Australian stories - Page 32

Australia's productivity lags despite longer work hours; adopting agentic AI could boost the economy by over AUD $116 billion in the next decade.

Nearly half of Australians use AI assistants for online shopping, with 78% expecting such tools to become mainstream within a year, says PayPal research.

Hollard Insurance and Interactive successfully completed a weekend migration of hundreds of virtual machines to a new data centre, ensuring seamless business continuity.

Nick Kempt has been appointed Director of Customer Success and Professional Services for Riverbed in the Asia Pacific and Japan region, leading AI-driven customer strategies.

Flight Centre Corporate uses Datadog's platform to unify global monitoring, boosting system resilience and cutting cloud computing costs worldwide.

Anchora celebrates its fourth anniversary with a major win at La Trobe University, boosting its digital transformation footprint across the Asia-Pacific region.

FedEx launches AI tools in Asia-Pacific to simplify international shipping docs, aiding accuracy in customs codes and cutting delays for global exporters.

Merchantwise Group has acquired Jaywing and Frank Digital in its largest deal, boosting its marketing and media capabilities in Australia.

Accenture will acquire CyberCX, an Asia Pacific cybersecurity firm with 1,400 staff, to expand its security services and client reach in the region.

Over 74% of Asia Pacific youth prefer digital apps for remittances, valuing speed and trust over fees, reveals Visa's report covering 20 countries.

A Verizon report reveals consumers prefer human-led service over AI, with 88% satisfied by humans versus 60% by AI-driven customer interactions.

Nearly 91% of security leaders are revamping hybrid cloud strategies as AI-driven cyber threats surge, highlighting the urgent need for deep observability tools.

Taranaki's Huski sees global sales soar as its ice-free champagne coolers become top sellers amid record heatwaves worldwide.

Techcombank has reappointed Dr Jens Lottner as CEO from 2025 to 2030, recognising his leadership in driving growth and digital transformation.

Smartwatch features from Apple and Samsung now help detect signs of sleep apnoea, raising awareness of this common but underdiagnosed disorder in adults.

AI adoption in Australia and New Zealand surges, with 21% noting gains despite a skills shortage delaying digital transformation and product development.

Macquarie Data Centres partners with Dell to launch a sovereign, NVIDIA-powered AI Factory in Australia's new IC3 Super West data centre by 2026.

Tech Data expands its partnership with HCLSoftware, adding distribution and support across ten more Asia Pacific and Japan markets to meet rising software demand.

AI surges are driving data centres in Australia, Singapore and Ireland to boost power use and connectivity, sparking new demands for sustainability and innovation.

Emerging tech in critical infrastructure boosts automation but widens cyber risks, with attacks targeting unified platforms and unencrypted OT protocols.