Pools application and data silos for a department-wide view.
Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing is on a mission to consolidate a range of applications and data silos that have sprouted from various business units over the past decade...

Proposal could cut 300 ICT jobs.
The Department of Defence is set to approve a new shared services proposal that could see it cut 1000 jobs, including 300 in ICT.
According to Defence CIO Greg Farr, the proposal is likely to be endorsed by Defence brass in the coming month...

Reported to be leap year issue.
The Health Industry Claims and Payments Service (HICAPS) has suffered an undisclosed software issue that is preventing it from processing Medicare transactions and private health fund claims.

The NAB-owned system is used by about 28,000 health service providers such as dentists and specialist practitioners nationally to process claims by health fund members on the spot, as well as Medicare and EFTPOS transactions...

Bank cards break down overnight.
The Commonwealth Bank has resolved a “processing issue” that prevented its customers from withdrawing cash overnight.
Between about 11pm yesterday and 8.30am today, affected bank accounts appeared empty, so account holders could not withdraw money from EFTPOS, Commonwealth Bank ATMs, and ATMs on other bank networks...

But can they be trusted?
Facebook has revealed it could team up with mobile operators on payments, in an offer that would give them back part of the revenue and influence they have lost in recent years to Apple and Google .

Speaking for the first time at Mobile World Congress, the industry's biggest gathering, Facebook said operators could help it make money from its hundreds of millions of mobile users buying games or music on the social network...

Why Sinofsky is firming as Ballmer's successor.
For Steven Sinofsky, the stern but creative engineering manager who runs Microsoft's flagship Windows division, February 29 is showtime.

On that day, in Barcelona, Sinofsky will preside over the public test release of the Windows 8 operating system, the most important new version of Microsoft's cornerstone product in a decade...

Commissions data mining technology from NICTA.

iTnews editor Brett Winterford kicks off the first of the Executive Summit series...

Nationwide test starts in Japan.
Facebook has embarked on a nationwide test of a new disaster message board for users across Japan.

The social networking giant introduced the feature in a message at the top of user profiles this afternoon...

Sizes up Android platform for enterprise.
SAP has unveiled a prototype software feature that integrates Google Docs with its cloud-based ByDesign enterprise resource planning suite.

The prototype, shown in a video on YouTube, is one of the first fruits of its alliance with Google that was formed late last year...

HTML5-based smartphone platform.
An industry alliance including the top wireless chipset provider Qualcomm will step up competition in the smartphone software market on Monday, with a new Internet-based free technology for cheaper smartphones...

Previously unpublicised flaw in webkit.
Cybersecurity experts have uncovered a flaw in a component of the operating system of Google's widely used Android smartphone that they say hackers can exploit to gain control of the devices.

Researchers at startup cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said they have figured out how to use that bug to launch attacks and take control of some Android devices...

Almost half of Queensland employees to gain access.
Arrow Energy has started the roll-in of Shell's global SAP enterprise resource planning template to 420 workers across its Queensland operations.

The company, responsible for a multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the state, is 50 percent-owned by Royal Dutch Shell...

App Store and iTunes revamp in pipeline.
Apple has reportedly bought Chomp, a search engine that helps users find other apps on Android Market and Apple’s App Store.

Apple will likely use the app search company’s technology to revamp the App Store, according to TechCrunch, which first reported the buy...

Device and operating system independent apps.
Mozilla has announced it will open an Apps marketplace later this year that supports any device and operating system.

The idea is for developers to be able to build one app that runs on any device so long as it is HTML5-enabled...

All apps to show how they handle user information.
Amazon, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Research in Motion have agreed to implement privacy policies for all apps in their ecosystems.

The new “global agreement” announced by California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris will see the companies begin to lead the implementation of privacy policies for hundreds of thousands of mobile apps, which for the most part have flown without any policy that states how information will be used...

Regulators pile-up on Google privacy policy.
Thirty-six US state Attorney Generals have written to Google CEO Larry Page raising concerns over the search giant’s upcoming privacy policy update and its impact on fraud and security.

The latest complaint comes as the search giant prepares to launch its new privacy policy on March 1, allowing it to internally share information about signed-in account holders across multiple services - for example, Gmail and YouTube...

Regulators pile-up on Google privacy policy.
Thirty-six US state Attorneys General have written to Google CEO Larry Page raising concerns over the search giant’s upcoming privacy policy update and its impact on fraud and security.

The latest complaint comes as the search giant prepares to launch its new privacy policy on March 1, allowing it to internally share information about signed-in account holders across multiple services - for example, Gmail and YouTube...

Wants intervention in FRAND dispute.
Microsoft has asked antitrust regulators in Europe to intervene in a patent dispute with Google and Motorola Mobility Holdings as it stepped up its battle against the rival search giant.

Microsoft complained that Motorola Mobility was charging it too much to use patents in the Windows and Xbox maker's products...

Hopes to host smaller agencies for $30 per user.
Queensland-based Emantra has invested in data centre space in Hume, Canberra, amid speculation the Federal Government will establish a panel of cloud suppliers this year.

Although the Government last year consulted with the industry on Data Centre as a Service (DCaaS), it has yet to commit to establishing a panel of suppliers...

Google Earth integration mulled.
Insurance provider NRMA is considering integrating Google Earth with the business intelligence tool claims staff used to pre-empt claims and proactively approach policy holders during the Cyclone Yasi event last year...