Utility billing and customer management software vendor, Gentrack, is ahead of schedule with the deployment of a system upgrade for New Zealand energy retailer, TrustPower, under a $15 million renewed, multi-year contract.

Brisbane-based project management, energy and infrastructure service provider, Unidel has successfully deployed Compuware’s Changepoint software-as-a-service (Saas) solution for professional services automation.

Global provider of energy and water resource management solutions, Itron, has completed the deployment and full rollout of its advanced water metering solution in Kalgoorlie for the Water Corporation of Western Australia.

Power products and services group, APC by Schneider Electric, has appointed a new chief for its services business with responsibility for the Pacific regional and Australian and New Zealand markets.

The IT services company, CPS Technology Group has been selected by New South Wales energy services provider, Essential Energy to deliver a new IP telephony platform, contact centre and managed services solution to drive customer service, operational savings and scalability for ongoing growth and business continuity.

With Australian utilities moving towards smart meter deployments and smart grid upgrades, spending on information technology by water, electricity and gas utilities is forecast to leap to $2.4 billion next year, with external IT services expected to snare the lions share of that spend.

Power companies in Victoria will pass on increased electricity charges to households following the Australian Energy Regulator’s decision approving $1.1 billion in expenditure for the operators to install smart meters across the state.

With the internet data per user growing at 40% a year, the power needed to support that growth is also growing. So do we need new power stations to support future broadband use? The NBN and Moore's Law may save us, according to the head of an Australian telecoms research program.

The term 'big data' is generally associated with science and a very few specialised areas of business. But one database company is predicting it will find a home in a much broader range of activities.

As Australia readies itself for the imposition of a Carbon tax and renewed calls ring out from Bob Brown and the Greens to shut down all of Australia's coal fired power stations, the question remains as to whether the Greens vision of Australia going 100% renewable energy by 2020 is actually feasible or just a dewy-eyed impossible dream.