Stories by Anthony Doesburg

Williamson willing to make IT comeback

Former National Party IT spokesman Maurice Williamson says his speaking appearance at a Computer Society breakfast in Auckland last week wasn’t timed to signal a return to the IT role, and was one of several engagements of the past few months.

SolNet loses 25 in regroup

Twenty-five SolNet staff have lost their jobs following the termination of Sun’s reseller agreement with its former agent.

Sun's total eclipse of SolNet

SolNet's “Day in the Sun” used to be a highlight of the IT journalist’s social calendar. Of course, it wasn’t merely a social occasion: after the helicopter ride to a remote location, fine dining and spot of sport (if activities like quad bike riding and clay pigeon shooting qualify), we’d get a state of the nation address from SolNet founder Murray McNae and his lieutenants. It’s safe to say the work component of the assignment wasn’t considered too onerous, because no one ever passed up the invitation.

Utility computing coming down the pipe

My ear’s been bent in the past few weeks by vendors talking about utility computing. Its promise is cheaper delivery of computing, delivered on demand. Why cheaper? Because it is based on standardisation of components – hardware and software.

Nerves jangle as census goes online

Statistics New Zealand plans to offer an internet lodgement option in the 2006 census and government statistician Brian Pink (pictured) admits he’s nervous at the prospect.

Wireless reach spreads apace

If our ears were tuned to the right frequencies, we’d hear the airwaves buzzing with new wireless networks. Along the motorway from Auckland’s North Shore to the eastern suburbs, you’ll encounter a score or more Wi-Fi networks – if you have the necessary snooping gear. And those are just the private networks; public ones are popping up in cafes and bars around the inner city, and others with ambitions to cover great swathes of the country are being implemented.

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