https:// 2019-05-27T07:19:24Z 2019-05-27T07:19:24Z when-ai-and-automation-collide-with-the-power-of-the-human-touch-1

When AI and Automation Collide with the Power of the Human Touch James Walford, Global Innovation Lead, Digital Service & Automation, Genesys Artificial intelligence (AI) integration specialist James Walford, Genesys, will be discussing key considerations to be made when implementing AI in the workplace as part of Contact Centre Week ANZ Online at 13.30 AEST tomorrow, Tuesday 28 May 2019. James’ extensive experience in emerging technologies underpins his insight and predictions for Blended AI and its impact on the ANZ region. James will further explore hot topics including: Why you can’t forget the critical role humans play in CX Combining AI, adaptive learning, bots, cognitive computing and other automation technologies to create personalised, proactive and predictive experiences Improving experiences and achieving business goals with Blended AI Maintaining context awareness and using it to make intelligent decisions at every stage in the customer journey This exclusive online presentation will focus on the best ways to implement AI in businesses without disrupting the customer experience, and how to ensure the integrity of human interaction is maintained. To register visit https://register.cxnetwork.com/ccw-anz-online-2/ -END- Media Invitation Media are invited to attend James Walford’s session When AI and Automation Collide with the Power of the Human Touch. Transcripts and recordings are available. Limited interview opportunities are available with James Walford. Please contact Zadro for further information. James Walford Global Innovation Lead, Digital Service & Automation, Genesys A natural customer experience thought leader and sales specialist, James is responsible for the business development of Genesys’ Digital and AI portfolio. Aligning go-to-market strategy across Marketing, Sales, Solution Consulting, and Professional Services, James is driven to explore new ideas and innovative solutions to expand Genesys’ footprint across the Asia Pacific market. James can provide interview and commentary on topics including: Artificial intelligence (AI) Cloud Customer Experience (CX) Digital transformation Emerging technologies Innovation Image: James Walford, Global Innovation Lead, Digital Service & Automation, Genesys (Hi-Res available on request) About Genesys Genesys® powers more than 25 billion of the world's best customer experiences each year. Our success comes from connecting employee and customer conversations on any channel. Every day, 11,000 companies in more than 100 countries trust our #1 customer experience platform to drive great business outcomes and create lasting relationships. Combining the best of technology and human ingenuity, we build solutions that mirror natural communication and work the way you think. Our industry-leading solutions foster true omnichannel engagement because they perform equally well across channels, on-premises and in the cloud. Experience communication as it should be: fluid, instinctive and profoundly empowering. Visit genesys.com on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and the Genesys blog. Media Contacts Australia Elizabeth Williams Group Account Director ZADRO elizabeth@zadroagency.com.au +61 2 9212 7867 +61 411 201 354 Oakley Grioli Account Coordinator ZADRO oakley@zadroagency.com.au +61 2 9212 7867

2019-05-27T04:01:58Z sea-printing-service-launches-in-australia

Gogoprint Group has launched its subsidiary brand Zenprint in Melbourne, Australia. The launch of Zenprint has followed Gogoprint’s AUD 10.7 million Series A funding that took place in October 2018. With just a handful of large-scale players in Australia, Gogoprint Group decided to bring its affordable yet high-quality printing services to Aussies. Zenprint aims at innovation, excellent customer experience and full transparency. Zenprint expansion will focus on building a strong local foothold to better service the needs of the Australian SME ecosystem. It uses AI to manage and combine customer orders and evenly distribute the print jobs through its network of local print partners. By building a partner network across metro areas, Zenprint offers faster delivery while reducing logistics costs. Zenprint also aims to present a variety of new website features that are going to make customers' lives easier. Among them, will be a feature to automatically check customers' artwork and correct the most common errors. Small business owners such as Chrystal Grbin from Melbourne’s Best Verandas value Zenprint’s offer. According to Chrystal, “The best thing about using Zenprint is the excellent service it provides and its strong commitment to quality. Their customer care and production team go above and beyond to ensure that customers receive high-quality products delivered right on time. In addition, Zenprint’s low prices and high price transparency are a refreshing change from my previous experiences.” Zenprint’s strategy is twofold. Firstly, it focuses on being fully transparent on pricing and delivery dates. Secondly, Zenprint plans to invest in the development of a strong portfolio of promotional products, such as customisable pens, mugs and keychains, on its website. The goal is to become a one-stop-service for SMEs’ printing needs. Through these initiatives, Zenprint hopes to build a strong network of printing partners and customers to increase convenience, speed, reliability and affordability in the market. To build closer relationships with local communities, Zenprint has already launched a Corporate Responsibility Programme to support  NGOs, charities, and other non-profit and civil society organisations. An example of such is Red Frogs Australia, a regional support network for the younger generation. Since January 2019, Zenprint has partnered with a dozen non-profit institutions. Other partners include All Together Now, Adnews and The Australian Counselling Association. At the moment, the company offers business card printing, flyers, brochures and banners. However, Zenprint is constantly working on developing a versatile portfolio of printed materials.  

2019-05-26T23:56:45Z the-top-10-apps-for-your-personal-training-business

With the amount exceptional fitness apps on the market, it’s never been a better time to use technology to benefit your Personal Training business. We’ve compiled a list of our favourite ‘Top 10 Personal Training Apps’ that help you communicate directly with clients, keeping them accountable and on track, all while managing your business and market growth. This means you can spend less time on the clerical stuff and more time actually training your clients. Plus, people LOVE using apps! Click here to read the full article.

2019-05-26T05:13:25Z top-rated-build-your-own-pizza-concept-slice-of-brooklyn-looks-to-expand-across-australia-with-crowd-funding-offering-a-slice-of-the-pie-for-investors-3

After a blazing start (pun intended) to their concept store in Adelaide, Slice of Brooklyn is looking to fund their expansion to a suburb near you. Slice of Brooklyn is looking to raise funds to expand into Tea Tree Plaza Westfield in Adelaide and in the Melbourne metro area with corporate locations and begin the franchising process to expand quickly to suburbs all around the country. Investment in Slice of Brooklyn will begin at 100 dollars and up to the entire funding amount. What’s the upside? Slice of Brooklyn will be profit sharing dividends as soon as possible, a potential to own a part of the next big fast casual franchise in Australia and lots and lots of discount pizza. Slice of Brooklyn founder, Ned Hasanoff (who is actually from Brooklyn and perfected his craft in NYC) explains his investment offer in a quick and simple way, just like his pizza. “We’re giving investors a good portion of our company for a modest investment. We want them to share in our success as we grow as co-owners of our business, that’s why we are offering things like free or discount pizzas, profit sharing and a chance to have a part in the next big fast casual food offering in Australia”. Coming from NYC, where everything is supersized, we don’t doubt his goals to become Australia’s fastest growing and highest rated fast casual player within the near future. Fast casual dining is the fastest growing area in dining in Australia over the last decade. With companies giving consumers fresher, more natural and better priced options, Slice of Brooklyn has the potential to become the next concept to make it big. With their endlessly customized fresh pizza’s, top reviews and ratings from critics, all natural hand tossed dough with just 5 ingredients, and the furiously hot stone base oven that churns out pizzas in just over 2 minutes, Slice of Brooklyn ticks all the boxes investors are looking for. Along with the Adelaide concept store, the proof of concept from overseas data is very compelling. Fast casual build your own pizza concepts have taken the US by storm, opening up over a thousand stores since 2012 and attracting millions in funding and billions in sales. The combination of speed, price and quality translates well to the Australian market, where a fresh and healthier option for pizzas is lacking. Just like its founder’s fast talking and fast walking qualities and with expressions of interest for fundraising now underway on the crowdfunding platform Birchal, this pizza concept is definitely on track for growth the only way it knows how: blazing fast.

2019-05-24T02:42:14Z asi-mutual-initiates-investment-in-amp-limited-asx-amp-1

ASI MUTUAL  MEDIA RELEASE ASI INITIATES INVESTMENT IN AMP LIMITED ASX:AMP AMP Limited (AMP) is an Australian wealth management company, with an expanding (slowed) international and investment management business and a growing retail banking business in Australia. It provides retail customers in Australia and New Zealand with financial advice and superannuation, retirement income and investment products. The Company's brand and financial performance has suffered badly as a result of regulatory and compliance breaches unearthed by the Australian Royal Commission into banking and financials in the country.  As Australia’s well known wealth manager, AMP Ltd, posted a near nine-fold increase in cash outflows at its wealth management unit earlier this month in the wake of damaging revelations of misconduct via the Royal Commission, sending its shares down sharply. The 170-year-old company was accused of charging fees for no service and attempting to deceive regulators at a government-mandated Royal Commission inquiry last year, which led to the loss of its chairman and chief executive. The Company has haemorrhaged billions of dollars in funds under management and is facing class-action lawsuits.  The Company noted however, that its assets under management, which includes investment performance, rose 5 percent “with positive investment markets offsetting weaker cash inflows”. Fresh blood takes hold of the reins.....At his first annual general meeting with the company, Chief Executive Francesco de Ferrari said he was focusing on restoring stability after last year’s upheaval, while chasing new growth opportunities as the Royal Commission had driven out some competitors. “This transformation for AMP is going to be a multi-year journey and it will not happen overnight,” he told the meeting. (the contrarians swan song!) Total Shareholder Return (inc div) ALL MINUS - 1yr: -42.20%   3yr: -22.70% pa   5yr: -11.94% pa Morningstar Quantitative Ratings  Valuation Rating: Undervalued Fair Value Estimate: $2.615 Fair Value Percentage Difference: 15.48% Undervalued Liquidity: High Contrarian Investing is an investment strategy that is characterised by purchasing and selling in contrast to the prevailing sentiment of the time. A contrarian believes that certain crowd behaviour among investors can lead to exploitable mispricings in securities markets. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael de Tocqueville Investment Director ASI MUTUAL Office Address 93 High Street Woodend 3442 VIC Australia Postal Address PO Box 686 Woodend 3442 VIC Australia Domestic Callers  t   03.5427.4561 f   03.5427.4672 m 0402.039.993 International Callers t   +61.3.5427.4561 f   +61.3.5427.4672 m +61.402.039.993 E    mdet@asimutual.com W   www.asimutual.com ASI MUTUAL is an Australian based private investment firm which acquires significant ownership positions in publicly-listed companies, only where medium to long-term value can be enhanced through constructive, active and engaging ownership. The Company is dedicated to active ownership investing in Australia however, investment opportunities may present themselves from other countries.  NO ADVICE   Nothing on the pages of this site shall be deemed to constitute financial, investment or other professional advice in any way and you should consult your financial adviser or other professional adviser if you require any financial or other professional advice.

2019-05-24T01:33:22Z managed-service-providers-focused-on-becoming-strategic-advisors-in-2019-1

Sydney, Australia — May 23, 2019 — Datto, Inc., the leading global provider of IT solutions delivered through managed service providers (MSPs), today announced the release of its third annual State of the MSP Report. Based on a survey of more than 1,600 MSP partners around the globe, the report showcases the continued evolution of the MSP industry, as MSPs become more strategic advisors to their clients and derive a larger portion of their revenue through recurring IT services. “The survey shows what we see every day - it's a great time to be an MSP. It’s a positively charged environment,” said Rob Rae, Vice President of Business Development, Datto. “Almost half of surveyed partners have been working in the industry for more than 15 years and nearly 100 per cent of them said that right now is the best time to be in their industry. For more than a decade, Datto has been passionate about providing the right technology to MSPs, who support the backbone of the economy through their work with small businesses.” As IT plays a growing role in the success of SMBs everywhere, IT service providers are adjusting their business model to include more managed services. The survey found that more than 80 per cent of MSPs report recurring services driving a portion of their revenue, highlighting an industry shift from IT service providers solely modelled on ad-hoc services to becoming more strategic advisors to their SMB clients. In fact, 44 per cent of respondents stated that more than 50 per cent of their revenue is a result of recurring services. “SMBs in particular struggle with increasing IT complexity, an explosion in security threats, greater compliance demands, and intensifying skills shortages. More than ever, companies are turning to trusted IT partners to help solve these challenges,” said Alastair Edwards, Chief Analyst, Canalys. “Canalys research shows that more than 80 per cent of channel partners around the world now offer some form of managed service. To stay ahead, IT service providers must evolve their businesses, shifting towards more recurring revenue and greater industry specialisation. Partnerships with the right technology companies and platform providers will be critical to success.” To better capture managed services revenue, MSPs are expanding their portfolios with services they might not traditionally think to offer on a recurring contract, such as Networking as a service. SMBs are willing to pay for managed services to keep their IT infrastructure and networks running efficiently. In addition to taking on a more strategic role and expanding their solutions sets, 56 per cent of MSPs specialise in services for a particular industry, with healthcare holding the number one spot for the second year in a row. To keep pace with the growth in managed services, 71 per cent of MSPs plan to hire more employees in the next 12 months. While marketing and sales remain the top challenges, the data shows that MSPs are becoming savvier about this aspect of their business. Security concerns also remain a top priority for MSPs and their clients. Ransomware and cybersecurity have almost doubled as a pain point, from 14 per cent in 2017 to 30 per cent in 2019. To read the findings, access the State of the MSP Report here. About Datto As the world’s leading provider of IT solutions delivered by Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Datto believes there is no limit to what small and medium businesses can achieve with the right technology. Datto offers business continuity and disaster recovery, networking, business management, and file backup and sync solutions, and has created a one-of-a-kind ecosystem of partners that provide Datto solutions to half a million businesses across more than 130 countries. Since its founding in 2007, Datto has earned hundreds of awards for its rapid growth, product excellence, superior technical support, and for fostering an outstanding workplace. With global headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut, Datto has international offices in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Australia, China, and Singapore. Learn more at datto.com.au. # # # Media contact: Rose Keating and Ricki Bui Espresso Communications Phone: +61 2 8016 2022 Email: datto@espressocomms.com.au

2019-05-24T00:46:57Z asi-initiates-investment-in-sequoia-financial-group-limited-asx-seq

 ASI MEDIA - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ASI INITIATES INVESTMENT IN SEQUOIA FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED ASX: SEQ Sequoia Financial Group Ltd (SEQ, formerly MDS Financial Group Limited) is a integrated financial services company providing products and services to self-directed retail and wholesale clients and those of third party professional service firms. SEQ's share price performance has slumped to private company market levels. Shareholder Return (inc div) 1yr: -23.86% 3yr: 4.53% pa 5yr: -14.50% pa  SEQ exhibits poor share price performance as it struggles to rearrange its business portfolio.    Morningstar Quantitative Ratings  Valuation Rating: Undervalued Fair Value Estimate: $0.372 Fair Value Percentage (Undervaluation) Difference: (38.21%) Liquidity: Medium On 28 February, Sequoia Financial Group provided its chairman's letter stating that the financial news network continued to generate greater market penetration whilst the Company's other online business developments are rising ahead of internal targets. The Company has also reduced debt by more than $5m throughout this period and increased net asset by over $3m, despite impairing several assets. The Company has also seen heightened enquiry levels from third party Australian Financial Services Licensees looking to access broker services through Morrison's Securities following the recruitment of key personnel who have increased the Company's 'bench strength' within this business.  That positive announcement by the Chairman has not yet translated into a consistent improving share price and the Company has not provided an update on expected financial performance for fy 2019. We suspect shareholders would find an update at this time, useful. SEQ also announced on 1 March 2019 - "Garry Crole will remain as Acting CEO whilst the Company undertakes an extensive search for the CEO role over the coming Quarter". By now shareholders should have received some indication, having regards to the appointment of a permanent CEO to drive the Company forward.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael de Tocqueville CEO - Investment Director AFSL 224560 Responsible Manager Advocate Strategic Investments  trading as ASI Office Address 93 High Street Woodend 3442 VIC Australia Postal Address PO Box 686 Woodend 3442 VIC Australia Domestic Callers  t   03.5427.4561 f   03.5427.4672 m 0402.039.993 International Callers t   +61.3.5427.4561 f   +61.3.5427.4672 m +61.402.039.993 E    mdet@advocatesi.com.au W   www.advocatesi.com.au About ASI ASI is an independent alternative style investment management firm which holds an Australian Financial Services Licence numbered 224560 (AFSL 224560).  ASI provides wholesale clients, sophisticated investors, superannuation funds and institutions with customised proprietary model portfolios for medium to long-term investing.  ASI also provides, an execution only, share broking service through Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s CommSec and Interactive Brokers Australia.  Disclaimer This media release should not be construed as personal financial product advice for the purposes of section 766B of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Act).   This release is intended solely for use by Wholesale and Institutional clients within the meaning of section 761G of the Act, sophisticated investors pursuant to section 708(8) of the Act, professional investors pursuant to section 708(11) of the Act, and/or otherwise persons to whom a disclosure document is not otherwise required to be given under Chapter 6D of the Act.   This release and its content is only intended to be used or viewed by persons in jurisdictions where ASI products and services may lawfully be offered. ASI is not aware of any purposes for which a recipient of this report may use the information contained within the report.   To the extent any recommendations or statements of opinion or fact made by ASI constitutes financial product advice, they constitute general advice and not personal financial advice in any form. As such, any recommendations or statements do not take into account the financial circumstances, investment objectives, tax implications, or any specific requirements of the recipient.   Recipients should not act on any recommendation issued by ASI without first consulting their investment advisor in order to ascertain whether the recommendation (if any) is appropriate, having regard to their investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs. 

2019-05-24T00:08:33Z aiia-victorian-iawards-showcase-outstanding-australian-innovation

Melbourne, Australia – 24 May 2019 -- The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the nation’s peak industry body for the technology sector, last night announced the Victorian iAwards winners for 2019. AIIA’s iAwards, now in its 26th year, is Australia’s leading awards and recognition program that brings homegrown digital innovations to the world stage. At the gala event held last night at The RACV Club Ballroom in Melbourne, awards were presented in categories comprising Business Service Markets, Public Sector & Government, Students, Research & Development, Infrastructure & Platforms, Startup and Big Data. AIIA CEO Ron Gauci said the innovation showcased by the 2019 finalists builds on the incredible success of last year’s iAwards, creating further momentum for the Australian technology sector. "AIIA would like to congratulate the winners and merit recipients of the 2019 Victorian iAwards. "For 26 years the iAwards has recognised, celebrated and elevated those at the forefront of Australian digital innovation. This year, we’re once again proud to provide a platform for, and encouragement to people in our community who dedicate their time and energy to develop technological ideas that can make a real difference at home, in the office or on a global scale. “We continue to be inspired by Australian innovators, whether they're in startups, the public sector, community services, primary school, academia, or private enterprise. The outstanding work of the 2019 finalists adds to the growing momentum in Australian innovation, which will create positive change for the community, and play an important part in shaping and growing Australia’s modern economy," he said. “Every year the number of iAwards entries grows, highlighting the remarkable innovation that exists in Victoria, and the contribution it makes to the nation’s digital economy. We continue to be amazed by the creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Victorian community.” Winners and merit recipients across all categories will go on to represent Victoria and compete at the National iAwards. National winners will be announced on 29 August 2019 at the prestigious AIIA 2019 iAwards Gala Dinner and Ceremony, held in Melbourne, which will be attended by startups, innovators, investors, business and community leaders, and federal and state politicians. The Victorian iAwards winners and merit recipients are: Undergraduate Tertiary Students: Winner – Osiris, RMIT Merit – Derivative Trading Through Legal Smart Contracts, RMIT University & Mining3 Community Service Markets: Winner – Stentrode Brain-Machine-Interface, Synchron Merit – Decision Support System for Bushfire Evacuation, CSIRO & EMV & DPC Merit – Sunny, Tigerspike & 1800RESPECT (Medibank Health Solutions) Consumer Markets: Merit – The Wiggles: Fun Time with Faces, Weyo & Two Bulls Business Service Markets: Winner – Resident Manager, Telstra Health Merit – MYOB Advisor, MYOB Merit – Social Analytics for Neighbourhoods, Neighbourlytics Public Sector & Government: Winner – Building The Connected Site and The Hive, Level Crossing Removal Project Merit – SafeScript: Real-Time Prescription Monitoring, Department of Health & Human Services Merit – MyTAC: Claims Management Mobile App and Web Portal, Dialog Information Technology Research & Development Project of the Year: Winner – ChestPhan-4D: A Dynamic Phantom to Fight Cancer, INWENTECH Merit – Decentralised Energy Management, carbonTRACK Merit – Stentrode Brain-Machine-Interface, Synchron Merit – Decision Support System for Bushfire Evacuation, CSIRO & EMV & DPC Industrial & Primary Industries of the Year: Winner – ChestPhan-4D: A Dynamic Phantom to Fight Cancer, INWENTECH Merit – Decentralised Energy Management. carbonTRACK Merit – Predictive Analytics for Water Pipe Maintenance, CSIRO's Data61, Western Water & University of Technology Sydney Infrastructure & Platforms Innovation of the Year: Winner – Building The Connected Site and The Hive, Level Crossing Removal Project Merit – SafeScript: Real-Time Prescription Monitoring, Department of Health & Human Services Merit – Decision Support System for Bushfire Evacuation, CSIRO & EMV & DPC Startup of the Year: Winner – Social Analytics for Neighbourhoods, Neighbourlytics Merit – FLAIM Trainer, FLAIM Systems Meri – SaaS Platform for IT Service Providers, glüh Automation Technologies Innovation of the Year: Winner - ChestPhan-4D: A Dynamic Phantom to Fight Cancer, INWENTECH Data Insight of the Year: Winner – GovMap, Dialog IT AIIA’s iAwards program is a critical platform demonstrating the impact that its members and the broader technology sector are driving to improve Australia’s social and economic prosperity. In the age of the ‘ideas boom’ the impact of the technology sector that AIIA represents is more crucial to Australia’s future than ever before. The 2019 iAwards is proudly supported by National iAwards Program Partner and Inspiration iAward Sponsor, The Victorian Government, National Program Sponsors auDA, The University of Queensland and NBN Co, Major PitchFest Sponsor CSIRO’s Data 61 and Platinum table sponsors Ignite SA and UTS. The 2019 Victorian iAwards Bronze table sponsors include: Deloitte, Service Now and NBN Co.

2019-05-23T05:33:44Z aiia-digital-canberra-iawards-showcase-outstanding-australian-innovation

Canberra, Australia – 22 May 2019 -- The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the nation’s peak industry body for the technology sector, last night announced the Digital Canberra iAwards winners for 2019. AIIA’s iAwards, now in its 26th year, is Australia’s leading awards and recognition program that brings homegrown digital innovations to the world stage. Awards were presented in categories comprising Business Service Markets, Public Sector & Government, Research & Development Project of the Year, Infrastructure & Platforms Project of the Year, Startup of the Year, Data Insights Innovation of the Year and the Digital CBR iAward. At a gala event held last night at The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr presented IP Australia and Agile Digital with the Digital CBR iAward for their project Smart Trade Mark. "Innovation and technology are at the heart of the ACT’s strong and growing economy. The ACT Government continues to support the important work of digital innovators as they develop new technologies to benefit the people of Canberra and the nation as a whole,” Chief Minister Barr said. AIIA CEO Ron Gauci said the innovation showcased by the 2019 finalists builds on the incredible success of last year’s iAwards, creating further momentum for the Australian technology sector. "AIIA would like to congratulate the winners and merit recipients of the 2019 Digital Canberra iAwards. "For 26 years the iAwards has recognised, celebrated and elevated those at the forefront of Australian digital innovation. This year, we’re once again proud to provide a platform for, and encouragement to people in our community who dedicate their time and energy to develop technological ideas that can make a real difference at home, in the office or on a global scale. “We continue to be inspired by Australian innovators, whether they're in startups, the public sector, community services, primary school, academia, or private enterprise. The outstanding work of the 2019 finalists adds to the growing momentum in Australian innovation, which will create positive change for the community, and play an important part in shaping and growing Australia’s modern economy," he said. Winners and merit recipients across all categories will go on to represent ACT and compete at the National iAwards. National winners will be announced on 29 August 2019 at the prestigious AIIA 2019 iAwardsGala Dinner and Awards Ceremony, held in Melbourne, which will be attended by startups, innovators, investors, business and community leaders, and federal and state politicians. The Digital Canberra iAwards winners and merit recipients are: Digital CBR iAward: Smart Trade Mark, IP Australia & Agile Digital Consumer Markets: Merit - Send and Shred: Shred and Recycle, GGJC Business Service Markets: Winner - OK RDY Mentorship Matching Platform, OK RDY Merit - The Digital Marketplace, The Digital Transformation Agency Public Sector & Government: Winner - Smart Trade Mark, IP Australia & Agile Digital Merit - vResponder, The Citadel Group Merit - Digital Identity, The Digital Transformation Agency Research & Development Project of the Year: Merit - Mashblox App, Mashblox & Super App Bros Infrastructure & Platforms Innovation of the Year: Winner - Smart Trade Mark, IP Australia & Agile Digital Merit - vResponder, The Citadel Group Merit - Digital Identity, The Digital Transformation Agency Startup of the Year: Winner - OK RDY Mentorship Matching Platform, OK RDY Merit - Rev: Perform Better, PentaQuest Data Insights Innovation of the Year: Merit - HUSKI, DiscoverQuick Automation Technologies Innovation of the Year Winner - OK RDY Mentorship Matching Platform, OK RDY AIIA’s iAwards program is a critical platform demonstrating the impact that its members and the broader technology sector are driving to improve Australia’s social and economic prosperity. In the age of the ‘ideas boom’ the impact of the technology sector that AIIA represents is more crucial to Australia’s future than ever before. The 2019 iAwards is proudly supported by National iAwards Program Partner and Inspiration iAward Sponsor, The Victorian Government, National Program Sponsors AuDA, The University of Queensland and NBN Co, Major PitchFest Sponsor CSIRO’s Data 61 and Platinum table sponsors Ignite SA and UTS. The 2019 Digital Canberra iAwards and the Digital CBR iAward for excellence in public sector innovation is supported by state sponsor, ACT Government. Bronze table sponsors include Agile Digital, Citadel Group, ACIC, Cisco, Sliced Tech, CDC Data Centres, Pegasystems, AustCyber Canberra Innovation Node, Oracle, AU CLOUD, IP Australia, DTA, DHS, NBN Co and Telstra. -ENDS- About the AIIA’s iAwards AIIA’s iAwards honours both companies at the cutting edge of technology innovation as well as leading professionals across the Digital Economy. Most importantly, the iAwards recognises the achievements of home-grown Australian innovators. http://www.iawards.com.au/ Join the conversation AIIA’s iAwards get people talking about Digital Innovation. Take advantage of the buzz by joining the conversation on Twitter with #iAwards, liking iAwards on Facebook and staying in touch with LinkedIn. About the AIIA The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) is Australia’s peak representative body and advocacy group for those in the digital ecosystem. Since 1978, AIIA has pursued activities to stimulate and grow the digital ecosystem, to create a favourable business environment for members and to contribute to Australia’s economic prosperity. AIIA does this by delivering outstanding member value by providing a strong voice of influence; building a sense of community through events and education; enabling a network for collaboration and inspiration; and developing compelling content and relevant and interesting information. Media Contact Jeffrey Coote Tel: (02) 8188 3616 jeffrey@filteredmedia.com.au

2019-05-23T05:08:23Z is-your-sales-data-visually-boring

Today’s business managers are dealing with an overload of data. How do they cope with all those stats and figures? Data needs to tell a story. Like any story, you need to engage the reader. It’s hard to engage a manager by showing them a page of facts and figures. If you could visualise the story you are telling, the manager will be far more engaged. The reality is that unless your sales data is visually engaging, it won’t be retained. Do you know why? 65% of us are visual learners, or spatial learners, and unsurprisingly they best learn and remember content, facts and figures through visual communication. That could mean that 65% of you are losing focus of what I have to say so I’ll keep it brief. Present your data in nice pretty visuals. How do you do that? The good news for WordPress Developers and website builders is that the GFChart Plugin for Gravity  Forms makes the whole process easy. The GFChart Plugin is easy to install and turns captured data, simple or complex, into easy to interpret visuals that anyone can understand and action. If you’re not already turning your data into engaging visual, and you are using Gravity Forms on your WordPress website, go to www.GFChart.com to install a plugin to produce visually appealing sales reports, surveys, booking forms, and much more.

2019-05-22T14:33:36Z australia-is-losing-momentum-in-the-digital-economy-says-new-report

Thursday 23rd May 2019, Sydney, Australia: A new global report released today by Verint Systems has revealed that Australia is losing momentum in the digital economy. The findings are in stark contrast to Australia’s regional neighbours, including Singapore and Hong Kong, who are leading the way in digital transformation.   The Australian edition of the global study, CX State of Play in Australia, carried out in partnership with Opinium Research LLC report, found that Australians as consumers are still quick to refer to a human over digital channels; and are slower than their Singaporean and Hong Kong counterparts when it comes to digital adoption in the workplace. Looking at the channels customers prefer to use, the demand to engage with humans is still strong (almost 60 per cent of customers like to speak to someone on the phone or in person). This trend continues into the future, with 58 per cent of people saying they will prefer to speak to a person in 5 – 10 years’ time; showing that human engagement remains key for important interactions that can impact a long-term relationship. Additionally, uptake in other digital customer service channels, has generally been slow (13 per cent use email/SMS; 6 per cent use a mobile app; 5 per cent use web self-serve); showing that while Australian customers may be open to digital communication, human to human contact is what they desire the most. In contrast, Australia’s closest neighbours are much more likely to embrace digital communication channels (17 per cent use a mobile app in Singapore; 14 per cent in Hong Kong).   The report also shows a slower than global and APAC uptake on digital adoption in the workplace (34 per cent in Australia acknowledged AI, algorithms and other automation technology help them do their job more effectively, compared to 54 per cent in Singapore and 52 per cent in Hong Kong. However, it is not all bad news, with many Australians looking forward to more digital advancements in the future, both as consumers and in the workplace. For example, 60 per cent of respondents said technology helps provide them with more information, knowledge and support to perform their jobs more effectively.   Michael Stelzer, Vice President, Australia & New Zealand at Verint Systems warns Australian companies not to lose sight of the gains Australia has made in the digital economy and urges them to keep up with the pace of innovation and digital transformation taking place in the rest of the region.   “The research shows that while Australian businesses are investing in innovation and technology, there appears to be a lag with our closet neighbours. To compete on the world stage, Australia must reembrace a digital culture, and engage in genuine dialogue with their customers and employees along the digital journey.  “Equally, Australian businesses must get the balance between technology and human touch right. Digital tools such as AI, chatbots, and robots are vital for the low involvement tasks, but they cannot replace those tasks that require emotional intelligence. That’s where the human touch can add real value. This is valued highly in Australia and it should not be ignored,” said Michael.  In the Australian workforce, only 25 per cent said they have experienced technology replacing manual tasks in the workplace. Yet many more (66 per cent) are willing to try new technology and ways of working in order to be more efficient or productive.  “The message is clear – the fear around technology at work is subsiding. There is an increased understanding that automation technology can free up people to do more interesting and fulfilling work. Businesses who can engage with their workforce in genuine dialogue about the use of technology and ensure their employees feel valued for their contributions will ultimately succeed,” concluded Michael. ~ENDS

2019-05-21T23:50:18Z cvent-unveils-2019-list-of-top-50-meeting-hotels-in-apac

Cvent, a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, today unveiled the results of its annual Top 50 Meeting Hotels in Asia Pacific (APAC). Hyatt Regency Sydney took the number one spot for the second year in a row. Australia properties made up more than 25 per cent of the top rankings with 13 hotels listed in the top 50. The list is compiled by analysing meeting and event booking activity through the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN), one of the world’s largest venue sourcing platforms. More than USD $16 billion and more than 42 million room nights were sourced through the CSN in 2018. Cvent’s Top Meeting Hotels lists rank venues based on group business performance according to criteria including total requests for proposals (RFPs) and conversion rate. The Hyatt Regency Sydney outranked top hotels from Singapore, Seoul and Hong Kong to secure the number one spot. “We’re thrilled to be recognised as the number one meeting hotel in Asia Pacific for the second year in a row,” said Malcolm Zancanaro, General Manager at Hyatt Regency Sydney. “In the last 12 months we’ve had the opportunity to welcome thousands of guests to our property for events both large and small, so this accolade is really a testament to our associates and their passion to deliver exceptional meetings every day.” Hotels in Sydney and Melbourne continue to demonstrate their market-leading efforts with InterContinental Sydney (ranked 6th), Hilton Sydney (ranked 12th) and Crown Melbourne (ranked 18th) all moving up in their respective positions on this year’s list. Chela Evans, Director of Sales, Cvent Australia said the results illustrate the key role Australian hotels play in attracting business events and supporting tourism growth in the region. “It is exciting to see an increased Australian presence in this year’s Top 50 Meeting Hotels in Asia Pacific. Meetings mean business, and the hotels featured on this year’s list are attracting top conferences and events to their venues by enhancing their group marketing efforts and expanding their offerings. After just two years in Melbourne, it’s been an honour collaborating with our hotel partners here in Australia to help them grow their group business and elevate their positioning within the global meetings and events marketplace.” Asia Pacific List Highlights Hyatt Regency Sydney retained its number one position as the Top Meeting Hotel in APAC for the second year in a row InterContinental Sydney ranked 6th moving up four places and Hilton Sydney ranked 12th moving up one place compared to 2018 Two Australian hotels are new to the Top 50: Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour (ranked 20th) Sofitel Sydney Wentworth (ranked 37th) There are 17 new APAC properties in the Top 50 list including: Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, Millennium Seoul Hilton, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, PARKROYAL Darling Harbour Sydney, Resorts World Sentosa Singapore, and Grand Hyatt Tokyo among others. Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott are the top three hotel chains represented on the Top 50 list. Top 10 Hotels in APAC: 2019 Rank Hotel Name 1 Hyatt Regency Sydney 2 Grand Hyatt Singapore 3 Grand Hyatt Seoul 4 Grand Hyatt Hong Kong 5 Pan Pacific Singapore 6 InterContinental Sydney 7 Hilton Tokyo 8 Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore 9 ANA InterContinental Tokyo 10 Marina Bay Sands Singapore Top Hotels in Australia (Within Top 50 Hotel Properties in APAC): Final Rank (2019) Hotel Name City 1 Hyatt Regency Sydney Sydney 6 InterContinental Sydney Sydney 12 Hilton Sydney Sydney 18 Crown Melbourne Melbourne 19 Four Seasons Hotel Sydney Sydney 20 Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour Sydney 21 PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney Sydney 25 Shangri-la Hotel, Sydney Sydney 30 The Westin Sydney Sydney 32 Pullman Melbourne On The Park Melbourne 33 Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park Sydney 37 Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Sydney 38 Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay Sydney Top Australian Hotels Outside of Sydney and Melbourne (Within All Top Hotels in APAC): Final Rank (2019) Hotel Name City 62 Crown Perth Perth 79 Hilton Brisbane Brisbane 106 Hilton Adelaide Adelaide 119 Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach Gold Coast 179 Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley Hunter Valley View the full 2019 list of Top 50 Meeting Hotels in APAC. -Ends- For media enquiries, please contact: Debbie Bradley, Group Account Director, Zadro +61 420 761 189 debbie@zadroagency.com.au Interviews with Chela Evans, Director of Sales, Cvent Australia are welcomed upon request. Notes to Editors: Cvent evaluated hotel properties that generated business through the Cvent Supplier Network from January 2018 through December 2018. The properties were ranked according to various criteria, including total requests for proposals (RFPs), awarded RFPs, total room nights, awarded room nights, major metropolitan area (MMA) market share, conversion rate, and the hotel's unique profile visits in the Cvent Supplier Network. The criteria are designed to provide the most accurate reflection of the top meeting hotels in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific regions. About the Cvent Supplier Network Featuring more than 260,000 hotels, resorts and special event venues, the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN) is one of the world's largest and most accurate databases of detailed venue information. Cvent sourced more than USD $16 billion in meetings and events through its marketplace and more than 42 million room nights in 2018. The CSN contains listings of hotels and other venues in more than 175 countries that can be searched and filtered based on approximately 200 meetings and events attributes. The CSN is part of the Cvent Hospitality Cloud, which partners with hotels and venues to help them drive group and corporate travel business. To find venues, request quotes, and book event space on the Cvent Supplier Network, visit www.cvent.com/venues. About Cvent Cvent is a leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with more than 4,000 employees, 25,000 customers, and 300,000 users worldwide. The Cvent Event Cloud offers software solutions to event planners and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event management and marketing, onsite solutions, and attendee engagement. Cvent’s suite of products automate and simplify the planning process to maximise the impact of events. The Cvent Hospitality Cloud partners with hotels and venues to help them drive event and corporate travel business. Hotels use the Cvent Hospitality Cloud’s digital marketing tools and software solutions to win business through Cvent’s sourcing platforms and to service their customers directly, efficiently and profitably – helping them grow and own their business. Cvent solutions optimise the entire event management value chain and have enabled clients around the world to manage hundreds of thousands of meetings and events. For more information, please visit Cvent.com/au, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

2019-05-21T22:59:59Z fly-into-success-with-flyer-distribution

Put your brand promotion directly into customer’s hands! The flyer distribution method of promotional marketing is one of the simplest, cheapest and most effective ways of reaching your target audience. Add this method to the list for your next business campaign as an additional means of communicating your brand message, and a new physical touch point between your brand and potential future customers. When factoring flyer distribution into your promotional campaign, it’s essential to make smart choices in the When, Where and Who areas. It is still important in a campaign like this to identify your target audience, as that will lead you to the Where and When stages. Identify your target market, and use information found through geographic and behavioural segmentation to detect whereabouts your target market will likely be, and when. For example, if your target market includes young businessmen living in Sydney, you may consider distributing flyers at peak hour, inside a busy train station in Sydney’s CBD. Flyer distributors can hand flyers to workers to read as they walk from the station to work, or they may keep it in their bag to read when on the train in the afternoon and keep stuck on their fridge at home. Using a physical advertisement like this that can be held onto, and not forgotten quite as quickly, is a huge bonus. A few flyer tips: -- Use one side of the flyer to draw attention. Use bold colours and styles that reflect your brand and capture the eye enough tencourage the user to keep the flyer in hand, and not in the garbage bin. Once they’re holding it and considering action, the objective is half-reached.   -- Use the other side of the flyer to share information. Keep it relevant and concise, yet informative enough to give the full picture  -- Include incentives. For example, a flyer may include a coupon for 50% off the first purchase. This encourages the user to keep the flyer with them in the chance they could make use of the good value. If the coupon code is exclusive to this set of flyers, it can be used to measure effectiveness of the campaign, in detecting the number of times the code has been translated into a sale. -- The flyer might only be the start of it! In more relaxed, less-busy circumstances, the flyer handover might spark a conversation, which could lead into the sharing of contact information such as an email and/or phone number to receive extra benefits or coupons, and more customer information for your database. -- The distributor should be friendly and approachable, as well as confident in approaching by-passers.  For flyer distribution staffing quotes and information call AMS Promotions on 1300 368 969 or email info@amspromotions.com.au

2019-05-21T02:49:31Z writing-workshop-promises-measurable-improvement-in-only-four-hours

Everyone in business writes, but is your writing producing the results you want? Do you struggle to get words on a page? We can all be better writers. In today’s highly competitive business environment, improving your writing skills could be just the edge you need.  Why? Sarah Mitchell, founder of Typeset and Global Copywriting, says writing is a skill every business person needs to have.  "Modern readers demand quality writing; they won’t stick around your website or finish your newsletter otherwise. If you're writing long-form content like reports, white papers and case studies, it's even more important to keep your readers engaged."  In addition, Mitchell says consumers demand more than good writing skills.  "You need to tell the right stories, and you need to tell them with skill and confidence. "The good news is it's not as hard as you might think," Mitchell says. Some of the benefits to better writing skills include:  Reduced costs of outsourcing writing projects to agencies and freelance copywriters Ability to tell better brand stories Becoming more efficient and spend less time writing Impress Google and get better organic search rankings Producing better quality, more readable content. Typeset offers discounted pricing for members of Engineers Australia and anyone working in a not-for-profit organisation. The writing workshop is open to the public but can also be conducted for groups and internal training and professional development.  Typeset’s Writing Workshop is for people who write every day but want to become more effective in all their written communications. For more information about this writing masterclass including frequently asked questions, visit the Typeset website here: https://typesetcontent.com/services/professional-development/writing-workshop/.  You can register online at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/masterclass-how-to-improve-your-writing-in-less-than-four-hours-perth-registration-60858790280

2019-05-21T01:00:11Z today-australia-tomorrow-the-world-8squad-targets-global-growth

MELBOURNE, May 21. Dedicated Salesforce consultancy Clouding Around has been acquired by a group of investors and re-launched as 8Squad, whose new Chief Executive Officer, Frank Cuiuli, today announced the company’s global ambitions. Clouding Around, based in Melbourne, was founded in 2012 by two friends, Michael Miller and Brett Gibson, and built up to a staff of 20. Frank Cuiuli co-founded customer engagement company Velteo, which was sold to the international consultancy Bluewolf in 2012. He managed Bluewolf and led steady growth in Australia before the company was sold to IBM. Since then he has pursued a passion in health and wellness, and built a specialist rehabilitation business. “8Squad has employed me as CEO to build and scale the business,” said Frank Cuiuli. “Like most successful small businesses, Clouding Around hit a certain size that required additional investment to continue its growth and expansion plans. Many businesses fail at this point but their team opted to sell, to drive expansion. Staff will keep active positions in the business and founders will maintain a shareholding.” Cuiuli added: “8Squad is an Australian business with international aspirations. Our business model will be a differentiator and demonstrate there is a better way to scale a business while taking care of its employees’ interest.” Now 8Squad is focused on expanding the team capable of becoming the top Tier 2 Salesforce consultancy in the Australian market. Initial plans are to expand the business into Sydney and Queensland, before tackling the international market. In conjunction with investing in the Salesforce relationship, 8squad has also signed a partnership agreement with Jitterbit a global leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for EiPaaS and API solutions. About 8Squad 8squad is a boutique salesforce consultancy, focused on digital technology transformation that delivers improved customer and employee experiences for its clients. About Salesforce Salesforce, the global CRM leader, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: http://www.salesforce.com . About Jitterbit Jitterbit, the API transformation company, makes it quicker and easier for businesses to exploit data from any source, empowering them to rapidly innovate and make faster, more effective decisions. The Jitterbit API integration platform enables companies to quickly connect SaaS, on-premises, and cloud applications and instantly infuse intelligence into any business process. To learn more, visit www.jitterbit.com and follow @Jitterbiton Twitter. Contact David Frost, PR Deadlines, for 8Squad davidf@prdeadlines.com.au +61.2.7903 9567