Some subscribers just want their ISP or carrier to provide the pipes and then stay out of the way. But that tends to mean low margins, so providers are keen to provide additional services. Amdocs Connected Home allows ISPs and carriers to compete with 'over the top' providers of services such as remote security, health monitoring, and entertainment.

According to a recent IDC survey of the intentions of CIOs in Australia, 20.6% of respondents were using a cloud solution. The same survey says that by 2015 the use of cloud services by Australian companies – from SMBs to enterprise-size organisations – is set to quadruple – so what does this mean for service providers and users?

International services provider Dimension Data has completed its acquisition of BlueFire.

Customer experience systems vendor, Amdocs, has just released a new solution that it claims ‘revolutionises’ how service providers can rapidly deploy innovative new data services to improve the customer experience and accelerate data services monetisation.

A leading analyst firm has given the tick of approval to Telstra’s strategy and goal of becoming a network-centric applications and service provider, and says that in the post National Broadband Network (NBN) era the company will no longer be able to differentiate on the basis of its access network assets.

CA Technologies used its CA World event to announce multiple new or extended cloud solutions. They included a new approach to deciding which applications and services are best suited to cloud deployment, and a marketplace for cloud applications and hosting services.

An unflattering and quite damning report on wholesale telecoms suppliers points to some real problems in the market with suggestions that companies need to start listening to their customers if they don’t want to see further ‘deterioration’ in their performance.

  HP is trying to make it cheaper and easier for its customers to move into public or private clouds. Financing and services are at the heart of the announcements.  

  Despite some remaining regulatory issues in certain countries, Microsoft has closed its acquisition of Skype.  

Telstra and the Victorian Government have both signalled their willingness to take a punt on the emerging Chinese offshoring market. Last month VanceInfo Technologies which employs around 12,000 technology workers in China and 40 staff in Australia, announced it had been accepted onto Victoria’s eServices panel. The company is already engaged on development projects for Telstra’s cloud services.