Simon Crowther

All over the globe, governments recognize the AI arms race is on. Specifically there's a growing conversation about the long term economic and security importance of developing "sovereign artificial intelligence (AI)". In Australia there is a lag in AI research and development. Here's a thought-provoking question: Should Australia invest taxpayer dollars into solar panel manufacturing, or should we focus on cultivating an industry capable of powering the manufacturing of intelligence for the 4th Industrial Revolution? A report from the CSIRO highlights that Australia is behind in creating foundational AI models, such as those used by OpenAI's ChatGPT, with the majority being developed overseas. This gap could affect Australia's ability to use AI to boost productivity and strengthen the economy. Professor Anton van den Hengel from the University of Adelaide points out that AI could significantly enhance efficiency in industries, a process that could span the next two decades. He emphasizes the importance of sovereign AI in capitalizing on economic opportunities that AI can provide, including applications not yet imagined. The issue also extends to education and infrastructure. For instance, using AI models developed abroad might compromise Australian values or priorities and could pose security and cultural risks. Van den Hengel argues that Australia needs to focus on training more AI experts domestically to build a strong AI-enabled workforce. #ai #sovereignai #knowledgeeconomy #whereaithrives NEXTDC Marty McCarthy Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML)

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🔥 BREAKING NEWS 🔥 Chorus NZ Limited and Datagrid New Zealand join forces on a 6,000km subsea cable to supercharge Trans-Tasman data connectivity and improve New Zealand’s connections with the world.   With an unprecedented design capacity of up to 540 Tbps, if sufficient demand is established, the #TasmanRingNetwork is planning to connect: #Auckland #NewPlymouth #Greymouth  #Invercargill #Sydney #Melbourne    The Tasman Ring will greatly improve Internet capacity and #resilience in New Zealand and provide much needed diversity out of the South Island.   This is an important milestone for Datagrid New Zealand in achieving our wider vision of developing a 240MW sustainable AI training data centre park in #Makarewa #Southland.   « We believe the Tasman Ring is the right vision and the right design to make New Zealand an attractive location for #hyperscale data centers looking for abundant #renewable electricity sources. #Southland NZ has all the ingredients to become a major AI Training hub, but diverse international connectivity. This partnership with Chorus will help make that connectivity a reality » says Datagrid CEO Perrine DHALLUIN.   « Combined international and domestic connectivity is key to unlock the huge potential of #NewZealand and #Southland in particular. Together with Chorus we aim to make NZ #AI ready - moving from the Gigabyte era to Terabyte era.»   « Chorus' state of the art national fibre network combined with their strategy to extend into adjacent markets makes them an obvious partner for Datagrid New Zealand. We are delighted to partner with Chorus to make this ambitious project happen and contribute to the prosperity of the nation ». Mike Shirley, Chorus' Executive General Manager of Infrastructure adds: « This is a really exciting opportunity. Chorus NZ Limited and Datagrid see a need for integrated international and domestic connectivity solutions into the future. The Tasman Ring would hugely improve data centre connectivity in New Zealand and across the Tasman. Trans-Tasman connectivity is a natural adjacency to Chorus. The Tasman Ring project would allow New Zealand to compete in the international #AI market and harness the global acceleration of #cloud adoption ».

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In Tassie? I saw Loryan's presentation last week on the Gold Coast - this is worth attending if you are interested in Navigating your first few steps with Microsoft AI

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The CEO who helped attract $50M in capital and the co-founder of a fast-growing Microsoft Dynamics business are among the partner finalists in the Leadership category of the 2024 CRN Impact Awards: https://lnkd.in/gFjXZe9U Winners of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) sponsored awards will be revealed at the gala CRN Impact Awards dinner on August 15 at the 2024 CRN Pipeline conference. See the agenda and purchase tickets: https://lnkd.in/gD5Rk4_E The partner Leadership finalists are:  - Joanne Spencer, Co-Founder and Managing Director, D6 Consulting: Spencer has driven significant growth for this consultancy since its launch in July 2022, evolving its practices from six to five capability areas and contributing to a positive company culture. - Stefan Buchman, CTO, Cevo: Buchman has played a pivotal role in Cevo’s refreshed GTM strategy, its multi-million-dollar three-year partnership with AWS and its restructure. - Stephen Kowal, CEO, Atturra: This company’s successful raising $50M in capital funding in 2023 was “due in no small part” to Kowal’s ability to “inspire the market”, and he spearheaded an expansion drive into the APAC region. - Marc Tricksey, National Sales Director, Arinco: Tricksey has been instrumental in driving Arinco’s growth and partnerships, with the company strengthening its Microsoft and Databricks partnerships and earning the title of Microsoft ANZ Azure PotY. - Stuart Kilduff, CEO, oobe: With a former career that includes running a successful landscaping business, Kilduff has gone on to lead this Fujitsu-owned IT firm to a Microsoft PotY finalist placing in 2023. - Chris Greatrex, Founder & Executive Director, Dynamic Aspect: Not only did Greatrex steer Dynamic Aspect to a place in the 2023 CRN Fast50, he continued to provide expertise as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy’s Reserve, volunteer on the Executive of the North Sydney RSL supporting veterans, and on the Board of the Northern Sydney Local Health District. - Milan Rajkovic, CEO, OTTO IT: Rajkovic led this firm’s evolution from a hardware-centric business to a security-focused MSP, aligning its operations with ISO27001, ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards and leading it to a strategic acquisition. - Corey Stewart, National Operations Manager, Precision IT: Stewart’s implementation of a four-day work week and modernisation of the company’s service desk operations significantly boosted productivity and customer service. - Galit Jona, Founding Partner & Director, Delta Insights Australia: Under Galit’s guidance, this Microsoft Dynamics specialist, which services the health, aged-care and community services sectors, has grown in a few years to a 26-person team, with Galit leading an Australian first Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare project. Congratulations to the finalists and thank you to all entrants. Stay tuned as we reveal finalists in more categories. #crnimpactawards #crnpipeline

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Lend us your ears for Episode 599 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast. This week: Telstra delays its 3G closure, we talk to Withings head of consumer products, Roborock's S8 MaxV Ultra robot vacuum and much, much more. Click on the Tech Guide link so you can listen to the show right now!!! #podcast

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👁️‍🗨️ Headlines: Today in ANZ AI BUSINESS AI-enabled driver behaviour monitoring technology company Acusensus (ASX: ACE) has made a breakthrough in New Zealand with a tender that could bring in NZ$92 million ($83.45 million) for a nationwide mobile speed camera enforcement program. "We were the first in the world to enforce mobile phones with camera systems, first for seatbelt, and now first in the world for multifunction enforcement delivering a single asset that deters speeding both at a point and over a distance, while also deterring phone use and seatbelt non-compliance." Alexander Jannink. More here: https://shorturl.at/uDiQ0 STARTUP Melbourne startup TALY Australia has raised $500,000 in pre-Seed funding led by Skalata to transform how companies use personality data to make better decisions. “It’s like having an organisational psychologist on call 24/7, but powered by validated science rather than gut feel – and minus the hourly rate,” Peter Treloar said. More here: https://shorturl.at/QqaUi WOMEN LEADERS Aishwarya Kansakar, COO at Women 4 STEM and 2025 Young Australian of the Year for VIC… Kansakar is a multi-award-winning AI and automation entrepreneur, Not-for profit (NFPO) Executive, STEM education innovator, and Automation engineer. Featured on SBS World News (2024) and ABC News Radio. She was nominated for the Prime Minister's Science Prize for Innovation in 2024 for developing novel technology systems. Aishwarya is also a hyperpolyglot and fluent in 7 different languages. Get it queen. More here: https://shorturl.at/e2Tv4 ETHICS & REGULATION A committee in the Australian parliament has published a report on AI urging the country’s government to help creators stop the “unprecedented theft of their work” by AI companies. Unsurprisingly, the music industry has welcomed the report and its key recommendations. Article by Complete Music Update: https://shorturl.at/kWJHA HEALTH Petbarn creates first-of-its-kind generative AI solution to make pet care easier for Australian owners. ‘PetAI’ provides highly personalised advice and product recommendations for pet owners. More here: https://shorturl.at/6w7FK ONE GLOBAL UPDATE Sizzling valuations are no bar for Asia data centre deals as AI growth beckons. SINGAPORE/HONG KONG/SYDNEY, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Global investors are queueing up to invest in data centre operators in Asia Pacific either by buying stakes directly or via public offerings, unfazed by their rich valuations that are driven by demand for AI-based services. The AirTrunk deal has propelled Asia Pacific to the top of the M&A league table in the global data centre market this year, with deal value totalling $17.03 billion, more than half of the global transactions, LSEG data showed. More here: https://lnkd.in/gTyTu588 ONE AI DEFINITION Generative AI: is one subset of general purpose AI and can generate text, images, video and sound. 

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🌟 Partnering for Success - Inde Technology and New Zealand's First Hyperscale Cloud 🚀 Today, Microsoft New Zealand officially opened New Zealand's first ever hyperscale cloud region. This new datacenter is set to transform the digital landscape of New Zealand, offering enhanced data security, improved resilience, and unincumbered opportunities for AI and innovation.  At Inde, we're excited about the new opportunities this brings for our customers. Local businesses will benefit from the ability to innovate at scale, ensuring data residency and compliance while driving economic growth! Inde were lucky enough to be one of the first companies in NZ to design and deploy advanced connectivity infrastructure into Microsoft's Azure NZ North region, using our technical expertise and experience to deliver this within a tight timeframe. Thanks to the knowledge, agility and interconnection across our teams, including Cloud, Network, Security, Data and AI, we turned this project around within weeks! We've been supporting our customers with: 🔶 Seamless cloud migration - Whether it be a hybrid option or full migration, we can handle the complexities, so you can focus on your core business. 🔶 Optimised cloud solutions - To enhance performance, security, and cost-efficiency. 🔶 Enhanced security - Our deep technical knowledge helps you to implement robust security measures to protect your data and ensure compliance with local regulations. 🔶 Dedicated teams - Our specialist teams are ready to help you make the most of the new datacenter. From storage and compute capacity challenges, gaining clearer insights and making the most of your data, to deploying AI solutions, or ensuring robust network connectivity and security, we have the expertise to support your needs. 🔶 Continuous support - Our commitment doesn't end with deployment. We provide ongoing support and management services to ensure your infrastructure remains efficient and up-to-date. 📰 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gSH9h_zy 🤝 Reach out to us to learn more about how we can support your organisation to leverage New Zealand's first hyperscale cloud region, and support you on your IT transformation journey. #CloudComputing #DigitalTransformation #MicrosoftAzure #IndeTechnology #Innovation #NewZealand

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We're gearing up to present the first Australian MSP Index report at Pipeline 2025. Get your early-bird-price Platinum or Gold ticket by Dec 20 and you’ll receive a special value-add. Register interest to learn more: https://lnkd.in/g8zM79XH Taking place from August 12 to 14 on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Pipeline 2025 will have a special focus on how new and old technology partnerships are being re-assessed in light of market shifts around security and compliance, cloud, platform simplification, automation, customer maturity, M&A and other factors. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g8zM79XH #pipeline2025

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Australian SMEs are facing new privacy challenges with the rise of AI in business operations. Only 28% of businesses are currently compliant with regulations on using customer data for AI training. Find out what Jonathon Coleman from Vanta and Pierre Bergamin from InDebted have to say about ensuring compliance and building trust. Stay informed and safeguard customer data! Read more on AI, privacy laws, and best practices here: https://buff.ly/4fvQjDI 📬📬📬📬📬 Stay informed! Join our free daily newsletter for more insightful updates: https://buff.ly/3QlzuB6 📬📬📬📬📬 #AI #PrivacyLaw #Compliance #CustomerData #BusinessInsights

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Join Insight and Microsoft at the WA Microsoft #Fabric Roadshow. Our Data and AI specialists will demystify what it means to be 'the first SaaS, end-to-end modern Lakehouse platform', and discuss how Microsoft Fabric can truly transform the way your organisation engages with its data. Register now – spots are limited. https://lnkd.in/g2pJTUs7 John Rampono Willem Van Aswegen Andor Varga Sandra Tuohy #AI #dataplatform #MicrosoftFabric #EraofAI

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Here’s the latest in my sideline as a promoter of Australian research: this piece on some optoelectronic wizardry to create privacy-preserving video cameras! Please read and share!

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As artificial intelligence reshapes the business landscape, industry experts gather this week to address a pressing question: Are Australian companies prepared for The Insight Age? I’ll host the Sydney Innovation Summit, sponsored by Intel Corporation, Natilik and Spectro Cloud, on Wednesday, July 31st. "Many CEOs are living in denial," says a large-enterprise CEO attendee from the Innovation Summit we hosted in San Francisco two weeks ago. "They think AI is just another tech trend. It's not. It's a fundamental shift in how business operates." The Summit will focus on four controversial assertions: 1. Current leadership models are obsolete in the face of AI-driven decision making. 2. Most companies' data strategies are inadequate for curating the inputs to deliver the AI-driven Insights. 3. Corporate cultures are siloed, disjointed and will actively resist the disruptive changes necessary for AI integration. 4. Traditional operating models are too slow for the rapid pivots required to turn Insight into impact quickly. The event will include keynotes from AI thought leaders and discussion with a group of leading tech analysts on emerging technology to implement now. It will also feature a unique workshop where attendees attempt to save Blockbuster Video circa 2004 - a pointed reminder of what happens when companies fail to adapt. The Sydney Innovation Summit will take place all day July 31st at 12 Micron Tower 1. Limited spots are still available. In the area? Click here to join, it would be great to see you there: https://lnkd.in/eedW-CKa Note: Every day I’m doing a post wherever I'm at to connect you with what we’re learning from tech teams, customers, execs and thought leaders. Stay tuned for more real-time updates as we continue to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and the Insight Age. #SydneyInnovationSummit #TheInsightAge #ANZBusiness

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We are thrilled to announce that Fly.Ylobe 3.0 is now live! With this release, we've reached new heights in digital platforms offering RPAS flight operations management and record-keeping functionality, along with guidance on where you can fly or can't fly according to Australian aviation legislation, echoing the exhilaration of our founder's recent expedition to the Mount Everest Base Camp. Here are a few key highlights of what new we've included in Fly.Ylobe 3.0. 1. We've digitized Pre-assessment, JSA, Risk Assessment, CRP Authorization workflow while maintaining the document formats identical to RPAS operations/procedure manuals, ensuring consistency if you choose to print or even switch. 2 Introduced drawing tool for creating flight missions that interacts with location-based airspace maps, providing instant feedback and allowing adjustments to your flight plan. This feature is particularly valuable for planning long-distance RPAS missions where take-off and landing locations may be miles apart. 3.With our first of its kind "ReOC-RePL Connect" feature, we're bridging the gap between RePLs seeking freelance opportunities and ReOCs in need of skilled pilots. RePLs can now register for free, log in, and fill out their details to instantly become visible on the map/list for ReOCs to invite and add them. While some functionalities such as auto-authorization and NOTAM interface are not included in this release, but they are not far. Go ahead and give it a try! https://fly.ylobe.com #FlyYlobe #DroneSafetyApps #YarraDrones #CASA #EBC #Sora Akshay Gohil Sanju Manna Ravi Murty (MIEAust)

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Vision Pro is arriving in Australia soon. Has your organisation seriously considered how Spatial Computing might benefit your organisation? visionOS 2.0 brings a wealth of new features, particularly for Enterprises: Recent guest users, hand gestures to access the Home Screen and Control Centre, a new Mac virtual display and an AirPlay Receiver. Do you have the skills to build in Swift with visionOS 2.0? Ask me or call the Bilue team to learn more about how spatial computing could enhance your customer experience or your enterprise workplace.

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The Pivots have been working on releasing some open source tools. Things that we internally use and/or have built at different times to help create more efficiencies for our teams working with our customers. "Simplify Your Azure DevOps Pipeline Management" Are you struggling to keep track of multiple deployments across various environments? Checkout the PivotPro Release Dashboard being used by some our enterprise customers across ANZ 👇 #opensurce #DevOps #azure #Innovation

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Australian CFOs are getting more involved in IT investment decisions over ROI concerns #AustralianCFOs #ITInvestment #ROI #BusinessStrategy #TechLeadership #FinanceAndTech #ITSpending #CFOInsights #InvestmentStrategy #BusinessGrowth #TechInvestments  #zeronorthdata #zeronorth Link: https://lnkd.in/gV-VU9mc

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