We’re getting ready for Telstra Vantage™ 2018 which is on in Melbourne from 17-20 September at the Melbourne Conference & Exhibition Centre.

This annual showcase of ideas and technology is designed to get everyone thinking. With spectacular experiences and hands-on demonstrations of transformational technologies and innovation, delegates will get to explore new ways of solving today’s biggest challenges. It’s also a great opportunity to hear from a number of world-class speakers sharing their latest ideas.

Flexible working has become a cornerstone of the modern workplace. As an employer, providing employees with flexible work arrangements is critical to attracting and retaining the best talent. Of course, to underpin such flexibility you need collaboration and communication tools that ensure your people are never more than a tap or two away from connecting to other colleagues, clients, systems, data, and applications.

What’s on your phone? Today’s personal devices have an app for everything, from tracking fitness to recording meals to improving mindfulness. In 2018, Accenture reported that 75 percent of consumers believe technology is important to managing their health. And almost half – 48 percent – use health-related mobile or tablet apps, a dramatic rise from 2014’s 16 percent.

Time strapped IT managers are often forced to prioritise “keeping the lights on” with their information and communications technology (ICT) and mobile environments instead of exploring new strategies. Even getting around to analysing and optimising the environment already in place often falls back on the back burner.

This could mean that gaps in their infrastructure, may slide “under the radar” while more pressing current ICT matters are attended to.

The aged care industry has been careful in adopting technology-based solutions, citing fears about the technology usage, complexity, reliability, support and the ‘dangers of the internet’. However, these concerns and debates around disruptive business models have tended to overlook the improved outcomes technology can deliver for aged care, such as better self-direction for aged Australians accessing care services.