David Braue

Early adopters of shared services are reporting some significant benefits -- but can they keep building the momentum for change? Introducing dramatic structural change in government is never easy, and the failure of whole-of-government outsourcing has left many in government reluctant to commit to wholesale change. However, positive returns reported from the country's first statewide shared ICT services initiatives suggest that the paradigm could actually deliver on expectations.

South Australia's fledgling biotechnology industry has received the first of two shots in the arm with the commissioning of Hydra, an A$1.7 million system that is Australia's third-largest supercomputer and the largest of its type.

Danger is nothing new to Antarctic workers, with often-extreme weather conditions adding complexity to already difficult logistical issues and necessarily inspiring a level of self-sufficiency amongst polar researchers. Rapidly improving technology has lessened that need in many ways, yet incidents such as the April 25 evacuation of ailing U.S. doctor Ronald Shemenski reinforce the need for careful planning to handle potential emergencies on the continent.