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Silicon Coast

News

The 4 start-ups picked to transform western Sydney

Four start-ups, doing everything from reducing killer western Sydney commutes to making geocoded address information more accessible, have won an ‘open innovation’ competition with the prize a 12-week accelerator program hosted by the University of Western Sydney, and access to potential clients provided by co-sponsor PwC. The competition sought to solve four problems experienced by people living in Sydney’s western sprawl, identified by PwC and UWS in conjunction with the NSW Government and program partners Google and Cisco. A lack of teleworking and smart work hubs, fuelling the predicament for residents of Greater Western Sydney who work in the Sydney…
Silicon Coast
September 16, 2014
News

Queensland public servants trial digital hubs

Queensland public servants could soon be working remotely if a trial underway in the state's south-east proves employees remained productive away from their head office. The Flexible Work Centre Trial began in May this year when the State Government rented space in shared offices at Southport on the Gold Coast and Redcliffe north of Brisbane. The 12-month trial will evaluate the viability of staff working from commercially run offices. Data is being collected on the use and productivity of flexible work centres and the results will be used to form policy in the future. Queensland Innovation Minister Ian Walker said the…
Silicon Coast
September 8, 2014
News

Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast

The 2014 Sunshine Coast Startup Weekend is now behind us, and we eagerly awaiting the announcement of the dates for the 2015 Sunshine Coast Startup weekend.  In the meantime, check out this fabulous short 5 minute video showcasing this recent past event, created by Marcus. This is Startup Weekend from Marcus H on Vimeo. For further information about Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast: sunshinecoast.startupweekend.org
Silicon Coast
September 8, 2014
Business Profiles

Commission Factory

Established in 2011, Commission Factory provides a platform to online retailers and service providers to establish performance-based marketing through affiliate programs. The company has positioned itself at the forefront of its industry within three years, and currently works with more than 280 Australian and international online retailers to establish their campaigns quickly and gain access to a large pool of affiliates, using bloggers, coupons, comparison sites and apps. Founder Zane McIntyre says affiliate marketing adds a powerful marketing channel for businesses to increase their online presence, brand reach and sales.  Hear more from Zane in the short three minute video…
Silicon Coast
September 8, 2014
Business Profiles

Comlink

ComLink Limited is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation which provides transport and care services for the elderly, transport disadvantaged, and younger people with disabilities. When the organisation decided to move its server to the Cloud earlier this year, the transition created a remarkable online community for its 72 staff and 240 volunteers. Corporate Services Manager Alexander Payne says the new intranet has made a “significant difference culturally” and allows staff to better communicate with each other and share ideas. “Culturally, it was important that they all became connected; a lot of our staff hadn’t been to head office in Birtinya and…
Silicon Coast
September 8, 2014
News

Innovate with Queensland’s open data and win $60,000

The bright ideas of Queensland’s digital entrepreneurs can win national recognition and a $60,000 prize from Microsoft in the 2014 Premier’s Awards for Open Data. The Premier’s Awards champion creative Queenslanders who find innovative ways to use the masses of information released by the State Government under its open data initiative. Premier Campbell Newman said more than 1400 previously unreleased sets of raw data were now available for the general public and private businesses to access. “Queensland is leading the way in the release of open data across the nation and the resulting digital innovations will help drive the economy…
Silicon Coast
September 3, 2014
News

MADECORE Minecraft Competition

Recreate Eureka Stockade by The Core The-Core has partnered with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (MADE) to set up the MADECORE competition and are calling minecrafters to recreate the Eureka Stockade as part of the 160th anniversary. Competitors will build their stockades on a custom Minecraft server called MADECORE. The winning model will be the one that builds a fun, creative version of the Eureka Stockade. What does my entry get me?  Your registration gives you access to the private MADECORE server throughout the duration of the competition as well as your own plot to build your creation! More information
Silicon Coast
September 3, 2014
Business Profiles

Ausfit

As a global business operator, Marc Osmond finds himself operating across six time zones. “If you’re going to succeed, you have to be available to whoever wants to speak to you whenever they want to speak to you; you just can’t just clock on and off between 9 and 5 as the digital age comes upon us.” Marc, owner and founder of Ausfit, says digital technologies have allowed the company to operate on a global scale, with strategic partners in the USA, United Kingdom and New Zealand and development teams based in India and Eastern Europe. “As a supplier of…
Silicon Coast
September 3, 2014
News

Internet speeds damaging business on the Sunshine Coast

In news that will come as no surprise, slow internet speeds are hindering the Sunshine Coast's ability to do business. Poole Group director Greg Tuckwell said "woefully slow" connection speeds were one of his biggest challenges. "We do a lot in the cloud and we see the speeds are woeful, and it affects our productivity and the service we can deliver," Mr Tuckwell told the Sunshine Coast Daily while attending the launch of the Draft Digital Action Plan last week. "We have people working off site and it affects the speeds they can log in. There is infrastructure in place, but we…
Silicon Coast
September 2, 2014
News

Digital action on the Sunshine Coast

Encouraging digital innovation, investing in infrastructure and ensuring the community has the skills and capacity to embrace the digital revolution are the key features of a Draft Digital Action Plan launched today by Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson. At an event attended by dignitaries including local digital business leaders, the Draft Digital Action Plan was aptly launched amongst the new high-tech digital equipment at the University of the Sunshine Coast including the Oculus Rift, augmented reality and motion capture technology as well as 3D printers. Mayor Jamieson said the draft plan provided an opportunity for people to learn and get…
Silicon Coast
August 29, 2014
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