News - Page 18 of 20 - Silicon Coast
News

How collaborative consumption is changing the labour market

Companies must evolve their business models to avoid becoming disintermediated by customers who connect with each other, according to CareerOne CEO Karen Lawson. Speaking about collaborative consumption at last week’s Sunshine Coast Business Expo, Ms Lawson said this trend was becoming more prominent and would significantly change consumers’ spending and buying habits, as well as recruitment processes within businesses. Collaborative consumption – also known as the sharing economy – is where consumers are keen to rent, lend, swap, barter, gift and share products and services rather than owning products. “We’re moving from a world where we’re organised around ownership to…
Silicon Coast
June 2, 2014
News

Three smart building blocks for digital service delivery

The Broadband Today Alliance (BTA) has released a White Paper “What makes a Smart Community” which describes the building blocks required for digital service delivery, based on the three elements of Smart Infrastructure, Smart Capacity and Smart Innovation. According to the White Paper, the ability of communities to turn to digital technology to create high quality employment, increase community participation and make themselves great places to live, work, start a business and prosper in the future is vital. BTA President Michael Whereat said Smart Communities were cities and regions which used information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance and diversify…
Silicon Coast
May 28, 2014
News

G20 Global Business Challenge

The G20 Global Business Challenge (G20 GBC) is a global business competition leveraging the talent from the world’s top graduate schools in collaboration with industry and the research community. The challenge for 2014 is to develop innovative solutions to use, recycle and/or manage water to achieve beneficial large scale impact. Competing teams will face off over two rounds to progress to the finals to be held in Brisbane as a lead up to the G20 Leaders Summit. Round 1 is a virtual round - open to any team of postgraduate students from both business and technical disciplines - where they with pitch their…
Silicon Coast
May 28, 2014
Business Profiles

Kunara

Kunara Organic Marketplace has grown from a niche store into a corporate business, with plans to expand nationally over the next few years. In the past 18 months, Kunara has experienced a 40 percent growth, with the implementation of three new business areas: a garden centre and café, the natural food store, and a wholesale/manufacturing warehouse. Natural Foods Manager Ryan McLintock says these new value add aspects have contributed to the rapid growth and increased employment opportunities, with staff numbers jumping from 55 to 160+. “Over the past year we have been consolidating our supply chain, manufacturing and packaging of…
Silicon Coast
May 9, 2014
Business Profiles

Aluminium Balustrade North Coast

Aluminium Balustrade North Coast (ABnc) has been operating on the Sunshine Coast since 1981, manufacturing and supplying aluminium products for commercial and residential applications. The company introduced an IT strategy about five years ago and currently runs eight ‘best in class’ programs, including Cloud-based project management software which captures lead information, processes quotes, shop drawings, workflow collaboration and financial data. “Digital technology is my passion and hobby, and it’s something which has given the business a real competitive edge. It’s about leveraging technology to get the best results...” General Manager Sam Bevis says the technology has allowed ABnc to implement…
Silicon Coast
May 9, 2014
News

How digital can drive the change

PwC research shows that an ecosystem based on innovation and digital technologies has the potential to increase Australia's productivity and raise GDP by $37 billion in 2024.  The report, 'Expanding Australia's Economy – How digital change can drive the change', examines the current state of the Australian economy, identify areas for potential growth and evaluate our international counterparts to understand how we can grow our nation through innovation and Digital Change.  Download the report
Silicon Coast
May 9, 2014
News

Changing government through the cloud

The Commission of Audit Report’s recommendations have spotted an opportunity for government departments to completely overhaul the way they manage and share data – and cloud computing is being put at the forefront. Two of the recommendations in the report have focused on digital innovation. Number 62 suggests governments should boost the number of electronic services, as these are “often preferred by citizens, businesses and other government customers”. Recommendation 63 notes cloud is reducing costs by allowing data share among users, and says adoption should increase by introducing a mandatory “cloud first” policy for all low-risk data. Read the full article.
Silicon Coast
May 9, 2014
News

Creating a dynamic digital health destiny

Care providers from around Australia are taking their technological futures out of the hands of the governments and software developers, and recreating their own ICT destinies through a series of collaborative regional efforts. More than 100 aged care, technology, health and community services innovators will come together to network and discuss regional technological solutions at the inaugural Make HASTE (Health & Age Services Technology Ecosystem) Expo on Monday 19 May at the Caloundra Events Centre. The Expo will build awareness, capacity and access to technology innovations, specialists and providers throughout the region. Sundale CEO Glen Bunney said the event would…
Silicon Coast
May 9, 2014
Business Profiles

Subtle Difference

Stephen Neate moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2000 for lifestyle and family reasons. In mid-2002 he started working part-time building the MySunshineCoast website, followed by their first Real Estate Content Management System (CMS) during 2003. Subtle Difference is a leading edge purpose-built CMS with specific modules for the real estate industry. It currently has two full-time staff, one trainee and 2-3 part timers predominantly working remotely. What are the operating advantages and challenges to being based on the Sunshine Coast? As a digital business, we are not restricted or affected in the same manner as a brick and mortar…
Silicon Coast
May 9, 2014
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