On 25 September, IITAV hosted an informative presentation and discussion on the exciting opportunities provided by the advent of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Australia. The highlight of the event, which was held in collaboration with Swinburne University of Technology, featured an address by Mr.Will Irving, Group Managing Director,Telstra Business.
In an engrossing style, supported with beautiful slides, Will covered two aspects of information and communication technology:
(i) Transformational Technologies including. Broadband, Devices & interfaces, M2M (the internet of things), Cloud and Big Data and
(ii) Innovation opportunities to increase connectivity encompassing home, work, business, hospitals, patients and education.
Will highlighted how information technology has been transforming our lives at an ever increasing speed. Apparently, the internet data transfer speed has grown from 0.25 mbps to 100 mbps in recent years and it will hit 200 mbps in the not too distant future.
Will outlined the vast opportunities for innovations that Broadband and internet are opening up. Innovations will make your home smarter so that everything is at your fingertips, wherever you are in your home. Innovations will enable you to work and interact with colleagues from just about anywhere and anytime. Innovations will interconnect all aspects of your business from within and without. Innovations will utilise data for disaster management. Innovations will connect your local General Practitioner and your pharmacy with the main hospitals in the state. You will be able to monitor and look after your own medical needs with guidance from your computer using tele-diagnostics and a central database. Innovations will help to develop enhanced learning aids and virtual laboratories.
In short, be prepared for a smart world in which everything will connect and communicate. Of course there will be challenges along the way. Standardisation and efficiency will be required. There will be issues of trustworthiness of the data, legalities about ownership of the data and about the systemic risks and how to mitigate them.
The event was attended by more than 40 IIT alumni, industry people and Swinburne University staff. Mr. Nikhil Kumar, IITAV’s Co-ordinator-Networking events, introduced Mr. Will Irving. Dr Raj Rajakumar, IITAV President, thanked Will for sharing his exciting insights and presented him IITAV’s Certificate of Appreciation.