Karen Stuart

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Unified messaging provider mBox has closed down its free consumer services, planning to charge users $20 per year to continue using its basic services. mBox previously provided a Web-based e-mail and voicemail service free of charge, supported by an advertising model, with potential upgrade to premium (paid) services. Users who do not wish […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Melbourne IT has made a submission to domain name administrator auDA, urging it to remove restrictions on .com.au domain names which forbid registration of generic names and require names to be derived from business names. Melbourne IT, which itself has representatives on the auDA board, said that the rules were “not representing the […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Victoria-based Jinx net intends to offer free broadband Internet access over Cable & Wireless Optus’ HFC network. “We aim to be the first company to offer this service in Australia. This is the service for which others are charging upwards of $60 per month,” the company claims on it’s Web site. The offering […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] ASX-listed sex retailer AdultShop.com has launched its U.S. Web site, www.adultshop.com, for online trading yesterday. According to a statement to the stock exchange today, the initial response has been very encouraging and product orders have already been placed. The U.S. Web site offers local supply and fulfilment through an agreement with Internet Fulfilment, […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] A deal that would have formed the second largest broadband company outside the U.S. has collapsed, leaving the Australian market more uncertain than ever. The merger between chello and Excite@Home, announced in July this year, was terminated by UnitedGlobalCom which cited “market conditions” and asked Excite to consider alternative transactions. Excite@Home decided that […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Those of us who thought interactive TV would provide yet another means of procrastination and sloth are in for an unpleasant surprise, with iTV pioneer ICE Interactive announcing that four Australian education and training providers have joined its pilot in the NSW town of Orange. St. John Ambulance Australia, University of Sydney (Faculty […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] In an open briefing to the ASX, Melbourne IT has refuted its critics, claiming diversified business activities will rescue the company from a slump in the registration market. CEO Adrian Kloeden told analyst CorporateFile.com that although it depended on its registrar business unit for 72 percent of revenue and 96 percent of earnings […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] ecorp, PBL’s online wing and the U.S. Charles Schwab Corporation have launched a 50:50 owned joint venture offering financial products and services via the Web, telephone, local branches and shopfronts. Charles Schwab Australia will market investor products such as an equities and derivatives trading service; a Web site offering research content, portfolio management […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Telstra and the Australia Post have signed a series of three-year contracts for outlining business service swaps between the two companies. The Australia Post will provide mail, bill payment and distribution services to Telstra while Telstra will supply the Australia Post with telecommunications services. The size of the deal was not announced, although […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] The board of directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has finally announced its picks for new top level domains (TLDs). The final selection includes seven new domains, of which one TLD, ‘.biz’ was proposed by Melbourne IT, which teamed up with NeuStar as JVTeam in its bid to […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] The .au Domain Administration (AuDA) has released it’s public consultation report, advising that the current rule of one domain name per entity be scrapped. The rule, which has lead to many companies registering bogus business names in order to gain branding for products or subsidiaries, will be removed if auDA has its way, […]

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Western Australian telco Cable and Telecoms (CaT) has formed a joint venture alliance with U.K.-based Yes Television to launch Yes TV’s video on demand and iTV products in Australia and New Zealand. The joint venture will be operated through an Australian company to be named Total Television Australia, owned 80 percent by CaT […]