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According to Susi Steigler-Peters, author of Personalised Learning and Telstra General Manager for Education, today’s student is transforming how education is delivered and how new technologies can provide an enhanced learning experience.

“From interviews with leading academics and senior representatives in the education sector, we found that the majority of students felt that the current educational model was not meeting their needs, as they prepare to compete in the new global knowledge economy,” Ms Steigler-Peters said.

“Today’s students are growing up in an environment saturated with technology and, as a result, the old broadcast method of teaching doesn’t fit anymore.

“Students are looking for a robust learning ecosystem that is ‘learner centric’, taking into account the needs, interests, and learning style of the student and leveraging technology in a meaningful and engaging way,” Ms Steigler-Peters said.

The research, sponsored by Telstra, involved in-depth interviews with more than 30 senior representatives of Australia’s public, independent and Catholic schools, TAFEs, universities, education agencies, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

The report outlines the Telstra Learning Blueprint, which incorporates the latest communications services to better connect students and teachers to achieve a more personalised learning experience.

Integral to this is enabling schools to better make use of services such as video conferencing, unified communications, SMS, MMS and mobile devices.

“Using education conferencing enables students and teachers to interact from multiple locations, perfect for virtual field trips, broadcasting classes, and interactive sessions with experts or parents,” Ms Steigler-Peters said.

“Collaboration tools, such as instant messaging, slideshows and polls can test for understanding and encourage debate which in turn promotes a more connected classroom.”

The research also highlights the opportunity that smartphones and tablets provide teachers in the classroom, such as schedules, assignments and room changes sent straight to students’ phones.

While on the go, students can post learning content and comments to class wikis or blogs and use instant messaging to collaborate.

The Personalised Learning whitepaper was launched at the Connectivity: Creating Learning Futures Conference in Melbourne.

Download the Personalised Learning Whitepaper (PDF, 1.3MB)

Telstra media contact: Peter Habib: (02) 8576 2712
Email: media@team.telstra.com
www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre/
Reference: 374 / 2011

Telstra Business Group Managing Director Will Irving said the online ordering tool would be marketed to both big and small firms, with pricing and functionality aimed squarely at driving cloud take-up and productivity in Australia’s huge base of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“Telstra’s multi-million dollar investment in cloud services is money businesses themselves don’t need to invest upfront on IT, so they can put it to good use elsewhere to help them grow,” Mr Irving said.

“Because it provides computing resources on demand, businesses no longer need to own a physical server and can just rent space as they require it.

“Independent modelling undertaken for Telstra shows a SME using the new service could save up to $7000 a year over three years compared to what they would normally spend setting up on-premises servers,” he said.

Telstra Cloud Services are available in five packages ranging from $200 to $4000 a month, on a pay-as-you-go basis with minimal or no up-front costs or fixed contract term.

Mr Irving said the new Cloud Services portal, cloud.telstra.com complemented Telstra’s fast-growing T-Suite cloud software portal.

“Just as T-Suite has made cloud software easy for Australian SMEs, this is yet another way to access a productivity tool already used widely by big business,” he said.

“Moving to Telstra’s cloud means they can use ‘virtual servers’ to safely and securely store crucial data off their premises without the need to pay for a team of IT experts.

“Integration with the Next IP and Next G networks means Telstra has scale no other Australian ICT provider can match, with coverage to 99 per cent of the population and the flexibility of being able to access data and services from desktops, laptops and mobiles,” Mr Irving said.

The simplicity of ordering online will appeal to large enterprise through to small business customers, especially those seeking to rapidly deploy virtual environments for a variety of uses including testing, development or short-term projects.

They can self-purchase and manage virtual servers via the platform or go to the cloud with help from a growing network of channel partners.

There’s a choice of Windows or Linux-based virtual servers, hosted in Telstra’s Australian data centres, charged to a Telstra bill and managed online.

Telstra’s Cloud Services portal provides access to our enterprise-grade servers, built on industry-leading computing infrastructure from Cisco, VMWare and EMC, backed by service level agreements and 24 x 7 support on a pay-for-use basis or subscription basis.

In Canberra today, the Government announced the TelePresence solution had achieved productivity, sustainability and cost benefits, with the service hosting more than 1031 official meetings totalling more than 1660 hours. This has enabled staff to stay at their interstate offices instead of travelling to Canberra.

For one TelePresence meeting connected to 12 different locations, the Government estimated to have saved $100,600 in costs relating to travel.

The Government also revealed the service has delivered cost savings in excess of $12 million relating to travel expenses which in turn has directly enabled the Government to reduce carbon emissions by not having to travel to meetings.

Announced in February 2009 as a joint initiative with Telstra and Cisco, the deployment of Cisco TelePresence units operating over the Telstra Next IP® network has been operating for 18 months. The service incorporates 36 TelePresence sites connecting the seven Commonwealth Government offices, Prime Ministerial and Cabinet offices, Parliament House and the offices of Premiers and Chief Minister agencies in every state and territory to one highly secure, high definition video conferencing facility.

Philip Jones, Executive Director, Data and IP, Network Applications & Services at Telstra said the announcement indicates video conferencing has come of age.

“A modern meeting today is one that uses technology such as high definition TelePresence to bring people from across the country together for a meeting without the need for travel,” Mr Jones said.

“Telstra managed the planning, designing and deploying of the National TelePresence System in Government offices all across the country. Our combined network and project management skills means we have now delivered a proven solution to a national Government audience that is capable of supporting the Government as it strives to deliver ICT deployments that deliver genuine productivity, sustainability and cost savings,” Mr Jones said.

Ken Boal, Director of Public Sector, Cisco Australia said the National TelePresence System is world leading in its deployment and utilisation.

“The Australian Government is at the global forefront by using immersive video technology to bring key decision makers together to solve critical national issues,” Mr Boal said.

“The Government’s National TelePresence System is enabling more effective and frequent collaboration with reduced travel, expense and carbon emissions and moves us to a more sustainable lifestyle,” he said.

The Government established the National TelePresence System (NTS) to reduce the travel and consequent carbon emissions, fiscal costs and productivity losses associated with meetings of COAG officials, Ministerial Council officials and other intergovernmental-related interactions.

The Government’s NTS uses the power, reliability and in-built security of the Telstra Next IP® network and both Telstra and Cisco’s business video and unified communications expertise to enable collaboration.

Cisco TelePresence systems combine life-size, ultra-high definition video, spatial audio, specially designed meeting rooms and interactive elements to create the feeling of being “in person” with participants who may be located hundreds and thousands of kilometres away. This simple, easy to use technology makes it possible for Government officials to communicate as naturally and effectively as they would in person.

To view a video case study regarding the Australian Government using Telstra and Cisco TelePresence visit www.bit.ly/telstra-telepresence and for more information on video conferencing visit www.telstra.com/eyetoeye

Health Minister John Hill said the 17-inch (25.4cm) touch-screen computers will be rolled out across eight metropolitan and four country hospitals over the next 12 months.

“South Australia is the first state in the country, and one of the first places in the world, to put electronic clinical applications at patients’ bedsides on this scale,” Minister Hill said.

“Telstra will install the individual computers at around 3,500 patient bedsides, making it the largest single installation of bedside computers in Australia.

“The computers will provide a clinical workstation for doctors and nurses and help standardise and improve clinical work practices across the whole health system.”

Computer terminals will also be installed at specialist hospital points of care, such as day surgery, aged care, chemotherapy, haematology areas and emergency departments.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paddy Phillips said health care workers will have improved access to medical and patient information when new clinical applications come online by early 2013.

“The computers will improve safety - for example, clinicians will be able order tests and medication directly, reducing the risk of errors with the traditional handwritten approach.” Professor Phillips said.

“The bedside computers will also enable clinicians to show the patient relevant health information, Xrays and test results on-screen at the patient’s bedside.”
SA Health carefully assessed a number of service providers via a formal tender process last year for the $36.7 million (over eight years) project.

The bedside computers will also provide patients with access to all terrestrial digital television and radio stations available in their area, a range of pay television channels, movies, a dedicated phone line and filtered internet access on a pre-paid basis.

Patients will be able to choose from entertainment packages ranging in price from $6 to $18 per day; there will be no charge for the clinical applications of the computers used by doctors and nurses.

Patients in Children’s, Renal Dialysis, Spinal, Burns, Haematology, Oncology, Hospice and Palliative Care wards will receive free to air TV at no cost.

DVA Gold and White card holders will also be provided with access to the standard entertainment package at no cost to them.

Chris Pearce, Executive Director, Government and Not-for-Profit, Telstra Enterprise and Government, said Telstra welcomes the opportunity to deliver a nation-leading patient bedside information and entertainment service to SA Health.

“Telstra is pleased to be working with SA Health to give hospital clinicians the latest access to clinical applications and other medical information direct from a patient’s bedside,” Mr Pearce said.

“Telstra is a long-term partner to the health industry in Australia and we are developing and delivering innovative solutions using Telstra’s high-speed networks to assist clinicians care for patients.”

The staged installation of the bedside computers is scheduled to begin at Noarlunga Hospital from 31 October 2011.

The bedside computers will also be rolled out at Lyell McEwin Hospital; Royal Adelaide Hospital; Modbury Hospital; Flinders Medical Centre; The Queen Elizabeth Hospital; Repatriation General Hospital; Women’s and Children’s Hospital; Port Augusta Hospital; Port Pirie Hospital; Whyalla Hospital; and Mount Gambier Hospital.

The new tool offers a simple way for customers to search for companies providing business mobility solutions and allows them to connect to partners in the program.

Mike Cihra, Director of M2M and Partners at Telstra, said the move is another example of the success of Telstra’s channel initiatives giving its partners an additional avenue for sales, promotion and brand awareness.

“With the growth of mobile solutions such as machine-to-machine technology, the Mobility Partner Program represents a critical one-stop-shop for both customers and Telstra partners to come together to find the right technology solution that will work to its optimum on our Next G network,” Mr Cihra said.

“This program is part of our mission to educate and grow the machine-to-machine and mobile computing market in Australia.

“The Mobility Partner Program has seen great growth across its first year, with 144 partners signed up, currently promoting more than 130 different solutions. An extension of this partner program is the new online mobile solutions search tool,” Mr Cihra said.

One of the most successful solutions featured in the program uses technology from Telstra and Navman Wireless, a global innovator of GPS vehicle tracking and management solutions. The Navman Wireless solution gives customers around the clock access to vehicle location and status as well as a full suite of reporting tools to ensure optimum fleet efficiency and productivity.

The Mobility Partner Program has been integral to the launch, according to Ian Daniel, Vice President, Asia Pacific at Navman Wireless.

“This partnership brings together Australia’s leading telecommunications and fleet management companies. We’ve seen an explosion in local demand for fleet management solutions and we’re excited about working alongside Telstra to make our products easily available to Australian businesses,” Mr Daniel said.

Customers now have a choice on how they acquire the Navman Wireless solution through Telstra. They can either pay for the solution upfront or over a 36 month term. This removes the need for customers to pay for the hardware upfront and provides the flexibility to spread the costs over the contract term.

“We remain committed to working with partners to provide the tools, documentation and certification to optimise their services for our network, as well as working to increase partner market reach through our national sales teams,” Mr Cihra said.

More information regarding the Telstra Mobility Partner Program is available online at http://mobilitypartner.telstra.com

Telstra is the first Australian provider to receive SAP certification which means Australian organisations looking to outsource their SAP applications into the cloud can be assured Telstra’s infrastructure adheres to the highest industry standards.

Mark Pratley, General Manager, Telstra Cloud Computing, said the certification is the company’s latest milestone on its cloud computing journey.

“The SAP certification of our cloud infrastructure is another step in our recently announced $800 million plus, 5-year investment program,” Mr Pratley said.

“Having our infrastructure accredited by SAP means organisations who want to run their SAP applications out of Telstra’s cloud can do so with the confidence of knowing it will operate at its optimum on our cloud platform.

“SAP is one of the largest enterprise application providers and is used by the majority of our customers. Receiving the SAP certification further indicates Telstra is delivering on its commitment to provide Australian organisations with a cloud computing infrastructure that adheres to the stringent requirements of the world’s leading cloud players,” Mr Pratley said.

Greg Harbor, Vice President, OnDemand Solutions, SAP ANZ said: “Telstra is a key strategic partner for SAP. We are very confident in Telstra’s ability to deliver infrastructure services to our customers, enabling the orchestration of critical SAP business applications in the cloud. In short, this means customers can now consume SAP with greater flexibility, speed to value and a lower total cost of ownership.”

Telstra has consulted with more than 160 of its enterprise customers to learn what enterprise applications they are using and how they can benefit from hosting these applications in the cloud.

“By optimising our cloud services portfolio for SAP applications and services, our customers will benefit from increased flexibility to meet changing market demands, faster provisioning of business resources and access to highly reliable cloud architecture,” Mr Pratley said.

Telstra’s cloud computing services are delivered through an alliance with Accenture and include the delivery of Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service offerings that will also support SAP cloud applications.

Telstra 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution technology) is now an integral part of the Telstra Next G® network and will be available in the central business districts (within 5km from the GPO) of all Australian capital cities. It will also be available in associated airports and in selected regional locations within 3km of the town centre. For a full list of coverage locations visit www.telstra.com/mobilebbcoverage

The Telstra USB 4G device provides Australians within 4G coverage areas with more consistent data speeds during peak and off-peak times, the ability to stream high-quality video with less buffering and access to high definition video conferencing with less buffering plus faster response times when using online applications or accessing the mobile internet. More importantly this leading edge technology allows customers to do more things online at the same time with their Telstra USB 4G device, giving Telstra the opportunity to efficiently meet demand for mobile data, which is doubling every year.

The Telstra USB 4G device operates across 4G and 3G technology, giving customers the benefits of 4G where it is available and Telstra’s 3G HSPA enabled network across the expansive Next G® mobile broadband network when outside 4G coverage areas.

Telstra customers interested in purchasing the Telstra USB 4G device should contact their Account Representative for more information.

Find out more about 4G here

® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited ABN 33 051 775 556.

The Lab supports the Accenture and Telstra cloud computing alliance, and will be hosted in a Telstra facility.

The Telstra Product Innovation Lab will serve as an Australian innovation hub, enabling the development of business oriented technology solutions for Australian enterprise and government organisations, employing the latest cloud computing technologies while delivering tangible business benefits.

The Lab will allow organisations across a range of industries to leverage the expertise of Accenture’s proven global solutions.

Dr Hugh Bradlow, Telstra Chief Technology Officer, said the new Lab boosted Telstra’s capabilities in providing locally-hosted cloud services backed by Accenture’s global leadership in enterprise grade cloud solutions.

“We know Australian organisations are increasingly looking to the cloud for their IT services and the lab will prove a powerful tool to help us develop the best possible services for our customers into the future.”

Dr Gavin Michael, Chief Technology Innovation Officer at Accenture said with the Telstra Accenture Alliance it was the next logical step to introduce an innovation lab to support the local development of cloud services in Australia.

“Australia is a proven early adopter of technology, and with the growing interest in cloud computing, Australia is an ideal place to establish a Product Innovation Lab. This will not only allow us to bring globally proven cloud-based solutions to Australia quickly, it will also help our joint clients continue to lead the charge in innovative practices.

“This lab is the latest addition to Accenture’s growing network of innovation centres around the world, and the first such centre we have established with a client to address the growing needs for cloud computing solutions,” Dr Michael said.

The lab will offer organisations a vision of how cloud computing technologies, along with other technology trends, can improve their business performance, and demonstrate first-hand the cutting-edge solutions they can adopt.

The Accenture Innovation Network consists of the company’s research and development centres globally, including the Accenture Technology Labs, the Accenture Global Delivery Network, Accenture’s joint development centres with technology alliances, and strategic initiatives focused on cloud computing, analytics, mobile technology, emerging architectures and unified communications.

About the Telstra and Accenture alliance

Telstra and Accenture have an established strategic relationship. The Telstra and Accenture alliance was formed to provide business focused technology solutions in the cloud. The goal is to help organisations in Australia build their businesses around cloud, by providing world-class technology and industry relevant services – encompassing infrastructure, communications, business application integration, business process skills and migration services, via Telstra’s secure, high speed data connection.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 211,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010. Its home page is www.accenture.com

About Telstra

Telstra provides network services and solutions to more than 200 of the world’s top 500 companies. These organisations rely on Telstra to do business across 240 countries and territories and to enable greater productivity, efficiency and growth. Telstra solutions offer the best of all worlds – skilled people and a rich portfolio of services delivered on our world-class Telstra Next IP™ network and Next G™ network. To ensure reliable performance, they’re monitored and maintained from our dedicated centres using advanced management and operational systems. Telstra customers enjoy Enterprise-grade Customer Service™ and one of Australia’s largest and most qualified field and technical workforce. Visit www.telstra.com/cloud for more information about Telstra Connected Clouds.

Accenture media contact:
Ivana Tranchini
Burson-Marsteller for Accenture
Tel: +61 2 9928 1516
Mob: +61 (0)405 206 824
Email: ivana.tranchini@bm.com

Telstra media contact:
Peter Habib
Tel: 02 8576 2712
Email: media@team.telstra.com
www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre

Telstra is the first Australian telecommunication company and one of only a handful of global organisations to receive accreditation by Red Hat, expanding the range of enterprise applications compatible with Telstra’s cloud computing services.

Telstra Executive Director, Philip Jones, said the certification is the latest in the company’s continuing investment in cloud computing.

“Telstra has partnered with Red Hat as part of our hosting services program for many years and accreditation as a Red Hat Certified Cloud Provider is a significant development for Telstra cloud computing,” Mr Jones said.

“Offering Red Hat Enterprise Linux in our cloud computing environment offers our customers more choice, more flexibility and the opportunity for them to run more applications out of our cloud. We have worked to optimise the platform for high-performance and a secure service experience to support the broad portfolio of leading-edge enterprise applications and middleware software,” Mr Jones said.

Red Hat Vice President and General Manager, Cloud Business, Scott Crenshaw, said the organisation is proud to partner with Telstra.

“We welcome Telstra to our Certified Cloud Provider program. To be one of the operating platforms available on Telstra’s cloud computing services shows the demand for Red Hat Enterprise Linux in cloud deployments,” Mr Crenshaw said.

“We’ve spoken with organisations across a wide range of industries that are utilising cloud capabilities and they tell us that Red Hat Enterprise Linux brings them great value in cloud environments,” Mr Crenshaw said.

Existing Red Hat Enterprise Linux customers as well as those organisations wishing to move to more agile and cost effective Linux based operating systems can run Red Hat Enterprise Linux and supported applications and databases on Telstra’s supported cloud platform.

The certification process involves rigorous testing of Telstra’s cloud computing environment to ensure that they meet the Red Hat Certified Cloud Provider program requirements for enterprise cloud deployments.

Telstra cloud computing services leverage the Telstra Next IP® network and Next G® network and include the complete management of cloud services for security, support, fault management and delivery.

Red Hat media contact:
Michelle Rovere, PurePR
Phone: 0408 441 662
Email: michelle@purepr.com.au

Telstra Media contact:
Peter Habib
Phone: 02 8576 2712
Email: media@team.telstra.com

Reference Number: 234/2011

Tim Webber, Director of Business Mobility, Telstra said the Telstra Mobile Device Management Portal was designed to give IT administrators the ability to directly manage smartphones in organisations.

“With the growing adoption of smartphones and the increasing numbers of employees that access corporate data through personal devices, it is a challenge for organisations to ensure their corporate data remains safe and secure,” Webber said.

“We’re also seeing a rise in mobile workforces across the board, with more and more staff demanding greater functionality while out of the office.

“Telstra Mobile Device Management provides peace of mind while giving IT managers visibility and the ability to deploy new IT software direct to handsets easily and effectively,” Webber said.

The new web portal is another example of how Telstra is introducing more ways for customers to manage their services online.

The cloud-based service allows IT administrators to manage fleets covering the most popular smartphone operating systems from Apple, Google Android, Windows Phone 6.5 and Nokia Symbian. The service will also be used to configure tablets in the near future.

Once logged into Telstra Mobile Device Management, an organisation’s fleet of mobile devices are listed. Each can be remotely configured with new software while enterprise applications can also be installed direct to the device using the Telstra Next G® network.

Depending on the smartphone, the Telstra Mobile Device Management Portal allows an organisation to:

• Configure the smartphone settings such ActiveSync, WiFi, APN and VPN;
• Restrict device applications such as camera and application stores;
• Enable security features on devices such as lock, wipe and enforce passwords;
• Deploy enterprise applications;
• Check device information such as storage, serial number, roaming status;
• Upgrade smartphone firmware;
• Send SMS messages to devices;
• Generate usage reports.

Telstra Mobile Device Management is available to Telstra customers who have subscribed to Telstra Mobile Connect data plans. These plans start from $29.95 per user per month and also include data for using business applications like Exchange ActiveSync, a generous data allowance for internet browsing and dedicated technical support.

Further information is available at: www.telstra.com/MobileConnectSolution

Media contact: Peter Habib: 02 8576 2712
Email: media@team.telstra.com
www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre
Reference: 182/2011