Paul Montgomery

Australian certificate authority eSign has detailed bold plans to secure wireless e-commerce transactions using custom-built parts of a public key infrastructure (PKI). Using software from VeriSign, the company said it would build what it called “wireless trust” applications with digital certificates, digital signatures and a cut-down version of the Secure Sockets Layer protocol. eSign is […]

Hewlett-Packard has signed an alliance with Australian Internet company ISIS Communications to provide content and other work to build on HP’s e-services vision. The first three effects of the alliance will be that ISIS will be added to the list of “preferred solutions partners” for HP e-services; it will sell and implement the e-commerce and […]

Speculation surrounding the online strategy of newspaper publisher John Fairfax Ltd has come to a head with a front-page story in one of its own publications stating that it was about to enter a deal with Telstra. The Australian Financial Review story included claims that Fairfax was negotiating to buy Pacific Access, a wholly owned […]

Hong Kong advertising agency Space Media has set up an Australian office and has debuted with 30 sites already in its local portfolio. Space Media Australia has signed up the TWI network of sports sites and will also represent FreeISP, one of the handful of the companies which is testing the advertising-based free Internet business […]

The Seven Network has extended its content relationship with fellow television channel producer NBC by signing a deal to share and co-develop Internet content. The agreement will by carried out via the two companies’ online subsidiaries, i7 and NBCi respectively. i7 will gain access to content from NBC’s existing sites, Snap and Xoom.com, and the […]

St George Bank has continued the trend of Australian banks investing in Internet stock trading companies, this week striking an equity deal with Bourse Data, a provider of online financial information. St George will pour AUS$10.01 million (US$6.59 million) into Bourse Data by taking a 13.2 per cent stake. The bank will also have options […]

Pushing down the road to full governmental electronic delivery, the Australian government is about to set down the specifications for digital signatures which will be given to every business in Australia. The government said in a statement that it intends to “develop a digital signature process for use by Australian businesses in dealing with public […]

Melbourne IT and its domain name registry subsidiary Internet Names Worldwide (INWW) has cut ties with the registering service for the Australian country domain space operated by Telstra. Calling the involvement a “significant risk factor”, INWW issued a statement on Christmas Eve to ISPs and other domain name buyers in the com.au and other domains […]

The much-anticipated “shake-out” of the 700-strong ISP industry in Australia has not materialised, but several Asian providers are engaging in acquisitions of mid-tier Australian ISPs. Pacific Internet is the latest to engage in the practice of growth by acquisition. It has bought Zeta Internet, based in Sydney, and Hub Communications of Brisbane. Zeta’s history stretches […]

Telecommunications carrier Telstra has strengthened its relationship with financial software developer Computershare, the latest in a series of investments in Australian Net companies. Telstra has exercised on option from an agreement signed in June to increase its shareholding in Computershare from five to 15 per cent. “In exercising these options, we are emphasising our confidence […]

Analyst firm Roy Morgan Research has joined the sudden wave of metrics firms trying to elbow their way to become the most credible source for information about the Australian Internet-using public. The company has released the first results of its Internet Monitor service, including an estimate of the Australian Net-using population, and a listing of […]

Online music retailer ChaosMusic has continued the good run of Australian Internet stocks by closing its share offering early due to high demand. Chaos closed its offering on December 1 and will set its listing price at AUS$1.40 for its float later this month, valuing the company at AUS$39.1 million (US$25 million). The company said […]