J59 Internet Service Providers Web Search Portals and Data Processing Services

Major bitcoin ATM rollout on the way

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 25-Jul-14

ABA Technology plans to place Bitcoin ATM machines in shopping centres and other high-traffic, high-profile locations around Australia. Chris Guzowski, founder and CEO of the company, says five more ATMs will be rolled out in various capital cities by September 2014. Shoppers already have access to three Bitcoin ATMs, in the Emporium Melbourne mall, Sydney’s Westfield shopping centre, and the Canberra Centre

CORPORATES
ABA TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD|WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD|ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX|DIGITALBTC|SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG|EMPORIUM MELBOURNE

Telstra to axe jobs in Asia push

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 21 : 24-Jul-14

Telstra group MD for the Global Services division David Burns has unveiled 460 redundancies at the telco, with a further 208 contractors also to lose their jobs. In total some 15% of the workforce in the unit will be affected by a move to outsource the tasks to low-cost providers in India. Michael Tull, president of the Community & Public Sector Union, has condemned the decision. He noted that Global Services is a growth business for the telco and the staff involved are highly skilled

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS|COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION

How Telstra and NBN Co started a $200m fight

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 16-Jul-14

NBN Co and Telstra are engaged in a legal dispute over the impact of increases in the CPI on their $A11 billion cable infrastructure agreement. There is a difference of $A200 million in their calculations. Telstra believes the CPI increase should apply from 2012, while NBN Co claims the increase should apply from 2013. The matter will be considered in the Supreme Court of New South Wales

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NBN CO LIMITED, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Expedia’s offer brings up many Wotifs for sector

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Original article by Adir Shiffman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 15-Jul-14

The acquisition of Australian-listed online travel bookings provider Wotif.com by Expedia is not a positive development for Australia. The deal is likely to have a negative impact on competition in the hotel bookings sector. There will be fewer jobs in the industry and a loss of expertise and talent. It is surprising that Wotif capitulated so quickly and accepted the takeover offer. Several years ago, Wotif was considered to be in the same category as SEEK and REA Group

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, BOOKING.COM BV, AGODA COMPANY PTE LTD, ORBITZ INCORPORATED, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, TRAVEL.COM.AU LIMITED, HOTELS.COM LP, TRIPADVISOR LLC, HOTELCLUB, DISRUPTIVE INVESTMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX DVI, CATAPULT SPORTS PTY LTD

Expedia told: lift rates, cop a backlash

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Original article by Larry Schlesinger
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 42 : 10-Jul-14

A takeover offer worth $A703m has been made for Australian online travel bookings group Wotif.com by US-based Expedia. Local accommodation operators say they will increasingly turn to direct reservations via upgraded in-house web sites, if Expedia attempts to raise commission rates after the acquisition. At present Wotif charges about 12% and the Australian unit of Expedia 18%. Industry expert Dean Dransfield likens the warning by the hotel businesses to the revolt against increased fees at property classifieds portal REA Group by real estate agents

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, EXPEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, MANTRA GROUP LIMITED – ASX MTR, ACCOR SA, DRANSFIELD HOTELS AND RESORTS PTY LTD

Vizeum sees no conflict in roles

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 9-Jul-14

Media buying agency Vizeum faces concerns that its representation of real estate agents breaches competition laws. It has confirmed that it is acting for Real Estate Digital Marketing Services to negotiate ad rates with online classifieds portal REA Group. Questions have been asked about the involvement of Norman Draper, who is linked to REA rival Domain. Vizeum said that there was no conflict of interests, as it was acting for a not-for-profit organisation

CORPORATES
REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, VIZEUM, REAL ESTATE DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES PTY LTD, DENTSU AEGIS NETWORK, DOMAIN.COM.AU, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, METRO MEDIA PUBLISHING PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Expedia launches $703m takeover bid for Wotif.com

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Original article by Perry Williams, Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15/20 : 8-Jul-14

US-based online travel bookings group Expedia has launched a takeover bid for Wotif.com. Investors have been offered $A3.30 a share in a bid worth $A703 million in total. Wotif co-founder Graeme Wood as well as CEO and MD Scott Blume have recommended shareholders accept the offer. Blume said competition in the sector was so intense that it was "eat or be eaten" for Wotif

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, BOOKING.COM BV, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PARADICE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP INCORPORATED, WILSON HTM LIMITED, HYPERION ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, UQ HOLDINGS, GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP PLC, CCZ EQUITIES PTY LTD

Boycott threat in advertising war

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 8-Jul-14

Real estate agents may decide to boycott certain services provided by Australian-listed online classifieds group REA if no agreement is reached on charges. Media buying group Real Estate Digital Marketing Services (REDMS) stated on 7 July 2014 that it sought a meeting with REA, but the latter refused to discuss the matter of fees charged by its realestate.com.au portal. REDMS represents more than 400 Victoria-based agents

CORPORATES
REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REAL ESTATE DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES PTY LTD, VIZEUM, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN PROPERTY GROUP, METRO MEDIA PUBLISHING PTY LTD, BIGGIN AND SCOTT PTY LTD

NBN connections soar in a year

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Jul-14

Greg Adcock, COO of NBN Co, has issued new and promising data on its progress in rolling out the Australian Government’s national broadband network. The number of premises connected to the cabling infrastructure has risen from 27,250 to 106,000 during 2013-14, while that of actual users is also up from 1,870 to now about 16,000. NBN Co and the main contractor, Ericsson, have a target of 450,000 connections by mid-2015. However Ericsson, which is being paid $A1.1bn, had suffered a series of setbacks

CORPORATES
NBN CO LIMITED, ERICSSON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELEFON AB LM ERICSSON

Online star back from the brink

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Original article by Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 19/22 : 27-Jun-14

Australian entrepreneur Patrick Grove does not like his wealth to be examined by the media. In 2013, he appeared on the "Young Rich List" of "BRW" with a wealth of $A95 million. Grove says he is motivated by the desire to build new businesses rather than to make money. His Catcha Group now controls online assets worth more than $US300 million ($A318.8 milion), including stakes in three Australian-listed companies – iCar, iProperty and iBuy

CORPORATES
CATCHA GROUP, CATCHA MEDIA BERHAD, ICAR ASIA LIMITED – ASX ICQ, IPROPERTY GROUP LIMITED – ASX IPP, IBUY GROUP LIMITED – ASX IBY, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FRONTIER DIGITAL VENTURES, NASDAQ, ANDERSEN, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX