Complaints against telecommunications providers are skyrocketing with no end in sight, according to the industry ombudsman.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will begin serious discussions with industry about the cost and access framework for the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Telstra responded swiftly to the Shadow Communications Minister’s call for structural separation of the National Broadband Network builder, calling Bruce Billson’s comments “totally irresponsible” in a statement released yesterday afternoon.

Shadow Communications Minister Bruce Billson yesterday called on the nation’s telecommunications industry to adopt a less combative and more collaborative approach to the NBN debate. He also told attendees at the 2008 Australian Telecommunications Summit that the opposition backed the call for a structurally separate NBN proponent.

IBM has announced it will open a $10.8 million IT Services Centre in Ballarat.

Recently, Microsoft released its second release candidate build, RC1, of Windows Essential Business Server, or EBS, a midmarket server solution for businesses with 50 to 300 users and computers.

Katmai, the code name for Microsoft's imminent SQL Server 2008 release, comes from an Alaskan territory know for volcanoes, which may not be the best symbol for a database. So far, however, Katmai hasn't blown up on me. And the lower-profile Katmai seems like a good follow-on to Yukon, the code name for the gigantic SQL Server 2005 release.

It may look like Windows Vista. It shares the same code base as Vista. It even rolls in Vista's first Service Pack. But in terms of customer adoption plans, Windows Server 2008 is no Vista.

Private information stored in Apple's iPhone and protected by a lock code can be accessed by anyone with just a few button presses.

Apple's iPhone 3G offers "normal" reception, Swedish engineers who tested the smart phone said today, adding to the controversy over recent user reports of dropped calls and slow surfing speeds.

Users of Apple's MobileMe have already discovered that the US$99-per-year service is sometimes slow and unreliable, and they're now talking about another shortcoming that was intentional.

With several days to spare before its self-imposed deadline, Microsoft yesterday launched the second beta version of its upcoming Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) browser, but would not commit to a ship date for the final.

We all have them. Those favorite tools and utilities that help make our Windows environment just a little bit more comfortable. For me, the following eight utilities aren't so much conveniences as they are life preservers for my sanity. Each one has become an integral part of my day to day, Windows Workstation 2008 experience, to the point where the thought of life without them leaves me contemplating a nice stroll out an 18th story window. Simply put, they're must-haves -- for me and, frankly, for any sane IT professional dealing with Windows on a daily basis.

Twenty-one months after its initial release, what do we know about Windows Vista? That home users hate it, businesses are uninstalling it and — according to Gartner — it's proof that the 23-year-old Windows line is "collapsing" under its own weight.