Sydney was feted as the ‘epicentre’ of the Australian IT industry at this year’s CeBIT conference held at the city’s Olympic Park. Over 25,000 people pre-registered for the exhibition from 30 countries around the world. Prime Minister Tony Abbott opened the event  preaching that Government and the business sector continue to embrace new technologies to improve the way Australians do business.

Digital radio is starting to get greater traction with sales in digital radio devices outperforming expectations, according to the latest statistics from Commercial Radio Australia (CRA). In the five years since the launch of DAB+ digital radio in metropolitan Australia, around 1.7 million digital radio devices have been sold and PwC have forecast digital radio household penetration to reach 23.3%. Currently 2.8 million people or 21.4% are listening to DAB+ digital radio each week in the five state capital cities. Significantly nearly 1.2 million more people listen to DAB+ digital radio than radio on the Internet.

The Australian obsession with sport has swiftly translated into a boom time for online betting with digital wagering company Sportsbet emerging as the fastest growing online bookmaker the country. Based on total bets placed in 2013, Sportsbet has come up in front of competitors Tabcorp and Tatts Group and other digital only sites like Bet365 and Betfair.

In the digital age consumers, businesses and healthcare providers are demanding innovative services, with IP networks as the conduit. In Australia, the National Broadband Network (NBN) is providing a platform for radical advances in science and healthcare that have direct effect on consumers.

A mere two years ago, discussions around the concept of 4K and Ultra HD was couched as a futuristic possibility. Now at the world’s largest gathering of broadcasters and content producers, MipTV, 4K is treated as variously a threat, opportunity and evolution for the industry at large. 

This year’s National Association of Broadcasters Show is underway in Las Vegas promising to deliver a week of intense discussions over disruptive formats such as Ultra High Definition and where investment should sit.