START UP SUCCESS: TIPS FOR PERFECTING YOUR PITCH AND SELLING TO BIG BUSINESS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 IS TECHNOLOGY THE CAUSE OF CAR CRASHES? OR THE CURE? PLUS OVERCOMING RESISTANCE TO SELF-DRIVING CARS > TOP ICT TRENDS FOR 2014 > 3D PRINTING FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION > MOBILE: AN ERGONOMIC NIGHTMARE! CONTENTS Information Age December/January 2014 | 3 Gartner: the top 10 IT changing 16 predictions for 2014 What’s your The consultancy’s list of what will affect the ICT industry in the near future. new year’s 26 Five ways to prepare for wearable devices at work resolution? The technology industry has a new challenge after smartphones and tablets in the workplace: wearable computing. Get set for new tech 3D printing adds new dimension 36 to innovation Amid the consumer hype, companies are using the machines for product development. 29 Do’s and don’ts for tech start-ups When launching a new product, these common mistakes could cost start-ups valuable opportunities. 31 Perfect pitch How start-ups should sell to the enterprise. Information Age December/January 2014 | 4 CONTENTS 6 Focus on professionalism a feature for Tate As he comes to the end of his term as ACS president, 44 All in the mind Nick Tate reflects on some of the highlights of his time User-centric computing now requires more than in office. lip service. 19 Is technology the cause of car 46 There’s no vacation from fitness crashes or the cure? Going on holiday? That’s no excuse to stop working Are smartphones and other tech products unfairly out with apps and gear for exercising anywhere. targeted for deadly car accidents? 48 Surprise: mobile devices don’t 22 Get the message right help office ergonomics Bruce Thompson, from Victoria’s Department of Getting a move on is good, but understand the Environment and Primary Industries, shares his limitations of devices as you do so. tips for working to tight schedules and the power of communications. 52 Introducing the smart chair A new flexible office chair has been designed 24 So you’re studying IT? for mobile workers. Six women from the University of NSW discuss why they chose a career in IT. 54 Guide to organisational change management 33 Making the move to Agile A new guide aims to help ICT professionals Changing organisational culture is crucial to helping understand the psychology of change management. your company adopt Agile methods. 55 Ethics: be safe, be social 39 Remote chance The privacy implications of social networking systems The use of teleworking in Australia is increasing even such as Facebook. while many businesses lack written agreements. 58 7 top wishes of project managers 41 Bosses without borders If you could have three project management-related Staying connected to telecommuters has never been wishes, what would they be? easier with these tools for managing remote workers. 60 11 sure signs you’ve been hacked ...And what to do about it. Information Age December/January 2014 | 5 CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 7 CEO’s column 8 Editorial 12 ACS Foundation update 64 New members 68 Australian answers: students create device to digitise mileage recording ACS NEWS 9 Brenda Aynsley elected ACS president for 2014-2016 Nick Tate awarded honorary life membership ACS Queensland Fellows lunch Australia crowned F1 in Schools World Champions 2013 Indigenous Business Australia builds technology skills with certification 2014 challenge: skills shortage VIEWS 13 Misconceptions rife with self-driving cars 14 Trust me, I’m a... 15 For geeks, avoiding blame is a silent career killer Interview : ACS president Information Age December/January 2014 | 6 FOCUS ON PROFESSIONALISM A FEATURE FOR TATE As he comes to the end of his term as ACS president, Nick Tate reflects on some of the highlights of his time in office. By Deanne McIntosh he problems facing the US government’s healthcare.gov site Engagement are a good example of the need to campaign for profession- Tate’s presidency has occurred during some interesting times, most Talism in ICT, outgoing ACS president Nick Tate says. recently navigating a change of federal government, something he The site was supposed to introduce Americans to a new era of says the ACS has taken in its stride. “We work with both sides of health insurance, and before the launch, Americans were promised government,” he says. “It’s about policy not politics. Our role is to be Membership enhanced it would allow them to compare various insurance offerings. Instead, a trusted and impartial advisor on what’s best for ICT professionals Closer to home, Tate highlights a number of ways the ACS has the project went so awry and the site functioned so poorly that very and the industry.” worked to improve its offerings to members. For one, he thinks the few people were actually able to sign up. One area where the ACS has helped take a lead in facilitating move to take Information Age online and mobile is a step forward. US president Barack Obama was forced to apologise for poor major industry discussion is the Cloud Computing protocol. Early He also pointed to closer ties with the ACS Foundation to give performance and the government hastily set about repairing both the in 2013, the government asked the ACS to manage a consultation students a membership targeted at starting their careers in ICT, technical and public damage. process with the cloud industry and with cloud users and potential along with professional indemnity insurance for university students According to Tate, these high profile failures have an effect on the users. Stakeholders from government, education and industry as earning less than $25,000 per annum in ICT consultancy fees, credibility of the ICT industry and underscore the ACS approach to well as businesses and consumers were invited to share their views offering coverage of between $10,000,000 and $20,000,000. promoting professionalism. “We need to constantly push the require- and expertise to create the protocol. ment for ICT projects to be managed by ICT professionals,” Tate says. Tate says the ACS had, along with other industry organisations, Opportunities “It is the only way to reduce the risks.” encouraged the federal government to join the Open Government According to Tate, the industry has a great deal to look forward to in It that context, Tate says he is pleased to see that membership of Partnership. “We advocated for Australia to join the partnership,” he the future. “If we look at what’s happening, we see the emergence of the ACS has grown, along with the number of Certified Practitioners says. “It means more data is opened up to let SMEs build applica- new roles, such as user experience gurus, as well as the significant and Certified Technologists. tions that will be helpful to citizens.” requirement for data scientists,” he says. “There’s huge and con- “There’s so many great ICT projects going on but the high profile He also pointed to the ACS’s role in SEARCC, the South East tinuing demand for ICT professionals.” failures are big and visible, and it’s so important for us to counter Asia Regional Computer Confederation, as a highlight of his time in The challenge, of course, is supply, he says. “We need to help that message with the focus on professionalism and give the public office. “Last year we held the SEARCC conference in Sydney and it bridge the gap in available ICT professionals. Our universities are greater confidence in ICT projects.” was very successful.” doing a fine job in training but we can help both in encouraging To that end, the ACS has recently acquired the exclusive rights to Tate, who was also SEARCC president for 2012-2013, believes young people to enter the industry and helping ICT professionals use help companies and individuals with SFIA accreditation in Australia. involvement in the confederation allowed for useful discussions in professional development to move into those new roles.” The MySFIA online tool helps ICT professionals benchmark their the region around professionalism and certification. Or as Tim Berners-Lee said during his ACS-sponsored visit to skills against a global framework and work towards certification and Sri Lanka, for instance, has established a SFIA accreditation Australia early 2013 – another highlight for Tate – “We need more map potential career pathways. scheme. people to code, especially girls.” ACS CEO’S COLUMN Information Age December/January 2014 | 7 PROVIDING LEADERSHIP The ACS is ideally placed to help Australia to increase professionalism in the ICT industry, to the greater benefit of the country and our region. Alan Patterson MACS (Snr), CEO, ACS any of us would be familiar with the technical infrastructure organisations is also an essential element in increasing confidence supply chain, the outcome of which is enhanced trust in the in the decisions and outcomes that technology can and will deliver. Mquality and integrity of goods and services which is in our Our national university accreditation program also sets us apart national interest and for the public good. However, it is increasingly from other organisations in the sector and positions us as the leading important given the growth of the services sector and global supply professional association in ICT internationally. chains, and the ubiquitous use of technology, that these concepts Today there is recognition of the need to move towards partner- and the role that professional associations such as ACS has to play ships and to deliver the benefits these partnerships between across them is better understood. individuals in their work context can bring – either to staff, the Professional associations are the fulcrum on which individuals, organisation or to customers. Because we have such strong industry and government can pivot to achieve mutually beneficial relationships with industry and active members, we are now taking outcomes.