Drew Turney

LENGTHY download times are the bane of Internet users throughout Australia.

TECHNOLOGICAL innovation isn't usually within the government's realm of responsibility, and a unique system with mass commercial potential isn't often found in our part of the world.

HAVE you ever looked at a satellite picture of Australia and wished you could zoom in on your house? Well, with a unique new Perth technology on the streets, you can.

SINCE the microchip revolution of the 1970s and early 80s, computer, information technology and network specialists the world over have looked to San Francisco's Silicon Valley.

ONE of the fastest growing areas in software sales over the past two years has been in the personal and small business accounting market.

A WEST Perth-based software company has wowed the critics for the second time to take out Austrade's Information Industry Exporter of the Year Award for WA.

A LOCAL mineral geology consultancy is making a splash among some of the biggest names in mineral exploration – including BHP and Rio Tinto.

ONE of the most important players in the R&D field in any industry is the government. When times are good, we look to governments to set competition or deregulation policies, provide a good investment climate and avenues for export.

IN research and development, necessity is truly the mother of invention. It isn't enough to have a great or cool idea. Customers won't part with their money just because you have something new.

DESPITE our reputation as a mining State, there is an abundance of creative talent in IT in universities, business parks and backyard sheds.

SOCIOLOGISTS fear the current offering of Internet courses may be failing to target an important market and may inadvertently lead to an increase in the digital divide.

THE dot.com revolution will go down in history as having lost as many fortunes as it made.

TWO local companies have made recent breakthroughs in the provision and development of technology.

WESTERN Australians are among the top users of Internet banking in the nation, according to a recent report by the Market Intelligence Strategy Centre.

BY now we've all heard about the bidding war that took place over Cable & Wireless Optus between Singtel and Vodafone.

THE future of data traffic is in sight. It's cheaper, faster and – depending on how much noise its proponents are prepared to make about it – destined to be a big part of Internet traffic handling.