Gershon ahead of schedule

Reforms to Australian federal government ICT usage under the Gershon review are ahead of schedule, according to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner, reports ARN.

Commissioned by the federal government and penned by Sir Peter Gershon, the Gershon report was released late last year and was critical of the government's management of ICT spending.

Seven key recommendations were made including better interaction between government and the industry, improved management of the skills base, and ensuring sustainable ICT operations.

An innovative programme matching ICT entrepreneurs with potential investors has drawn to a close, reports nebusiness.

The six-week programme from Sunderland Software City takes entrepreneurs on a fast-track journey covering areas of business formation, leadership, intellectual property, market research, business planning and finance.

Finance Tree worked with the team at Sunderland Software City to both devise and deliver the programme for 20 software and ICT entrepreneurs which ends with a practice pitch to professionals and potential investors.

The Australian government's National Broadband Network (NBN) stole the lion's share of the federal government's IT budget, delivered in Canberra by Treasurer Wayne Swan, reports Computerworld.

The government committed its initial AU$4.7 billion (R30.2 billion) into the AU$43 billion (R276.3 billion) NBN to roll out fibre-to-the-home to 90% of premises.

The National Broadband Company will foot some AU$23 billion (R147.7 billion) of the bill, and call for private investment to cover the remaining AU$20 billion (R128 billion) over eight years.