Here are a few I have come across the last week or so. Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.
General Comment
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This week we seem to have more in the way of State-Based initiatives as well as the usual rubbish info sessions from the ADHA.
Also the usual from of NBN news and news of #myHR Rule 42 – which I had never heard of!
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Critical staff shortages affect more than frontline roles
Aged care’s technology and innovation workforce is also experiencing recruitment and retention issues and gaps in skill requirements, write Anne Livingstone and Georgie Gould.
by Georgie Gould and Anne Livingstone August 19, 2022
The Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council has concentrated efforts over the past six years on the enabling role that technology can play, but much of our focus has particularly been on what that means for service model design – and specifically workforce development.
From our Technology Aged Care Roadmap in 2017 to the recent projects we have just concluded – including on clinical systems in residential aged care, and benchmarking digital maturity across community care and residential aged care – the needs and requirements of an adequate and skilled workforce have been a key focus.
In these recent research projects, we have identified several issues related to technology and innovation workforces such as the gaps in skill requirements and the retention and recruitment issues – including the current high level of tech and digital roles exiting the sector.
Through this work, we are acutely aware of the workforce shortages this sector is experiencing with respect to the needs of a digitally maturing aged and community care industry.
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https://itwire.com/science-news/health/aspen-medical-implements-oracle-cloud-apps.html
Monday, 15 August 2022 11:51
Aspen Medical implements Oracle Cloud apps
By Staff Writer
Australian healthcare solutions provider Aspen Medical has worked with Oracle to consolidate its business processes across HR, finance, and projects in support of its work worldwide.
A big part of Aspen Medical’s business is responding to medical crises and saving lives, often in the most remote, under-resourced parts of the world, deploying teams on very short notice. - and until recently, however, the company was managing its people, projects, and finances using an assortment of non-integrated applications scattered across different subsidiaries.
Oracle says those silos provided limited cross-organisation visibility into its people’s skills, credentials, compensation, locations, project assignments, and other important details, so it was difficult to make data-driven decisions.
“Aspen Medical's IT team initially focused on updating the company’s HR systems, replacing its array of highly customised on-premises applications with the latest Oracle Cloud Human Capital Management applications,” Oracle notes.
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Special Announcement: 16 August 2022
Welcome to New Core Partner: Telstra Health
Telsta Health Joins ANDHealth to Drive Growth of Australian Digital Health Sector
ANDHealth today announced that Telstra Health has joined
Australia's leading cooperative digital health commercialisation
organisation to support the growth of Australia’s digital health industry.
Telstra Health is a leader in delivering digitally enabled care in hospital,
pharmacy, and aged and disability care settings. Alongside ANDHealth’s existing
core partners, Telstra Health will provide its expertise to digital health
companies participating in ANDHealth’s programs, including its Federal
Government funded program, ANDHealth+.
ANDHealth’s unique business model which brings together public and private
funding with proven expertise from within globally leading digital health
organisations has created one of Australia’s most successful technology
translation and commercialisation engine rooms. ANDHealth’s programs are
recognised nationally and internationally as delivering real and measurable
impact with participants in flagship programs creating 417 new jobs (FTEs),
impacting more than 600,000 patients, and raising over $87m in financing
(dilutive and non-dilutive).
“Telstra Health’s commitment to ANDHealth is a further demonstration of the
importance of new technologies to established players in the digital health
sector, and the ability of ANDHealth to drive programs that deliver value
and measurable outcomes to our partners and to the more than 580 high-growth
potential digital health companies we work with,” said ANDHealth CEO, Bronwyn
Le Grice.
“Growing our sovereign capability in cutting-edge connected and digital
healthcare technology commercialisation is critical to our future health and
economic wellbeing. Our partners, including Telstra Health, are critical in
delivering our multiplier effect on the number, scale and maturity of our
emerging digital health companies across Australia,” said Le Grice.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/services-australia-sets-changeover-date-for-mygov-583900
Services Australia sets changeover date for myGov
By Justin Hendry on Aug 15, 2022 12:00PM
Prepares to decommission legacy platform.
Services Australia will switch to the myGov Beta platform permanently next month, as it prepares to decommission the legacy platform supporting the one-stop shop for online government services.
The legacy myGov platform will be replaced from September 5, with new functionality expected to be progressively added to the updated myGov.
“myGov will be upgraded from September 5, when the updated myGov Beta platform replaces the legacy site at my.gov.au,” Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said.
“We’re encouraging people to start exploring the updated platform now so they get to know the new layout before it changes.”
Jongen said the legacy platform – which has been in places since 2013 and was last upgraded in 2017 – will be “decommissioned in the following months”.
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https://wildhealth.net.au/video-consults-find-niche-in-mental-health/
18 August 2022
Video consults find niche in mental health
By Holly Payne
Mental health consults are the top reason for clinicians to use video-based telehealth services, according to the national virtual public health information service.
It’s been just over a month since the Department of Health ditched a swathe of MBS phone items, a move which many GPs were concerned would ultimately harm vulnerable mental health patients the most.
While phone consults were wholeheartedly embraced from the beginning of the pandemic, video telehealth uptake has lagged. From the beginning of the pandemic through to April 2022, phone consults have accounted for 96% of all GP telehealth consults.
Despite this general avoidance, there is at least one area where video telehealth is being embraced: mental health.
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Royal Perth Hospital first public hospital with electronic prescriptions
18 Aug 2022 8:00 am AEST
Australian Digital Health Agency
In a first for public hospitals nationally, patients at Royal Perth Hospital can now obtain electronic prescriptions that can be dispensed at community pharmacies.
A joint project between Royal Perth Hospital, WA Heath Support Services and the Australian Digital Health Agency, the service will be rolled out to all specialties at the hospital following an initial 12-week trial in Haematology, Immunology, Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine and Gastroenterology & Liver outpatient clinics.
During the trial, registered prescribers can generate an electronic prescription when needed for their patients. Patients will receive an SMS or email message with a token they can either present in person or forward electronically to their local pharmacy to receive supply of their medicine.
The ability of healthcare providers to generate an electronic prescription supports consumer expectations and a choice between paper prescriptions and electronic formats where appropriate. This initiative brings hospital healthcare into the digital health landscape.
Australian Digital Health Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole said the new service was a major step forward for Western Australian Health and the hospital, as well as for patients.
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Thursday, 18 August 2022 11:02
Royal Perth Hospital the ‘first public hospital’ with electronic prescriptions
By Staff Writer
Patients at Royal Perth Hospital can now obtain electronic prescriptions that can be dispensed at community pharmacies with the rollout of services in a joint project between Royal Perth Hospital, WA Heath Support Services and the Australian Digital Health Agency.
Claimed as a “first for public hospitals nationally”, the services will be rolled out to all specialties at the hospital following an initial 12-week trial in Haematology, Immunology, Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine and Gastroenterology & Liver outpatient clinics.
During the trial, registered prescribers can generate an electronic prescription when needed for their patients - and patients will receive an SMS or email message with a token they can either present in person or forward electronically to their local pharmacy to receive supply of their medicine.
The Digital Health Agency says the ability of healthcare providers to generate an electronic prescription supports consumer expectations and a choice between paper prescriptions and electronic formats where appropriate - and the initiative brings hospital healthcare into the digital health landscape.
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Royal Perth Hospital first to issue e-prescriptions among public Australian hospitals
The trial will inform future plans to roll out the service in other healthcare settings in Western Australia.
By Adam Ang
August 18, 2022 12:19 AM
Public hospitals in Australia will soon issue electronic prescriptions, beginning with a trial at Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia.
The service, which is a joint project between Royal Perth, WA Health Support Services and the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), will go live at all specialties of the hospital after a 12-week trial in select outpatient clinics, namely Haematology, Immunology, Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, and Gastroenterology and Liver clinics.
During the trial, registered prescribers can provide patients with an e-prescription, which comes in a token form via SMS or email, and can be presented either in person or forwarded electronically to their local pharmacy for dispensing.
ADHA CEO Amanda Cattermole said the trial will inform future plans to introduce the service across WA Health.
WHY IT MATTERS
The project marks the first escript issuance in a public metropolitan hospital setting nationwide, according to ADHA.
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Royal Perth Hospital the first public hospital with electronic prescriptions
Published 18 August 2022
In a first for public hospitals nationally, patients at Royal Perth Hospital can now obtain electronic prescriptions that can be dispensed at community pharmacies.
A joint project between Royal Perth Hospital, WA Heath Support Services and the Australian Digital Health Agency, the service will be rolled out to all specialties at the hospital following an initial 12-week trial in Haematology, Immunology, Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine and Gastroenterology & Liver outpatient clinics.
During the trial, registered prescribers can generate an electronic prescription when needed for their patients. Patients will receive an SMS or email message with a token they can either present in person or forward electronically to their local pharmacy to receive supply of their medicine.
The ability of healthcare providers to generate an electronic prescription supports consumer expectations and a choice between paper prescriptions and electronic formats where appropriate. This initiative brings hospital healthcare into the digital health landscape.
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https://www.ama.com.au/ama-rounds/19-august-2022/articles/my-health-record-rule-42-assistance
My Health Record Rule 42 assistance
Published 18 August 2022
A new My Health Record security and access policy template and e-Learning module are available for healthcare providers.
A new My Health Record security and access policy template is available to assist healthcare providers to comply with their obligations under Rule 42 of the My Health Records Rule 2016.
Rule 42 of the My Health Records Rule 2016 requires healthcare provider organisations to establish, communicate and enforce a written security and access policy in order to register, and remain registered, with the My Health Record system.
The policy template was developed by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), in collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency. Input was also provided by clinical peaks, Primary Health Networks and advisers from a range of healthcare settings and disciplines.
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https://digitalhealth.org.au/blog/seed-grant-funding-announcement-and-invitation-for-proposals/
Seed grant funding announcement and invitation for proposals
Aug 15, 2022 | Member news
On behalf of the management of The Northern Australian Regional Digital Health Collaboration (NARDHC) led by James Cook University, in partnership with TAAHC, CRCNA, Optus and CSIRO, applications are invited from eligible teams to submit a grant application of up to $50,000 focusing on one of the following themes:
- Patient-centred digital platform for early-stage chronic kidney disease
- Integrating codes and free text used for the management of chronic kidney disease across hospitals and primary care sectors
- Internet of Things (IoT) home monitoring for frail, elderly people
Applications for this grant round will close at 5 pm Tuesday the 13th of September.
For more information, contact The Project Manager Dr Salifu Yusif at salifu.yusif@jcu.edu.au, or phone 07 4781 5245.
For project and application details, please click here.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/monash-health-pilots-fiveps-role-based-messaging-app
Monash Health pilots FiveP's role-based messaging app
It targets to have over 600 medical registrars across five hospitals use the app.
By Adam Ang
August 17, 2022 02:01 AM
Monash Health, one of Victoria's largest public health services, is implementing a new messaging application on Microsoft Teams developed by IT services provider FiveP.
The role-based messaging solution called Baret is being tried out to over 600 medical registrars across five hospitals of the health service, according to Monash Health CMIO Dr Michael Franco.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Baret enables closed-loop communications between clinical and frontline workers. It lets users know who exactly to contact and allows them to interact immediately.
One of its key abilities is to provide parties with acknowledgement of message handover, ensuring that any open communications are transitioned to the new staff coming into their shifts. It also helps users refer to and prioritise messages easily.
Additionally, Beret offers auditability and traceability of all communications via an administrator dashboard, as well as EMR/PAS system integration.
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https://www.seek.com.au/job/58176154?type=standout
Senior Policy Advisor
Australian Digital Health Agency
Brisbane QLD
Policy (Consulting & Strategy)
$125,047 - $142,618
Full time
19 July, 2022
About the Agency
The Australian Digital Health Agency is responsible for national digital health services and systems, with a focus on engagement, innovation and clinical quality and safety. Our focus is on putting data and technology safely to work for patients, consumers and the healthcare professionals who look after them.
About the Role
The Policy, Programs and Engagement Division leads and coordinates national improvements to digital health. We are seeking highly motivated Senior Policy Advisors who have enthusiasm for and experience in public policy development and analysis, to join the Strategic Policy Team, and the Budget Policy Team. This is a unique opportunity to work on the Australian Government’s digital health agenda, including supporting the development and adoption of health technologies and digital health capabilities across Australia.
As Senior Policy Advisor you will provide policy and strategic advice to inform the development and implementation of digital health policies, services and systems which support the priorities of the Agency in the context of the Government’s broader policy agenda. The work is in partnership with the Australian, state and territory health systems, patients, carers, clinicians and healthcare organisations.
The role will require well-developed research, analysis, writing and problem-solving skills, as well as sound judgement in working under broad direction in formulating policy and strategic advice, and actively managing key stakeholder relationships.
The Senior Policy Advisor will lead by example in upholding a team culture which embraces collaboration, diversity of views, and acts inclusively to provide advice and solutions.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/health-criticised-for-error-prone-australian-vaccination-data-584111
Health criticised for error-prone Australian vaccination data
By Richard Chirgwin on Aug 18, 2022 10:56AM
Lacked assurance, IT controls with outsourced providers.
Australia’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout was hampered by poor data quality and oversight in the IT systems used by the Department of Health and Aged Care to manage vaccinations.
According to a report published by the Australian National Audit Office yesterday, data quality was a major issue, with error rates in some systems as high as 14 percent.
Data accuracy was hampered by the large number of users of the systems, and a lack of oversight by Health.
“Health has not formally reviewed the data entered into any of the systems … This has resulted in undetected and undisclosed inaccuracies in the data”, the auditor said.
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/614257/Machine-Learning-checks-quality-of-GPMRI-referrals.htm
Machine Learning checks quality of GPMRI referrals
Tuesday, 16 August 2022
NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth
ProCare is using machine learning to check the quality of
referrals for MRI scans being made by northern region GPs under a new national
ACC programme.
The service allows GPs who have received MRI training to directly refer
patients for a scan if they have knee, lumbar, or upper spine injures, rather
than having to refer them to a specialist to make that decision.
The GPMRI programme was piloted with ProCare and Mercy Radiology from 2017 and
has now been expanded nationwide with GPs in the upper North Island using
ProCare’s inhouse built electronical referral platform Profusion.
Paul Roseman, ProCare’s general manager strategic development, says the
electronic referrals system used by ProCare has allowed them to link the MRI
report with the GP’s referral and apply machine learning technology to help
determine the quality of the referral.
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/614544/Asthma-NZ-embarks-on-digital-transformation-plan.htm
Asthma NZ embarks on digital transformation plan
Thursday, 18 August 2022
NEWS
Asthma New Zealand will leverage data and technology as it
seeks to reduce asthma and COPD hospitalisations by 50 percent by 2029.
Asthma New Zealand chief executive Katheren Leitner says she’s keen to harness
technology to extend the organisation’s reach and accelerate its path to
achieving reductions in hospitalisations.
She says patient education is the key to effective asthma management. Patients
who complete Asthma NZ’s 3-Plus Self-Management Programme are 87 percent less
likely to be re-admitted to the ER room for respiratory related problems and
are 61 percent less reliant on reliever mediation.
“I realised quickly after joining Asthma New Zealand that we can never employ
enough nurses to extend our reach enough,” Leitner says.
“Humans, as important as they are, aren’t enough. We have to develop our triage
systems, and that involves using technology.”
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/614545/5.1-mil-for-research-into-AI-to-improve-health-outcomes.htm
$5.1 mil for research into AI to improve health outcomes
Thursday, 18 August 2022
NEWS
Three international research projects led by Aotearoa New
Zealand research teams have been awarded $5.1 million to explore how artificial
intelligence (AI) could provide improved access to healthcare.
The projects will use AI company Soul Machines’ autonomously animated Digital
People to explore how this technology could advance the development of New
Zealand’s digital health research ecosystem and provide more personalised care.
“The world is being shaped by technological advancements, including in artificial
intelligence, which are set to revolutionise healthcare,” says Loveday
Kempthorne, manager international science policy, MBIE.
Two projects will be led through the University of Auckland, with one looking
into developing a digital person to provide customised mental health support,
and the other looking to support patients with chronic metabolic disease that
struggle to understand their condition and how to manage it.
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https://wildhealth.net.au/scales-of-failure-covidsafe-app-vs-my-health-record/
18 August 2022
Scales of failure: CovidSafe App vs My Health Record
Two years, 17 close contact identifications only, a mass of people’s very personal data parked somewhere and $21 million later, the CovidSafe app is being shut down. Anything to see here?
Government needs to be able to build or oversee the build of tech, and be competent at it. Technology is at the centre of (potentially) far better experiences for citizens’ engagement with key government services departments such Centrelink, the NDIS, Medicare, the RMS and the ATO. But these are obvious core infrastructure requirements for any modern government.
When we start reaching beyond the provision of such core services, things often go horribly wrong as far as government building and maintaining tech infrastructure is concerned.
Is there a line that maybe government shouldn’t be crossing in trying to help us manage our everyday lives? If there is, how do we know we’ve crossed such a line, and what can do we do when we realise we’ve crossed it?
Consider the relative scale of two high-profile health tech fails: the CovidSafe App, which cost $21m and has only now been cancelled by the new Labor government, and My Health Record (MHR), with which we continue to persist, with much the same energy and cost we have persisted with for the last 10 years.
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https://www.miragenews.com/new-patient-health-system-for-our-territory-836518/
New Patient Health System for our Territory Hospitals
NT Government
The Territory Labor Government is ensuring Territory Hospitals have the best IT systems available to care for patients.
Government has successfully rolled-out the first stage of its $259 million patient health record system ‘Acacia’ – which is the biggest project of its type ever undertaken in the NT.
Acacia is digital clinical care software based upon InterSystems’ TrakCareÒ that is now in use at Katherine Hospital.
Katherine Hospital is a major step towards the full implementation of the health investment which replaces six legacy clinical systems, and integrates a dozen more into a single digital ecosystem.
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Tuesday, 16 August 2022 12:31
NT Acacia health system goes live at Katherine Hospital
The Northern Territory Government has rolled out the first stage of its $259 million Acacia patient health record system at Katherine Hospital.
Acacia replaces six legacy clinical systems and integrates with a dozen others, providing healthcare professionals with information on patient allergies, alerts and medications, allowing them to make faster and less risky treatment decisions.
"The overall solution comprises the core TrakCare platform integrated with a range of other third party software solutions (such as radiology, pathology, dental, etc) to deliver the full Acacia digital ecosystem," NT Government Department of Corporate and Digital Development acting chief executive Chris Hosking told iTWire.
InterSystems ANZ country manager Darren Jones pointed out that "Our approach with TrakCare is one global product configured for local requirements. TrakCare is highly configurable but there are some unique circumstances to delivering care in the Northern Territory that have necessitated customisation. We bring this work back into our standard product for all customers to quickly benefit from through our continuous release process."
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NT rolls out first stage of $259m patient health record system
Monday, 15 August, 2022
The Northern Territory Government has rolled out the first stage of its $259 million patient health record system Acacia — a digital clinical care software based on InterSystems TrakCareÒ that is now in use at Katherine Hospital.
The investment replaces six legacy clinical systems and integrates a dozen more into a single digital ecosystem, with the project delivering more than 100 jobs during implementation. InterSystems is also supporting IT internships at Charles Darwin University through the project cycle.
Introduced first into Katherine Hospital and within budget, the system is being rolled out in phases to minimise the impact to frontline NT health workers and to protect patient safety.
NT Chief Minister and Minister for Health Natasha Fyles said, “We thank our nurses and doctors. This new system will mean a nurse in a remote clinic or a doctor on the intensive care ward of a major hospital can use Acacia, which provides access to the same patient record in real time, allowing instant access to details about previous care provided in other clinical settings.
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https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/my-health-record-qa-tickets-392183129297
Sep. 07 2022
My Health Record Q&A
Date and time
Wed., 7 September 2022 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm AEST
Location
Burdekin Library 108 Graham Street Ayr, QLD 4807
During August and September we’ll be hosting a series of digital health webinars open to people of all ages.
About this event
Join us in this insightful, interactive hour and get all of your My Health Record questions answered by an expert. My Health Record is an Australian government digital health website.
Individuals can register
1. With Good Foundations to view this at home –
https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org.au/what-we-do/our-projects/your-health-in-your-hands/
2. Or you can register here to attend a group session at the library.
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Sunshine Private Hospital to roll out Telstra Health's Kyra EMR
The EMR platform will help streamline care delivery in the soon-to-open $98 million health facility.
By Adam Ang
August 16, 2022 03:02 AM
Hospital operator Unitas Healthcare is implementing the Kyra Clinical EMR by Telstra Health at the upcoming Sunshine Private Hospital in Melbourne's west.
The Kyra EMR provides real-time access to patient information and enables peer-to-peer communication between clinicians, care teams and patients.
WHY IT MATTERS
Telstra Health claims that its EMR offering streamlines care delivery, allowing the smooth transfer of care between wards and theatres, e-referrals from consultations, and medication management.
"We understand that innovative, digital healthcare delivery means more efficient service provision. Delivering end-to-end digital healthcare with our partners, including Telstra Health, will result in a seamless, secure experience for our team and for those in our care," said Unitas Healthcare chief executive Dr Malak Sukkar.
Chris Norton, head of hospitals and connected health at Telstra Health, added that Kyra EMR enables organisations to "improve patient safety and patient experiences while supporting multidisciplinary care teams to work together to provide efficient patient-centred care on any device, helping staff spend more time with patients".
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OAIC – My Health Record Access Policy Template and new eLearning module
August 16, 2022
A new My Health Record security and access policy template is now available to assist healthcare providers to comply with their obligations under Rule 42 of the My Health Records Rule 2016.
The policy template was developed by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), in collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency. Input was also provided by clinical peaks, Primary Health Networks and advisers from a range of healthcare settings and disciplines.
The Agency has also developed an eLearning module to accompany the security and access policy template, with input from advisers from various healthcare settings and disciplines. The e-Learning module is designed to support healthcare providers in using the policy template by outlining the practical steps that should be followed when drafting a security and access policy for their organisation.
Rule 42 of the My Health Records Rule 2016 requires healthcare provider organisations to establish, communicate and enforce a written security and access policy in order to register, and remain registered, with the My Health Record system.
The policy template is available on the OAIC website, and the eLearning module here.
Education sessions on implementing a My Health Record policy in your organisation are also available here.
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Webinar • My Health Record
Improving data quality in your practice – Diabetes Quality Improvement
Event details
When
Thursday,
8 September 2022
11:00am - 11:30am (AEST)
Where
Online
Hosted by
Australian Digital Health Agency
This session will help you understand the importance of high-quality patient clinical records and provide practical examples of how to improve your practice’s data quality through a Quality Improvement activity.
This session will help guide practice managers and clinical staff in understanding:
- Clinical risks of poor data;
- The importance of coding clinical information to ensure quality diagnosis and medical history data;
- Importance of quality prescription and medicines data; and
- The benefits of up-to-date and accurate data
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Aussie cancer start-up scores deal with $9b telehealth giant
Yolanda Redrup Reporter
Aug 16, 2022 – 11.19am
An Aussie start-up that created a virtual coach to help cancer patients navigate their diagnosis and treatment journey has formed a joint venture with $US6.5 billion ($8.6 billion) telehealth giant Teladoc Health.
CancerAid was founded in 2015 by chief executive Dr Raghav Murali-Ganesh and Dr Nikhil Pooviah from the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse cancer hospital in Sydney. The service provides patients with information specific to their illness, a treatment plan, a digital journal, a database for their medical records and access to a global community of people fighting the disease, as well as information and news stories from clinicians, researchers and charities.
CancerAid sells its services to 45 enterprises including Aon, Lendlease and MinterEllison, who then give staff going through cancer, or who are caring for someone with the disease, access to the program.
It is joining forces with Teladoc in Australia and New Zealand to create a new product named Cancer Companion, which is specific for insurers.
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https://itbrief.com.au/story/the-university-of-melbourne-implements-data-ecosystem-with-talend
The University of Melbourne implements data ecosystem with Talend
16/08/2022
Talend has announced that The University of Melbourne (UoM) has selected Talend Data Fabric for its cloud data platform, helping the public-spirited institution respond to the changing needs of the business by moving and managing healthy data in cloud, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education organisations turned quickly to remote and hybrid learning, resulting in an unprecedented economic impact for the institutions with declining student enrolment and commercial revenue, Talend states.
To deal with the significant effects on their business, The UoM was determined to attract students with an improved customer experience and new offerings and resources through insight from their data.
Daniel Buttigieg, director of enterprise technology and business services at The University of Melbourne, says, "Last year, The UoM's integration platform strategy was set to transition the university's current hybrid integration platform to a target-state cloud integration platform."
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Thursday, 18 August 2022 11:51
Smaller telcos continue to increase NBN wholesale market share: ACCC
By Staff Writer
Smaller broadband providers increased their market share in the NBN wholesale market in the June quarter 2022, and a record number of telcos now have their networks connected to the NBN at all of the available physical locations, according to a new report by the competition regulator, the ACCC.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ACCC)’s latest NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report reveals that in the June quarter, smaller retail service providers continued the “steady increase in their market share in the wholesale market at the expense of the top four providers”, increasing by 0.8 percentage points (with 77,758 additional services) to 12.6 per cent - and in the June quarter 2021, their combined market share was 8.2 per cent.
The report looks at the wholesale market for NBN services, particularly the residential broadband services that retailers buy from NBN to sell to consumers.
In the June quarter, smaller retail service providers continued the steady increase in their market share in the wholesale market at the expense of the top four providers, increasing by 0.8 percentage points (with 77,758 additional services) to 12.6 per cent. In the June quarter 2021, their combined market share was 8.2 per cent.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-cos-100-40mbps-demise-is-accelerating-584149
NBN Co's 100/40Mbps demise is accelerating
By Ry Crozier on Aug 19, 2022 6:30AM
Analysis: Operator calls abandonment 'commercially driven'.
User numbers on the once-default 100Mbps NBN tier that came with an (up to) 40Mbps uplink fell by the greatest percentage in almost two years in the quarter ended June 30.
Across all fixed-line access technologies, there are now just 346,221 100/40Mbps subscribers. Exactly two years ago, there were 639,857.
Numbers have been declining since NBN Co decided to introduce the 100/20Mbps tier, which it brands as ‘Home Fast’.
Cutting the uplink was seen as a way to fund increased connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) bandwidth inclusions that would make 100Mbps services look more performant, cheaper and attractive to users.
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Friday, 12 August 2022 14:27
NBN Co releases revised SAU variation discussion paper
By Staff Writer
National Broadband Network operator NBN Co has released a new Special Access Undertaking (SAU) discussion paper to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), internet retailers and consumer advocacy groups involved in the SAU consultation process.
NBN Co announced the revisions in recognition of what it says have been the changes in the policy landscape and operating environment since the previous proposed SAU.
The key changes to nbn’s proposed SAU Variation are:
· In addition to the previous commitment to remove CVC (capacity) charging and introduce AVC-only pricing for the nbn Home Fast (100 Mbps) and above wholesale speed tiers by 1 July 2023, commitment to a firm timeframe for the complete removal of CVC charges and introduction of AVC-only pricing across the 12, 25, 50 Mbps wholesale speed tiers by 1 July 2026
· Significant wholesale price reductions to AVC-only pricing on key higher speed tiers by 1 July 2023
· Reduced wholesale bundle charges or additional data inclusions on 12, 25 and 50 Mbps wholesale speed tiers
· Introduction of a Weighted Average Price Cap (WAPC) that will initially cap nbn’s overall pricing on average at CPI
· Further limitations on drawdown of the Initial Cost Recovery Account (ICRA)
· Setting benchmark service standards for each regulatory period, with ACCC oversight
· Automatic expiration of SAU before 2040 if a future Government relinquishes control of nbn
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/telstra-tpg-telecom-optus-assess-nbn-co-price-model-rejig-583930
Telstra, TPG Telecom, Optus assess NBN Co price model rejig
By Ry Crozier on Aug 15, 2022 6:50AM
Look for 'constructive' engagement.
Australia’s major internet providers cautiously welcomed a fresh plan to rejig NBN pricing and service standards, but indicated their position is very much conditional on how NBN Co chooses to engage in the revised process.
NBN Co offered some further concessions late on Friday last week, including a three-year phaseout of variable bandwidth charges, a cheaper starting price for 100Mbps-plus plans, and service standards enshrined in regulatory agreements.
However, prices would still rise every year through to 2040, and the new proposal changes the way the rises are calculated.
Boiling that down to a ‘plain English’ definition proved challenging on Friday; there are a lot of variables in the calculation formula, not all easily explained.
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Enjoy!
David.
