could soon be in for a serve from their financial masters, with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) planning a major "education" campaign to inform potential customers of IT procurement rules.
Human Services minister Joe Hockey has resurrected the introduction of national services smartcards, and vowed to make technology deliver the goods to his $80 billion portfolio and sack public servants responsible if they stuff up his IT shop.
Upstart local outsourcer and services vendor Volante Group has added a significant feather to services cap, luring across managing director of Queensland-based outsourcer Citec, Dr Mark Rainbird.
In just 18 months, Australian Customs Service CIO Murray Harrison appears to have finally brought to heel the beast that is his department's unruly Integrated Cargo System (ICS), with business groups and major developers determined to force through a July 1 2005 deadline despite protestations from freight forwarders and some shippers.
Federal government spending on ICT has shot up 20 percent over the last 12 to 18 months, with special Minister of State Senator Eric Abetz revealing it is now "investing" around $5 billion a year on the technology sector.