Paul Montgomery

Australian Web production firm Spike Networks is considering closing its share offering early after 1,800 applications in its first week. Spike, which will list on the Australian Stock Exchange, said its directors had asked underwriter Salomon Smith Barney and brokers Hartley Poynton, Ord Minnett and E*Trade Australia to consider closing the offering as early as […]

Online music retailer Chaos Music Market has received separate second round capital injections totalling AUS$3.1 million (US$2 million) in the past week from Australian investors. Following Perth-based FTR Holdings’ investment of AUS$1.3 million (US$850,000) last week, an injection of the same amount has been made by a consortium made up of Australian companies SEL, Allco […]

In the latest of a series of moves by the Australian telecommunications carrier, Telstra has chosen four networking vendors to upgrade different parts of Australia’s Internet and telephony infrastructure, in a project called Data Mode of Operation (DMO), at a cost running up to billions of dollars. Telstra chose Nortel Networks and Lucent as the […]

E-commerce start-ups in the Australian finance industry continue to knock on the doors of established banks for support in garnering customers, with the latest deal between online loan provider LoanNET and both Citibank and Westpac. Customers of Citibank, Westpac, or Westpac’s subsidiary providers Challenge Bank and Bank of Melbourne who apply for a mortgage with […]

The most eagerly awaited float of an Australian Internet company, the IPO of ecorp, Tuesday ended on a mixed note after its first day of trading on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). ecorp listed on the ASX at AUS$1.90 per share, with an issue price of AUS$1.20, before falling to AUS$1.75 at the close. The […]

Cable & Wireless Optus and Excite@Home Thursday announced the two companies will partner to deliver high speed Internet services to Australian consumers using Optus’ pay TV broadband cable network. The joint venture firm, dubbed @Home Network Australia, will use the hybrid fibre coaxial cable (HFC) network which passes through 2.2 million Australian homes. Marketing itself […]

As the Australian Stock Exchange hosted yet another IPO Monday of an Internet-related business, the gloss on Web stocks is starting to look decidedly less shiny. A Queensland-based satellite tracking service called GPS Online.com opened at AUS$0.40, peaked at 62 cents and dropped back down to 50 cents at the close — only a 20 […]

The Australian government’s plans to block access to R-rated Internet content are progressing, with the controversial bill passing through the Senate Wednesday. The legislation is expected to pass through the House of Representatives as early as Monday. The Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Bill 1999 was hanging in the balance of Independent Senator Mal Colston […]

The Australian government confirmed Baltimore Technologies’ first-mover advantage in the race to win government contracts to build a public key infrastructure for public sector transactions by awarding it the first official accreditation for its digital certificates. Certificates Australia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Baltimore, was named as the first Certification Authority (CA) to be compliant with […]

The Australian Internet industry was warned in the Federal Senate that it is “on trial” for its behaviour in opposing a bill that would restrict access to Internet content. The Senator issuing the warning was Brian Harradine, an independent from Tasmania who holds the balance of power in the upper house and intends to vote […]

The Australian state of Victoria is expected to release legislation this week that would regulate Internet gambling operations and place a 50 percent tax on their profits. This tax ratio would bring it into line with similar regulation regimes in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, but leave it behind the Northern Territory, which is […]

Two of the more prominent Internet companies in Australia, Spike and travel.com.au, are completing preparations for what promise to be exuberant initial public offerings (IPOs). Online travel services provider travel.com.au will lead off a spate of IPOs on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) next week with an offering worth AUS$23.5 million (US$15.6 million) which has […]