Stories by Julian Bajkowski

Insourced support delivers satisified users

IT managers ready to ditch their outsourced helpdesk for home-grown support will be buoyed by hard metrics coming from the 2000-seat Department of Tourism, Industry and Resources (DITR).

Immigration restructures IT post-Palmer

Senior public servants rarely shed tears in public, yet several had trouble concealing their emotions when Department of Immigration, Multiculturism and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) outgoing chief information officer Cheryl Hannah took the stage at a government IT conference in Canberra last week.

Coonan sees panacea to shrinking bandwidth

Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan has waved off concerns of a looming spectrum shortage, predicting wireless broadband, datacasting by television networks and third-generation mobile technologies will all be able to live happily together.

Legacy time bombs tick under apps

Dying skill sets for outdated legacy systems coupled with stiff new compliance requirements present legal hazards for unwary enterprises, according to the IT demand manager for Philips Medical Systems Australia (PMSA), Ray Evans.

EDS employees reject wage deal

Australian employees of outsourcer EDS have firmly rejected the company's latest remuneration offer, with staff voting down a deal that would have frozen wage levels but improved some entitlements.

Stewarding government IT policy

Having been anointed by public service chief Peter Sheregold as to lead government CIOs towards cohesive government ICT strategy, Australian Government CIO Ann Steward has been charged with fulfilling public service IT delivery expectations great and small.

Federal CIO promises more reforms

Australia's latest whole of government CIO, Ann Steward, has used her first public speech to make all the right political noises and warn government CIOs and IT managers they must clean up their own backyards and learn to share infrastructure with their peers without quarreling.

Abetz announces overhaul for e-government

The federal government is to dramatically shake up its internal IT strategy by the end of the year and will implement an ambitious scheme of programs including identity management, tougher contracts for vendors and an IT skills program.

Lessons learnt from tense times

Vivid lessons from a troubled decade in outsourcing hold warnings for IT managers to be careful what they wish for from vendor service level agreements (SLAs) if they want to avoid "witch hunts."

QLD IT minister promises better industry tracking

Having parachuted into a new Ministry of IT Policy, Queensland's latest cyber politician, Chris Cummins, is banking that increased research and reporting will sooth perennially strained relations between the government and local industry.

ANZ to keep IT frontline in Australia

ANZ Bank is giving the market-driven fashion of offshoring IT and support centre services a firm reality check, with a senior executive revealing his organization intends to keep customer-facing services in Australia.

Ill wind blows through e-Health adoption

E-Health initiatives have medicos fuming over time-consuming software and parents traumatized over automatic rebates that not only don't arrive but disrupt childcare arrangements.

Qantas silent on more IT job cuts

Australia's flagship airline Qantas looks destined to severely prune more IT staff from its ranks after CEO Geoff Dixon told employees no one is safe under yet another full-scale review of staffing at the company.

Privacy Commissioner investigates data thefts

The federal Privacy Commissioner has opened a formal investigation into possible breaches of the Privacy Act by Telstra mobile reseller Switch Mobile and call centre outsourcer One Touch Solutions following revelations that customer data from the two companies is for sale on the black market in India.

More Telstra splits emerge in coalition

Damaging new rifts have appeared in coalition ranks less than 24 hours after Cabinet approved the full sale of Telstra, with Liberal back bencher Alby Schultz now refusing to support the full float of the telco.

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