The post Seek’s Earnings Down 9% In ‘Weak Ad Environment’ appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>Although Seek’s revenues fell by 12% in Australia and New Zealand, it remained the market leader with 33% of placements, highlighting how tough the job postings market is in the current climate.
In FY20 Seek maintained a lead of five times over their nearest competitor in the local market.
“Seek ANZ delivered a resilient result in challenging conditions. In a weak ad volume environment, we saw robust results from our depth products and SMEs,” said Seek CEO and Co-Founder Andrew Bassat.
“When labour markets return to more normal conditions, we expect to generate a high ROI given our market leadership and track record of generating strong returns from investing in product, technology and data. The near-term will continue to pose challenges, but we will remain agile to take advantage of new growth opportunities as they arise.”
Citing the difficult operating conditions, Seek is not paying a final FY20 dividend. “Once economic conditions improve, we intend to resume payment of dividends,” Seek stated.
Seek’s share price tanked when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, falling by 38% in March. It has since recovered, closing at $21.40 yesterday.
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]]>The post Shutdown? Airbnb Lives Again appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>In a number of media reports on Monday, the NSW Minister for Innovation Kevin Anderson was quoted as saying short-term accommodation had been declared illegal and that there was “zero reason for someone to stay in an Airbnb”.
However yesterday both Anderson and Airbnb said this was not correct. Airbnb said its clients were still operating while Anderson said that in the current circumstances, “the provision of short-term accommodation is often critical, particularly for our frontline health workers”.
Still, many Airbnb premises may still find themselves un-occupied. Many commentators, and some police, have warned that long-distance travelling to an attractive Airbnb holiday property may be near-impossible, given police warnings and shutdowns.
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]]>The post Is Kinect Paving The Way for Biometrics? appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>Socially acceptable and fun activities are paving the way for a sinister move by companies into the world of facial recognition and biometrics, which may yet become the norm in more widespread activities such as access control and security in general.
The Xbox 360’s Kinect, the peripheral used in Microsoft’s gaming console, uses facial recognition and infrared sensors, as the log in process for players engaging in its games, greeting returning gamers by name after recognising their faces when they step in front of the video console.
The technology used includes a visible light camera, an infrared-based depth sensor, and microwaves, as it tracks movements of those playing the game, translating their real-life motions onto on-screen movements.
The games are hugely popular with families.
Earlier this month, Kinect Sports won a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Award) for the best family game, but its appeal is far wider than just sports fanatics with three other games, Dance Central, Kinect Adventures and Kinectimals also being nominated in the family category.
Kinect is also the world’s fastest selling consumer electronic device, breaking the Guinness World Records after consumers snapped up 10 million devices in the first two months of going on sale in November 2010.
But Kinect is not just a game play device. With its camera and infrared sensor, which maps players’ bodies and faces using facial recognition technology, it has branched into the world of biometrics, allowing gamers to sign in without using an ID and password, but automatically, by being able to differentiate their facial features from other game players.
However, its accuracy was brought into question within days of the device going on sale. US Watchdog Consumer Reports, which tested the Kinect soon after its release said lighting was seen to affect the gaming device’s facial recognition system from working properly when Gaming review site Gamespot complained that two of its dark skinned employees had problems logging in to the game.
Despite log in problems, however, Microsoft’s move into biometric identification is both novel and sinister. Anonymity has long been a key feature of video gaming with gamers happy to engage in combat as long as their identity was fake. But observers claim that people aren’t likely to rebel against the technology, as long as the stakes remain low.
Computer gaming, for instance, is not a high stake activity like banking, for instance. But what happens when gaming starts converging with other things like social networking, which could well lead it to filter into financial areas, such as shopping and banking?
Observers have noted that introducing the technology in such a low stakes environment such as gaming, where the younger generation, in particular, are repeatedly exposed to the technology, may de-sensitize them to later uses.
And face recognition technology is finding its way into a number of other ‘acceptable’ social uses.
In the US, a face-matching dating website is using the technology to help people find their partners.
FindYourFaceMate.com’s Christina Bloom said who we date depends a lot on how much they look like us.
Bloom claims that couples often have very similar facial features and that facial similarities seem to help with the initial attraction.
The face-matching dating website helps people narrow down their prospects by zeroing in on nine features, like your eyes, ears, nose, chin, or mouth, all helping to build an increasingly detailed picture of the person being profiled.
Experts claim that when audiences are able to interact with biometrics at a socially acceptable level, the technology is able to gain traction within other uses, and could pave the way for more widespread use in the home, such as to control home security, access control and even in identification.
Mistrust of the technology has been one reason why biometrics has so far failed to take off in more serious applications such as banking, but more acceptable functions, such as identifying members of the household to control other entertainment systems, and home automation controls for temperature, light and heating, for instance, could take off, simply for their novelty.
Facial recognition apps are also on the rise. Face.com, a global leader in face recognition technology on the web, recently announced an upgrade in its technology which will allow it to process increased numbers of photos in a second.
It’s a technology that is used in Facebook’s Phototagger and PhotoFinder, and is used by the social networking site to authenticate its members when they lose or forget their passwords, by putting up pictures of the member’s friends’ faces and suggesting likely names which the user must name correctly in order to gain access to their web page.
According to the company, Face.com has been found to be effective even in challenging conditions such as lighting, background, picture angle, and even focus of the pictures.
And now Chinese technology companies like Hanvon are making it even easier for companies and home businesses to use face recognition with low cost devices used to monitor staff or admit entry.
Hanvon’s Face ID uses infra red technology to scan a 3D image of a person’s face. These images are stored on the device’s internal chip, so it doesn’t have to be connected to an external server.
It can recognise up to 1400 faces and costs around US $720. Hanvon is now selling the device in 55 countries.
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]]>The post New Boss At Google OZ appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>He replaces another former newsman, ex-Fairfax executive Karim Temsamani, who was promoted to run Google’s mobile ad sales business in the US. Temsamani left in October.
At News Ltd, Leeder has been working on the group’s plans for publishing paid content via the Internet, including the online and iPhone versions of The Australian. He scored a farewell accolade from News chairman John Hartigan, who said that, together with CEO Richard Freudenstein, “he tripled traffic and revenue at News Digital Media and over the past 12 months has brought new focus and drive to The Australian’s commercial operations.”
At Google, Asia-Pac president Daniel Alegre made it plain he expects to tap into those talents. He said: “Google is investing significantly in Australia and New Zealand to help businesses of all sizes, from small and large advertisers to advertising agencies and publishers, grow online. In the next year, Nick will help us to increase our investment locally and better serve our users, advertisers and partners.”
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]]>The post Senior Telstra Executive Quits appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>The controversial head of Telstra’s communication division Dr Phil Burgess has quit and is returning to the USA.
A US national Burgess got right up the noses of the Howard government in particular former Communications Minister Helen Coonan.
The former Telstra public policy chief transformed Telstra from being a “toe the government line” organisation to one that had a voice and was not afraid of disagreeing with government policy decisions.
Telstra’s Chief Executive Officer, Sol Trujillo said “I have always valued Phil’s advice and his principled approach to public policy and communications. Phil has great integrity and has not been afraid to show leadership, often speaking the truth even when it was inconvenient for established interests to hear it,” Mr Trujillo said.
“Phil has consistently spoken out with great passion and courage, articulating how a national high-speed broadband network would produce enormous benefits for communities and the national economy.
“Phil has made a very large positive impact on the culture and success of Telstra, and like all employees I am grateful to him for the leadership he showed.” Mr Trujillo announced that the new Group Managing Director, Public Policy & Communications, would be David Quilty, who has been Telstra’s Director of Government Relations since January 2006.
Telstra say that Dr Burgess will return to his home in Annapolis, Maryland, in early September to support his wife, Mary Sue, whose mother is seriously ill, and to resume his life as an advisor to business and government on matters related to technology and society, a life he put on hold to join Sol Trujillo and Telstra three years ago. Dr Burgess has been Group Managing Director, Public Policy & Communications, since July
2005. He has been responsible for regulatory affairs, government relations, media relations, corporate affairs and the $5.5 million Telstra Foundation.
“The last three years have been enormously consequential for Telstra and Australia – with the full privatisation of Telstra, construction of the world’s largest, fastest, and most advanced wireless broadband network and the transformation of Telstra into the world’s first next generation, fully-integrated telco,” Dr Burgess said.
“Working in a country and culture not your own is an enormous privilege – and working for one of its iconic companies is a privilege amplified. My time in Australia and with Telstra has been
one of the most memorable experiences of my life, both personally and professionally. I came here expecting to stay for 1-2 months. Three years later, Mary Sue and I leave having been
welcomed guests in this wonderful country.”
Dr Burgess said he was proud to have increased the capacity of Telstra to communicate with consumers and the public, represent shareholder interests, put high-speed broadband on the
agenda three years ago, and transform the way the company communicated both internally and externally. “It was hard for some to give up the idea that Telstra is community property. The cultural
change required by privatisation was difficult – both for Telstra and for the government,” Dr Burgess said.
“Though we were criticised by some, our new approach achieved important results, including safeguarding new investments like Next GTM and ADSL2+ from value-destroying regulation, winding back regulation on more than four million copper telephone lines, and the reversal of a $1 billion taxpayer gift to SingTel-Optus,” he said. Telstra’s Chief Executive Officer, Sol Trujillo, thanked Dr Burgess for his enormous contribution to Telstra over the past three years.
“Phil Burgess has prosecuted Telstra’s interests passionately and with great effectiveness since his arrival three years ago, and I pay tribute to his extraordinary leadership and commitment,”
Mr Quilty said. “Telstra will continue to put the interests of its shareholders, customers and employees first and foremost both publicly and in our dealings with all stakeholders.”
Dr. Burgess, who will serve as a consultant to Telstra and advisor to the CEO, will return to The Annapolis Institute in September where he will resume research, writing and speaking on issues
related to technology and society. He has also been appointed as a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Digital Future at the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he will address the impact of the Internet and advanced communications technologies on consumer behaviour, business practices and community development in the US and around the globe.
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]]>The post Microsoft Pink Slip 5,000 appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>The news came during a surprise earnings announcement during which the company reported revenue of $16.6 billion for its second quarter, ended Dec. 31, up 2 percent from last year. Net income was $4.2 billion, down from the $4.7 billion posted during the same period last year.
The cuts will come from the company’s R&D, marketing, finance, legal, human resources and IT staffs.
“Economic activity and IT spend slowed beyond our expectations in the quarter,” said Chris Liddell, Microsoft’s chief financial officer. “We are planning for economic uncertainty to continue through the remainder of the fiscal year, almost certainly leading to lower revenue and earnings for the second half relative to the previous year. In this environment, we will focus on outperforming our competitors and addressing our cost structure.”
Microsoft added it was “no longer able” to give a profit and revenue outlook for the fiscal year amid current volatile market conditions.
Shares in Microsoft fell 7.9% following the announcment. “While we’re not immune to the effects of the economy, I am confident in the strength of our product portfolio and soundness of our approach,” said Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer.
The BBC reports that Richard Williams, an analyst at Cross Research, said: “Microsoft has never had a layoff like this in my knowledge, and it’s sending a signal that the times are definitely changing.”
Microsoft said the announced job cuts would take place in research and development, marketing, sales, finance, legal, human resources and information technology.
It added it would also be making other cost-cutting measures, including a reduction in spending on travel.
“These initiatives will reduce the company’s annual operating expense run rate by approximately $1.5bn and reduce fiscal year 2009 capital expenditures by $700m,” Microsoft said.
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]]>The post Telstra COO Winn Quits appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>Initially on a two-year contract, Winn – along with former public affairs chief Phil Burgess – was brought in by Sol Trujillo and was known as one of the three amigos being one of the trio of top American executives at Telstra.
A critic of the Federal Government’s internet filtering programme, Winn headed Telstra’s networks and operations, and has been a key driver of the transformation of the company’s IT systems, networks, product development and procurement processes. He was integral to the building of Telstra’s nationwide Next G mobile network, as well as the company’s Next IP network.
Winn also oversaw delivery of field workforce productivity improvements focused on reducing costs while demonstrably improving the customer experience.
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]]>The post Sony OZ Silent On Further Job And Salary Cuts appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>Earlier this week Rose backed away from discussing the sacking of 32 staff, despite earlier promises by his PR executives that he would comment on issues raised in a 98 word email that announced the termination of sales and marketing personnel in Australia.
Carl Rose CEO Sony Australia is refusing to discuss sackings and possible salary cuts. Click to enlarge |
His PR minders also refused to elaborate on whether Sony was losing money when it turns to incentives like PS3 and Blu ray giveaways with their Bravia LCD TV’s.
We also wanted to question Rose about the premium pricing Sony is charging for their 200Hz Motion Flow Bravia TV’s which appear to deliver very little in benefits for the bulk of people who watch TV.
Earlier today Sony said it will impose a salary freeze on its full-time workers for one year to cut costs as the electronics giant braces for a massive loss amid a deepening global downturn.
Attempts by ChannelNews and SmartHouse to ascertain whether these cuts will apply in Australia were met by a wall of silence as Sony attempted to spin doctor the sacking of staff in Australia by refusing to return calls.
According to several Japanese newspapers and the US Wall Street Journal the salary freeze will be effective from April, and Sony’s managers with non-board posts will be told that they have to take a 35% to 40% cut in their annual bonuses.
“Our business environment is severe. We’ve decided to take such action as we expect to incur a loss” in the current financial year to March, a Sony Japan executive said.
Hit by plummeting sales of their Bravia flat TVs and PlayStation 3 game consoles Sony is expected to announce losses in excess of $3Billion dollars in coming weeks.
Sony Australia has not ruled out further job cuts in Australia.
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]]>Kate McKenzie.
The post Telstra Gets New Boss appeared first on Smart Office.
]]>Kate McKenzie.
Kate McKenzie, currently GMD, Telstra Wholesale will replace Mr Stewart, effective March 30. Ms McKenzie’s replacement at Telstra Wholesale will be announced in the coming weeks.
Bill Stewart joined Telstra in 2005 to lead the newly formed Strategic Marketing group, which has responsibility for corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, market-based management, pricing, brand management and advertising, and Telstra Asia.
“Under Bill’s leadership, Telstra has delivered increased customer satisfaction across all our business units and services,” Mr Trujillo said. “Bill and his team have helped deliver increases in market share, improved margins, lower churn and high strike rates for sales.
“Bill’s expertise in market-based management has given Telstra an unmatched depth of customer knowledge and has enabled us to provide high-value, competitively differentiated products and services to our customers.
Mr Stewart paid tribute to the accomplishments of the Strategic Marketing group.
“I am immensely proud of the people in Strategic Marketing for delivering this critical element of the transformation,” Mr Stewart said. “All of our achievements have been possible because of the commitment and professionalism of the Telstra team.”
Mr Trujillo said that Telstra was fortunate to have someone of Kate McKenzie’s calibre and experience to take on the role of GMD Strategic Marketing.
“Kate is a focussed and clear thinker with a wealth of experience across a range of industries in both the private and the public sector,” Mr Trujillo said. “Kate has done an exceptional job at Telstra Wholesale over the past four years and I am certain she will do an excellent job in her new cross-company role.”
Ms McKenzie will continue to report to the CEO and maintain her position on the CEO Leadership Team.
“I’m very excited to take on such a diverse and challenging role at a time of rapid change for the industry,” Ms McKenzie said.
“Over the past four years, the Strategic Marketing group has been integral to Telstra’s success through its brilliant customer research, management of the company’s brand, a series of timely acquisitions in Asia and the sale of non-core assets. I look forward to building on the terrific work the group has already done.
“I want to thank everyone in Telstra Wholesale who has worked with me since January 2006. We can be immensely proud of our achievements in taking forward a $2.5 billion business in a challenging environment. We have brought new products like ADSL2+ and Ethernet into the wholesale market and we consistently provide high quality, value adding products and services to our customers.”
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]]>The post Senior Mobile Exec Quits Telstra appeared first on Smart Office.
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