Stories by Peter Scott

News in brief

corProcure selects supplier, Technology One scores in NZ, Data#3 picks up Queensland contract, and Microsoft warns court, "Don't mess with us"

A survey by RHI Consulting has found that employee turnover at US companies rose two per cent last year from the levels of 1999. At the same time, salaries for IT professionals rose by 6.6 per cent, with the greatest increase in networking and Internet related areas.

Deal makers

SecureNet wins Telstra backing for trust centreListed online security specialist SecureNet has won the support of Telstra for the establishment of SecureNet's Australian Trust Centre within the Telstra network. A spokesman said the centre will enable corporate and government clients to outsource their online trust and security solution needs for business transactions.

Lundy pursues outsourcing payments

As Labor's Senator Kate Lundy continues to pursue John Fahey 'the embattled Minister for Finance and Administration ' over the implementation of the government's outsourcing regime, it is becoming clear the controversy will not just fade away. Lundy kept the flames fanned this week when she claimed that Fahey's department has failed to answer crucial questions about the payment of $A17 million for strategic advice to a US law firm.

Orders and Installations

Bullant rustles up another $40m

Bullant, the privately owned Australian company that is attracting international attention for its Internet accelerator software, has attracted more than $A40 million in a private capital raising from a consortium led by JP Morgan Equity Partners. The financing will allow Bullant to begin a program of international expansion, with a focus on OEM licensing to big name players in the US, Europe and Japan.

Corporate quarters

The rash of financial reports released in the US this week continued to give mixed signals about the state of the IT industry. Upbeat performances by high-fliers like EMC and Nortel were countered by a shocker from Lucent, mediocre results from Computer Associates, 3Com and others, and a gloomy forecast from Dell.

News briefs

Cable & Wireless has won a $US100 million, three-year contract to supply global telecommunications services to News Corp.

Fewer big mergers as market slows

Insider edition

Adacel attracts Intel for e-business pushListed software developer Adacel Technologies has entered an alliance with Intel through which the US chip manufacturer will provide marketing assistance for Adacel's applications in Australia and the Asia/Pacific region.

IT employees' work hours jump

IT professionals have spent one-third more hours on the job this last year than they did the previous year, according to a report issued by Meta Group. Analysts and users attributed the rise to time spent learning new technologies and additional work from the increasing threat of new viruses.

Industry Research

Finance and accounting outsourcing industry on fire. As enterprises become more comfortable contracting more of their finance and accounting duties, the worldwide finance and accounting outsourcing market is projected to grow from $US12 billion 1n 1999 to $US37.7 billion by 2004, according to Dataquest.