Techbest – Top Tech Reviews In Australia
The best in Australian gadgets and technology
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The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has entered into a significant $70 million contract with Amazon Web Services (AWS), marking a notable achievement in Australia’s cloud service arena. This agreement is part of a larger, renegotiated government-wide deal with AWS, now worth approximately $364 million.
This new deal significantly surpasses the $6.3 million total value of ASD’s previous 13 contracts with AWS, reaching back to 2017. AWS is entrusted with the creation of a Top Secret (TS) Cloud, specifically tailored for ASD’s applications in national security. The initiative is projected to incur a minimum cost of $2 billion over the next decade, with the goal of substantially enhancing Australia’s cyber defence capabilities.
The three-year agreement was facilitated via the Digital Transformation Agency’s renewed whole-of-government contract with AWS for public cloud services, which was originally established in 2019. The initial contract valued at $39 million, grew to $390.8 million over three years. The government renewed this contract in 2022 for an additional three years at $174.1 million, reflecting the increasing dependence on AWS’s cloud infrastructure.
An examination of contracts released on AusTender shows that since the latest renewal became effective on April 1, 2025, federal agencies have entered into agreements totaling $364 million in just over two months. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) leads with a $147 million contract, followed by the Digital Transformation Agency at $64.7 million, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission at $23 million, the Australian Bureau of Statistics at $19.2 million, and the Department of Home Affairs at $14 million. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Aged Care allotted AWS a $22.9 million contract under a separate agreement.
The ASD’s $70 million contract with AWS signifies a crucial turning point in Australia’s digital overhaul and cyber defence strategy. As AWS continues to grow its data centre operations in Sydney and Melbourne, the collaboration is set to strengthen the country’s security framework through innovative cloud solutions. The significant investments from various federal bodies further highlight the government’s dedication to integrating cloud technology for enhanced operational effectiveness and security.
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South32, a leading mining and metals company located in Western Australia, is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen forecasts concerning safety, performance, and cultural aspects of its workforce. With personnel located globally in cities such as Perth, Singapore, London, and Vancouver, as well as in more remote regions, the company is actively transforming its employee engagement strategies.
In 2021, South32 restructured its employee engagement and evaluation systems. Previously dependent on traditional methods such as standard surveys, the pandemic underscored the demand for more immediate insights. This transition seeks to harness AI for improved predictive analytics, providing a deeper understanding across the employee lifecycle.
At the Qualtrics X4 conference in Sydney, Dave Vile, South32’s head of culture and capability, emphasized the power of AI to uncover hidden insights. “Everyone’s addressing AI … what can it reveal that is unknown to us?” he remarked. The aim is to identify leading indicators that can forecast future results.
Lincoln Cox, general manager for HR strategy performance and culture, reaffirmed South32’s dedication to evolving into a high-performance, values-driven organization. “We assess numerous aspects. We implement several filters. The subsequent step is to determine what genuinely influences change,” Cox mentioned.
South32 is pioneering the integration of AI within its employee management strategies, aiming to extract actionable insights that can improve safety, performance, and cultural coherence. By transforming its engagement platforms, the organization is set to utilize predictive analytics for optimized workforce management.
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Canva has recently unveiled an innovative feature that allows users to produce video clips just by entering a text description. This tool, called “Create a Video Clip,” harnesses the sophisticated capabilities of Google’s VEO-3 model. As the inaugural commercial use of VEO-3, this integration represents a significant leap in rendering high-quality video creation attainable for everyone, particularly aiding marketers, content creators, and small enterprises in Australia.
The primary function of Canva’s new feature lies in its capacity to interpret a user’s textual prompt to generate a customized eight-second video clip, inclusive of audio. Powered by Google’s VEO-3 model, this tool can comprehend intricate instructions, providing flexibility over the video’s topic, action, and style, be it cinematic, animated, or stop-motion.
Users have the option to detail aspects like camera movements and lighting, while the built-in audio can deliver synchronized dialogue and accompanying music, enhancing the video’s realistic appeal.
Once a video clip is created, it smoothly integrates into your Canva design. Users can trim, split, and arrange it on the timeline, utilizing Canva’s extensive array of editing features. This includes overlaying text, adding branding components, incorporating further clips, and accessing Canva’s vast library of graphics and music. Canva Pro subscribers can also benefit from AI-enhanced tools like background removal and audio enhancement.
The AI-generated video clips are rendered in a 1920×1080 resolution, assuring sharpness and suitability for a range of applications from social media to professional presentations. While the AI generates at 1080p, Canva Pro users can export their projects in resolutions reaching up to 4K, ensuring the highest quality for compatible platforms.
The “Create a Video Clip” feature is available to paid Canva members, including those subscribed to Pro, Teams, and Enterprise plans, as well as Canva for Nonprofit clients. Initially, users can produce up to five video clips per month, but this restriction is anticipated to increase. In Australia, a Canva Pro subscription is priced at A$164.99 annually for an individual, whereas Canva for Teams begins at A$135 per user per year, with a minimum of three users.
For additional details, visit Canva’s AI Video Generator.
Canva’s rollout of the “Create a Video Clip” tool signifies a notable achievement in AI-assisted content creation. By collaborating with Google’s VEO-3 model, Canva presents users with a novel method to easily generate high-quality videos. This feature is poised to revolutionize how marketers, content creators, and small businesses undertake video production, providing an effective solution that caters to the increasing demand for dynamic visual content.
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CEO Andy Jassy of Amazon has revealed that there will be a reduction in the corporate workforce as artificial intelligence (AI) progressively automates traditional tasks. This tactical move indicates a larger trend within the sector, where AI is being utilized to enhance productivity and improve operational efficiency.
The adoption of generative AI and specialized agents is poised to alter the work dynamics at Amazon. While certain positions may diminish, this simultaneously creates prospects in emerging domains, suggesting a reorganization instead of a decrease in overall employment. Experts believe this pattern will persist as AI capabilities advance.
Amazon’s recent efforts involve the application of AI to improve its internal processes. This encompasses streamlining inventory management, enhancing customer service with sophisticated chatbots, and optimizing product detail pages. By embracing AI, Amazon aims to refine operations and enhance customer interactions.
The changes occurring at Amazon reflect a wider industry trend. Firms such as Microsoft and Google are also integrating AI to bolster efficiency. Nevertheless, this has resulted in workforce adjustments, with reports of notable layoffs as organizations adapt to the shifting technological environment. These tech giants have primarily concentrated on automating software development and operational tasks.
AI is fundamentally altering the operational landscape of companies like Amazon, leading to changes in the workforce. While this may lead to fewer roles in certain sectors, it simultaneously paves the way for new opportunities and necessitates an adjustment in skills and positions. The tech sector at large is experiencing comparable shifts, with AI playing a crucial role in determining the future of employment.
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As sustainability becomes a necessity rather than an option, TechBest explores how EcoStruxure IT Expert is revolutionising Australian enterprises. Collaborating with Schneider, Datacom is leading the way, offering a powerful platform that provides extensive visibility into physical infrastructure. This technological innovation empowers organisations to precisely monitor their energy usage and carbon emissions, leading to significant reductions in operational costs and extending the longevity of crucial assets.
EcoStruxure IT Expert serves as a guiding light for organisations pursuing sustainable operations. The platform’s capacity to furnish detailed insights into energy consumption and carbon footprint enables companies to make well-informed decisions. These insights are vital for businesses striving not only to adhere to environmental regulations but also to take a leadership role in sustainability efforts.
The alliance between Schneider and Datacom is crucial for promoting sustainable development throughout Australia. By utilising the features of EcoStruxure IT Expert, Datacom assists companies in embracing practices that are beneficial to the environment while also improving operational efficiency. This partnership highlights the significance of technology in attaining long-term sustainability objectives.
A key feature of EcoStruxure IT Expert is the increased visibility it offers. With extensive information on energy usage and carbon emissions, organisations are in a better position to adopt strategies that minimise waste and enhance energy efficiency. This leads to not only financial savings but also plays an essential role in corporate sustainability initiatives.
EcoStruxure IT Expert, in collaboration with Schneider and Datacom, provides Australian businesses the chance to adopt sustainability through improved infrastructure visibility. By comprehending energy use and carbon impact, organisations can make knowledgeable decisions that promote cost efficiency and prolong asset life.
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In an effort that has the potential to greatly lessen coffee cup waste, Sydney-based start-up Huskee has rolled out Borrow by Huskee, an intelligent reusable cup system. This initiative, currently available at International Towers Barangaroo, seeks to eradicate the reliance on single-use coffee cups by enabling consumers to borrow a cup for their coffee orders from participating locations.
The system streamlines sustainability for consumers. When ordering a beverage, customers can opt for a reusable cup instead of disposable options. They have a 14-day timeframe to return it to any participating cafe or deposit it in a tech-enabled Smart Bin. This closed-loop process guarantees that cups are collected, sanitized, and reintegrated into circulation effortlessly.
At the core of Borrow by Huskee is the cutting-edge implementation of QR codes on every cup. These Next Gen GS1 barcodes allow for real-time tracking and returns via the Borrow App and a network of collection sites. This technology not only boosts user convenience but also encourages a traceable, circular economy in the coffee sector.
The partnership with GS1 Australia illustrates how global standards can foster scalable, sustainable solutions. By establishing a common language for circularity, these systems can aid both the environment and the economy. Saxon Wright, Co-Founder of Huskee, aspires for this initiative to motivate cafes and venues throughout Australia to implement similar systems in the next year.
The Borrow cup is fashioned from 100% polypropylene, recognized for its strength and recyclability. This is in line with Huskee’s pledge to sustainability, as the material is fully recyclable within the HuskeeLoop end-of-life program. Additionally, Huskee’s WashHub ensures that each returned cup is expertly cleaned, dried, and repackaged prior to reuse, upholding high hygiene standards.
The introduction of Borrow by Huskee in Sydney marks a notable advancement towards minimizing waste from single-use coffee cups. With distinct QR codes, a comprehensive app for tracking, and a recyclable cup design, Huskee is setting the foundation for a more sustainable future in the hospitality industry. The initiative is already picking up momentum, with ambitions for nationwide implementation.
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Issues surrounding the potential relocation of their data beyond Europe, especially to countries like the US, have increasingly alarmed European businesses and governments. This concern has driven leading American technology companies, including Microsoft, to implement strategies for data security and adherence to European regulations.
To address these issues, Microsoft has revealed that data handled by its cloud customers in Europe will remain stored on the continent, compliant with European legislation. Management will be conducted by local personnel, ensuring complete customer control over their information.
All remote system access by Microsoft engineers that involves European data will need approval and real-time oversight from personnel located in Europe. This initiative is designed to strengthen trust and guarantee strict adherence to local regulations.
The sovereign private cloud from Microsoft, which is currently in preview, is anticipated to be available to the public later this year. This service is part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to improve data security and privacy for cloud customers in Europe.
Microsoft is making substantial progress to alleviate European data privacy worries by ensuring that data remains in Europe and is regulated by local laws. With the upcoming launch of the sovereign private cloud, Microsoft intends to provide enhanced data security and foster trust among users in Europe.
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Australian organizations are becoming increasingly susceptible to cyber attackers, often attributable to single points of failure and the absence of continuous monitoring. Lanrex, a managed IT service provider and partner of Microsoft, asserts that these weaknesses are widespread throughout various sectors.
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During the CyberSecure Summit held in Sydney, David Reid, Lanrex’s Head of Operations, highlighted the necessity for a unified security strategy. Reid noted that while many companies maintain a robust security framework, they often lack the strategic execution needed for ongoing security implementation and monitoring.
In response to these issues, Lanrex provides a tiered strategy designed for businesses of various sizes. This encompasses managed support and account management. The initial tier includes Microsoft Defender products, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and geo-location restrictions, among other resources.
The subsequent tier enhances the first by adding improved alerting and remediation functions, concentrating on risks identified in Office 365 and the behavior of Microsoft Defender for endpoints.
Lanrex’s partnership with Microsoft significantly augments its cybersecurity offerings. As the world’s largest security vendor, Microsoft supplies a variety of security tools utilized by over 1 million corporations. Their zero-trust security model anticipates breaches and authenticates every user and device.
Karen Negus, Microsoft’s Director of SMB Security for Asia, promotes a comprehensive, end-to-end security perspective. The company is consistently updating its SMB offerings to deliver thorough solutions.
In March, Microsoft launched the 365 E5 Security add-on for Business Premium, providing advanced security functionalities at a lower price point. The add-on incorporates real-time risk-based conditional access, identity protection, and Extended Detection and Response (XDR).
This package bolsters device, email, and collaboration security, thereby making advanced cybersecurity more attainable for smaller organizations.
Australian businesses encounter significant cybersecurity obstacles, frequently due to single points of failure and inadequate monitoring. Lanrex, in partnership with Microsoft, delivers cutting-edge solutions to fill these gaps, offering a tiered security enhancement program that utilizes Microsoft’s comprehensive security products.
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Australian organizations burdened by cybersecurity alerts are experiencing relief through Quorum’s AI-powered methodology. By incorporating Microsoft’s Security Copilot, Quorum assists businesses in reducing alert fatigue and honing in on actionable threats.
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Daniel Tracey, Quorum’s Principal Consultant for Cybersecurity, elaborated at the CyberSecure Summit in Sydney on how their partnership with Microsoft has facilitated the automation of alert responses. This innovation has significantly lowered the number of daily alerts necessitating human engagement from 300 to 35.
The approach is especially beneficial for managing “impossible travel” alerts, which arise when employee logins from distant places raise security flags. With large teams traveling around the globe, manually verifying each alert was a cumbersome task.
“We employed Security Copilot to evaluate these alerts, determining if they represented actual threats. Most turned out to be false positives, enabling us to concentrate on real issues,” Tracey stated.
While AI tools bolster cybersecurity, they also introduce risks, particularly regarding data exposure. Oscar Gonzalez, Microsoft’s SMB Cybersecurity Lead for ANZ, cautions against the risks of data leaks, both accidental and intentional, underscoring the significance of data governance.
“Establish a data classification scheme and proper permission levels to alleviate these risks,” Gonzalez recommended.
Gavin van Niekerk, Quorum’s Practice Manager for Cybersecurity, recounted how a Melbourne-based electrical wholesaler enhanced its security posture utilizing Quorum’s AI solutions. Initially lacking proactive monitoring, they now utilize Quorum’s SOC team to bolster data security without risking overexposure.
“They now use AI with confidence, understanding their security maturity and prepared to advance,” van Niekerk remarked.
Quorum’s AI-driven solutions considerably enhance cybersecurity by alleviating alert fatigue and prioritizing actionable threats. Nevertheless, organizations must stay alert to AI-related risks, particularly data exposure. Sound governance and a well-structured data security framework are vital for the safe utilization of AI technologies.
