Computer Daily News AUSTRALIA’S DAILY FAX Wednesday, May 1, 2013 Issue No. 6041 ALL MAJOR TECHNOLOGY STOCK PRICES See page 4 & E-MAIL NEWS SERVICE - AVAILABLE ONLY ON SUBSCRIPTION Revenue down, profit up as IBM Oz moves toward big blue cloud S YDNEY – IBM Australia has reported a 13 percent rise in net profit to A$351 million for its financial year, ended December 31. It paid $135.2 million in income tax – which the Australian Financial Review has noted is significantly more than the local offshoots of global IT players Google and Apple. Revenue was down slightly at $4.52 billion, compared with $4.54 billion the 2011 figure of $4.54 billion. That reflects IBM’s global result for FY2012, which saw the US giant report revenue of US$104.5 billion, essentially flat at constant currency, while net income was up 8 percent at a record $17.6 billion. Big Blue lodged its 2012 Australian financial report with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on Monday afternoon and, while not publicly revealed, it soon found its way into the AFR. IBM Australia’s chief financial officer, Sara Watts, said the local performance was pleasing in the context of the high dollar, and a broader push by IBM to establish itself as a leading player in the cloud computing market. First quarter results for the global company released last week missed Wall Street expectations which saw chief executive Virginia Rometty lambast sales staff for moving too slowly in closing deals (CDN, Friday). Australian results for the first quarter of this year have not Continued on page 2 Harvey priciest chain: report SYDNEY – The Harvey Norman group – whose founder Gerry Harvey frequently complains publicly about the swing to online trading by buyers – is Australia’s mostly costly retail chain for consumer electronics and whitegoods, according to a Credit Suisse report. Rival chains Bing Lee and Good Guys also ranked among the more expensive for whitegoods and small appliances behind HN, Oonagh Reidy reports for Channel News. JB Home and Masters were among the lower end for appliances prices, while Appliances Online was the cheapest, according to Credit Suisse’s latest Australian Consumer Electronics Pricing Index, quoted by Reidy. Harvey Norman stores were almost 10 percent higher than rivals, the report says. E-tailer Kogan came out as one of the cheapest electronics stores, while JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith were in the middle, with similar prices. The report also notes that overall electronics prices are down by 10pc from a year ago, with all major retailers’ prices (even Harvey’s) going down. Tablets fell by a massive 24 percent compared to a year ago, while TV’s and camera fell 15-20pc. Stop pirating Game of Thrones, US ambassador urges Aussies CANBERRA – US ambassador Jeff Bleich – a selfconfessed addict of the Game of Thrones TV epic saga – has called on Australians to stop pirating the series, produced for US cable company HBO. His plea, made via Facebook, follows revelations that Australians outnumber all other nationals in pirating the ultra-popular series. According to analysis published this week by global Web site TorrentFreak, some 10.1 percent of an estimated four million downloads of each series of Game of Thrones originate in Australia. That compares with 9.7 percent in the US, 7.7 percent in Canada and 7.6 percent in the UK. Bleich’s late-night Facebook posting – made partly to promote yesterday’s UN World Book and Copyright Day HOW TO REACH AUSTRALIA'S TOP I.T. EXECUTIVES The first thing hundreds of Australian IT managing directors, marketing managers and other executives do every working morning is reach for their copy of Computer Daily News. Put your message on their desk in this advertising space, now available at very reasonable rates. Phone (02) 9909 8470 for details Computer Daily News AUSTRALIA’S DAILY FAX Wednesday, May 1, 2013 Issue No. 6041 ALL MAJOR TECHNOLOGY STOCK PRICES See page 4 & E-MAIL NEWS SERVICE - AVAILABLE ONLY ON SUBSCRIPTION Revenue down, profit up as IBM Oz moves toward big blue cloud S YDNEY – IBM Australia has reported a 13 percent rise in net profit to A$351 million for its financial year, ended December 31. It paid $135.2 million in income tax – which the Australian Financial Review has noted is significantly more than the local offshoots of global IT players Google and Apple. Revenue was down slightly at $4.52 billion, compared with $4.54 billion the 2011 figure of $4.54 billion. That reflects IBM’s global result for FY2012, which saw the US giant report revenue of US$104.5 billion, essentially flat at constant currency, while net income was up 8 percent at a record $17.6 billion. Big Blue lodged its 2012 Australian financial report with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on Monday afternoon and, while not publicly revealed, it soon found its way into the AFR. IBM Australia’s chief financial officer, Sara Watts, said the local performance was pleasing in the context of the high dollar, and a broader push by IBM to establish itself as a leading player in the cloud computing market. First quarter results for the global company released last week missed Wall Street expectations which saw chief executive Virginia Rometty lambast sales staff for moving too slowly in closing deals (CDN, Friday). Australian results for the first quarter of this year have not Continued on page 2 Harvey priciest chain: report SYDNEY – The Harvey Norman group – whose founder Gerry Harvey frequently complains publicly about the swing to online trading by buyers – is Australia’s mostly costly retail chain for consumer electronics and whitegoods, according to a Credit Suisse report. Rival chains Bing Lee and Good Guys also ranked among the more expensive for whitegoods and small appliances behind HN, Oonagh Reidy reports for Channel News. JB Home and Masters were among the lower end for appliances prices, while Appliances Online was the cheapest, according to Credit Suisse’s latest Australian Consumer Electronics Pricing Index, quoted by Reidy. Harvey Norman stores were almost 10 percent higher than rivals, the report says. E-tailer Kogan came out as one of the cheapest electronics stores, while JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith were in the middle, with similar prices. The report also notes that overall electronics prices are down by 10pc from a year ago, with all major retailers’ prices (even Harvey’s) going down. Tablets fell by a massive 24 percent compared to a year ago, while TV’s and camera fell 15-20pc. Stop pirating Game of Thrones, US ambassador urges Aussies CANBERRA – US ambassador Jeff Bleich – a selfconfessed addict of the Game of Thrones TV epic saga – has called on Australians to stop pirating the series, produced for US cable company HBO. His plea, made via Facebook, follows revelations that Australians outnumber all other nationals in pirating the ultra-popular series. According to analysis published this week by global Web site TorrentFreak, some 10.1 percent of an estimated four million downloads of each series of Game of Thrones originate in Australia. That compares with 9.7 percent in the US, 7.7 percent in Canada and 7.6 percent in the UK. Bleich’s late-night Facebook posting – made partly to promote yesterday’s UN World Book and Copyright Day HOW TO REACH AUSTRALIA'S TOP I.T. EXECUTIVES The first thing hundreds of Australian IT managing directors, marketing managers and other executives do every working morning is reach for their copy of Computer Daily News. Put your message on their desk in this advertising space, now available at very reasonable rates. Phone (02) 9909 8470 for details