Sandie had set a personal goal to raise $200 for the foundation but proceeded to raise an impressive $510! This will help The Leukaemia Foundation continue to provide practical care and support to patients and families living and dealing with leukaemias, blood disorders, lymphomas and myeloma. It will also help fund further research into better treatments and hopefully cures.

Kylie, Danielle and Mina were there to console Sandie’s crying mother and proudly cheer Sandie on as the hairdresser shaved off her locks. Then it was Kylie, Danielle and Mina’s turn to donate more money and colour their hair to not only raise funds, but to also help create awareness for the charity.

Thank you to all of the Computer Merchants team, families and friends, suppliers and customers for all of their support and donations to such a great cause. Congratulations Sandie on your achievement – you should be proud!

PS You look great too!

Since 1998, The World’s Greatest Shave has raised in excess of $80 million and each year around 100,000 people shave or colour their hair.

• Charities We Supported in 2005
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• My Journey – Amazon Heart

Dear Margaret,

I’m over the rellies! Don’t get me wrong, I love it when they visit but it is always nice to have our home back to ourselves!

We had Auntie Martha, Uncle Conrad and their 3 children, 9, 5 and 2 stay with us for the last month. They came over from the motherland and were keen to soak up some of our local culture. Every night we sat through the account of the day according to Uncle Conrad, with frequent interjections from Aunt Martha and more frequent interruptions from little Frieda (2).

I’ve got to admit they had us in fits of laughter as they relived their daily activities. If the actual events were half as colourful as Conrad’s recount it would seem that I am missing out on so much from my own backyard.

That’s the thing about one’s memory – if you can pull out the highlights and forget all the bland vanilla flavoured events then life would be so much more exciting. But we also need the low points so that we can enjoy the high points so much more.

I think that’s why Uncle Conrad’s stories are so much more entertaining than sitting through Uncle Harold’s home video… but that’s another story!

B.A.Kup

Dear B.A.,

A good recount is vitally important and while Uncle Conrad’s stories may have been interesting, I am sure that they were probably not historically accurate.

If you need a true account of recent events then the best way to record it is to make a record, like Uncle Harold’s home video. There is nothing worse than needing to recall something from the past and finding that all memories have been erased!

If you want to talk to someone about keeping an accurate record of historical data, and being able to retrieve it when you need it – talk to the lovely people at Computer Merchants.

Margaret

• Dear Margaret, March 2007
• Dear Margaret, September 2008
• Dear Margaret, March 2009
• Dear Margaret, October 2007
• Dear Margaret, June 2007

The winner is Wilma McLean from Schmolz & Bickenbach Australia Pty Ltd. Congratulations Wilma! Wilma is the proud new owner of a Nintendo Wii.

If you’d like to stop spam forever, call us on 1800 777 111 and ask about how we can help you with your Netbox Blue solution.

• ThinkInsideTheNetbox iPhone Winner
• Stop Spam Forever And Win A Nintendo Wii!
• Stop Spam Forever And Win An iPhone
• NetBox Blue Solve Our Spam Problem
• NetBox Blue

Here are a few quick tips suggested by Par Botes, CTO, EMC Asia Pacific and Japan.

Eliminate the sprawl of small non-mission critical servers and storage through virtualisation

Technologies like VMWare, the server virtualisation market leader, have reported dramatic results, including:

1. 70-80% increase in storage utilisation with unified storage
2. 60-80% utilisation rates for x86 servers (up from 5-15% in non-virtualised PCs)
3. Cost savings of more than $3,000 annually for every workload virtualised
4. Ability to provision new applications in minutes instead of days or weeks
5. 85% improvement in recovery time from unplanned downtime

Power and cooling

Recent headlines in the newspapers about rising electricity costs have made every business expedite their efforts to reduce power consumption.

With energy costs representing the second largest line item associated with datacenter operations, consuming more than 10% of a typical enterprise’s ICT operational costs attributed to computers, cooling systems and storage systems, the ICT department’s operations is the first to be reviewed in spite of its strategic importance.

Implementing an information life cycle management (ILM) strategy for information

ILM is a comprehensive approach to managing the flow of an information system’s data and associated metadata from creation and initial storage to the time when it becomes obsolete and is deleted.

An ILM strategy requires classifying data into separate tiers according to specified policies, and automating data migration from one tier to another based on that criteria. As a rule, newer data, and data that must be accessed more frequently, is stored on faster, but more expensive storage media, while less critical data is stored on cheaper, but slower media.

However, the ILM approach recognises that the importance of any data does not rely solely on its age or how often it’s accessed. Users can specify different policies for data that declines in value at different rates or that retains its value throughout its life span. Just implementing tiered storage and consolidating can save an organisation tens of thousands of dollars.

Contact Us

If you would like to consider strategies that could improve your business please don’t hesitate to mention it to your Computer Merchants representative as we may have other ideas for your particular business that could help save you valuable funding in the current climate. Freecall us on 1800 777 111.

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Dear Margaret,

I picked up my new little pussy-cat last week!

A brand new, Jaguar XKR convertible - a sports car defined by effortless power, instant response and outstanding agility. Constructed from aluminium for lightness, strength and rigidity, powered by Jaguar’s latest generation Supercharged 4.2 litre V8 306kW engine, and featuring a Sequential Shift 6-Speed transmission with fully automatic or paddle-shift manual control the XKR delivers blistering acceleration, superb driving dynamics and pin-sharp handling…

Listen to me, I’ve only had it a week and I sound like a sales brochure. But it really is a fantastic machine. Performance, comfort, reliability and backed up by the full support of Jaguar.

I love it!

Joseph Jagman

Dear Joseph,

I am so pleased that you have found yourself a gem with the XKR. It is really good to have a machine so good that it sells itself!

Take the new IBM Power Systems for example. Performance, functionality, reliability and with the virtualisation tools available it can give you the flexibility to move and to grow with your business. With IBM backing this really is a machine that comes from a great stable.

And speaking of stables, when it comes to performance cars I’ll stick with my little red stallion!

Margaret

• Dear Margaret, March 2007
• Dear Margaret, April 2008
• Dear Margaret, June 2007
• Dear Margaret, June 2009
• Dear Margaret, December 2007

Netbox Blue allows businesses to protect their network from external and internal threats

• This includes eradicating spam and blocking potential viruses.
• Your staff will be happier – no longer will they receive numerous emails from unwanted sources.
• Netbox Blue virtualises hardware which leads to a reduction in costs.
• Visit ThinkInsideTheNetbox to learn more about Netbox Blue and what sort of companies have taken advantage of this product.
• Contact us on 1800 777 111 if you have any further enquiries.

• Stop Spam Forever And Win An iPhone
• NetBox Blue Solve Our Spam Problem
• ThinkInsideTheNetbox iPhone Winner
• ThinkInsideTheNetbox Wii Winner
• NetBox Blue

Instant recovery – any time you need it

In business, time is a precious commodity, and there seems to be less and less available, as we’re tasked to fit more and more into it.

That’s why, when it comes to protecting and recovering your all important data, losing either time or information assets is simply not an option.

What’s needed is the ability to truly step back to any point in time to quickly recover data following any kind of incident, whether a security breach, virus attack, software corruption, or simply accidentally deleted files.

EchoStream/EchoCluster by Vision Solutions

EchoStream/EchoCluster is a true continuous data protection and automated high-availability solution that delivers nearly instantaneous recovery of your applications and data. Independent of applications and database, EchoStream/EchoCluster is designed specifically for the IBM AIX platform running on IBM system p and POWER architecture.

Computer Merchants – service with an edge

Talk to us about EchoStream, EchoCluster and affordable business continuity solutions services. Since 1979, we’ve forged a reputation as the most proactive, customer focused and service driven ICT partner in the country.

Win an Apple iPhone

Visit PickAnyMomentInTime to go into the draw to win the latest Apple iPhone!

For more information freecall 1800 777 111 or email us.

• EchoStream For AIX, Continuous Data Protection
• Vision Solutions – EchoStream for AIX
• EchoStream And EchoCluster, High Availability for AIX
• Are High Availability Solutions Right For Your Business?
• Continuous Data Protection With EchoStream and EchoCluster

Congratulations Ken! Ken is the proud new owner of an Apple iPhone.

If you’d like to stop spam forever, call us on 1800 777 111 and ask about how we can help you with your Netbox Blue solution.

• ThinkInsideTheNetbox Wii Winner
• Stop Spam Forever And Win An iPhone
• Stop Spam Forever And Win A Nintendo Wii!
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• NetBox Blue

Our office will be staffed as usual during normal work hours to assist with any requirements that you may have. We will be closed on the public holidays though.

Thank you for all your support and business this year

We look forward to catching up with you and being of service in 2009. All of us here at Computer Merchants wish you and your families a
safe and enjoyable festive season.

None Found

However, according to the X-Force report, vulnerabilities disclosed by independent researchers are twice as likely to have zero-day exploit code published, calling into question how researchers practice vulnerability disclosure and signifying the need for a new standard in the industry.

“The two major themes in the first half of 2008 were acceleration and proliferation,” said X-Force Operations Manager Kris Lamb.

“We see a considerable acceleration in the time a vulnerability is disclosed to when it is exploited, with an accompanying proliferation of vulnerabilities overall. Without a unified process for disclosing vulnerabilities, the research industry runs the risk of actually fuelling online criminal activity.

“There’s a reason why X-Force doesn’t publish exploit code for the vulnerabilities we have found, and perhaps it is time for others in our field to reconsider this practice.”

Key findings from the X-Force report included:

• Browser plug-ins are the newest target-of-choice. The threat landscape has evolved from the operating system to the Web browser to browser plug-ins. In the first six months of 2008, roughly 78% of web browser exploits targeted browser plug-ins.
• One-off manual attacks are growing into massive automated attacks. More than half of all vulnerability disclosures were related to web server applications. Structured Query Language (SQL) injection vulnerabilities, in particular, jumped from 25% in 2007 to 41% of all web server application vulnerabilities in the first half of 2008, and corresponded with a rash of automated attacks that compromised servers in an effort to compromise more endpoint systems.
• Spammers go back to basics. The complex spam of 2007 (image-based spam, file attachment spam, etc) has almost disappeared and now spammers are using simple URL spam. This spam generally consists of a few simple words and a URL, making it difficult for spam filters to detect. Approximately 90% of spam is now URL spam.
• Russia continues to be origin of most spam. Russia is responsible for 11% of the world’s spam followed by Turkey with 8% and then the United States with 7.1%.
• Online gamers are targets. As online games and virtual communities continue to gain popularity, they are becoming an enticing target for cybercriminals. The X-Force report indicates that the top four password-stealing Trojans were all aimed at gamers. The goal is to steal gamers’ virtual assets selling them for real money in online market places.
• Financial institutions remain key targets for phishers. All but two of the top 20 phishing targets were financial institutions.
• Secure virtualisation grows in importance. Virtualisation-related vulnerability disclosures have tripled since 2006 and are likely to increase as virtualised environments become more widespread.

• IBM ISS MX0804 Bundle – April 2009 Special Price
• NetBox Blue
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Dear Margaret,

It was my birthday the other day! Another year older and another year wiser…I wish! My youngest, Andrew, gave me a new gadget to listen to my music on. You know that I can’t buy cassettes anymore to play in the car on my way to Bowls on Thursday.

This little gadget is such a small little thing and Andrew said that it could hold up to 1000 songs. The last Kenny Rogers cassette that I bought only had 24 songs – including my favourite, “The Gambler” - You’ve gotta know when to hold ‘em, Know when to fold ‘em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run…

Anyway, I can fit all of my Kenny Rogers collection on this little device and still have room for Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell.

What I like about it is that I never have to worry about my cassettes melting in the hot summer sun again. You know, occasionally after I’ve finished listening to a cassette I’ll take it out of the wireless and sit it up on the dashboard. Of course next time I listen to Willie Nelson it sounds more like Willy, the whale from “Free Willy”, you know – “Y—–o——u a——–r——r——-r——e a——l—– l—l—-w—-a—–y——-s——s——-s o———–n m——m——-m——-y m- —–m—–i——n—–d…”

Cheers!
CW Fan

Hi CW,

It sounds like you’re a fan of both types of music, Country and Western! And Yes!, these little music devices have come a long way.

Personally I have all of my music stored on the hard disk of my computer - it makes it easy to find and very fast to access - but it is more expensive than other means of storage.

A friend of mine uses his hard disk and then keeps a copy on a tape, just in case his hard disk crashes. It would be a shame to lose his collection of hits from the 70s.

Of course, we can now get solid state hard disks, I understand that these are much more reliable than the traditional hard disk and the size of them is going up while the prices are coming down.

You know, if you have any questions about how you can store your information, you should give the nice people at Computer Merchants a call.

Kind regards,
Margaret

• Dear Margaret, March 2009
• Dear Margaret, September 2008
• Dear Margaret, October 2007
• Dear Margaret, June 2007
• Dear Margaret, June 2008

(More to come, so check back soon!)

• Interaction 2008 At Surfers Paradise
• Interaction News April 2008
• Interaction 2006 Wrapup
• Interaction 2007 Midyear Update
• Interaction Conference 2007 Coup

Everywhere we go it seems that the news is rather bleak with regard to the global economy. Most of the commentary is reporting on past events (the majority being about losses instead of gains) and very little being able to provide help or insights into the future.

Our business relationships are much like our personal relationships

For example, when things are good we always seem to have a lot of friends. It’s when times are tough that you realise who your friends really are. With this analogy I am clearly reminded and comforted of how mature and experienced our customers, partners and staff are.

All of us have experienced challenging times in the past, learnt a lot, implemented improved processes and procedures and we have come out the other side better for it. Here at Computer Merchants our sights are clearly set on the future and we have you in that picture.

Just as we want to grow our business, we want to help you grow your business

Some of you know us very well, others not as well. For those that are not across all the things we offer, I thought it pertinent to bring to your attention some of the ways we can help you and the bottom line of your business in these challenging times.

How we can help you improve your bottom line:

1. Buy your old equipment – If you have redundant equipment we would like to know what you have and hopefully we can purchase it from you. This includes servers, networking equipment and devices. It is very satisfying being able to have customers become suppliers and pay you money. Trading back your old hardware can help offset the cost of the upgrade that you need to undertake.
2. Experience – Computer Merchants turns 30 years old in 2009. Our sales team is experienced with an average tenure of over 7 years per person, something we are very proud of. They are very apt at providing fast, accurate, friendly and helpful information around your ICT budgeting and planning needs.
3. New and Used – Not only can we help you move your business forward taking advantage of the latest technologies we can also help you with your end of life systems that require that upgrade until you do your next infrastructure refresh.
4. Rental - As projects can be delayed sometimes you need to prop up existing infrastructure while you wait to implement your new systems which are either outside your budget or perhaps you have a project where it suits to do it outside the balance sheet. We can offer short to long term rental solutions.
5. Leasing – With available credit freezing up we have partners like IBM Global Finance that are ramping up the funds available to help you get your projects through.
6. Guarantee you are happy with the end result – As per our “Plain English Sale Conditions” we guarantee you are happy with the end result. What this means is we don’t expect payment until you have received the goods and confirmed that what you ordered is what you have received and that it is in good working order. Besides giving you peace of mind it also helps your cash flow.
7. Customer Service – Our customer service team is extremely experienced in getting your equipment to you and installed. Our friendly service is backed up by systems and processes to ensure important things happen, like keeping you informed, using the right packaging materials and quality assurance. We want to make sure the experience is one you will want to come back for as well as saving you time and money.
8. Technical Help – We field many questions from customers who have a technical query, many times we are able to provide the help you need from one of our engineers. If we don’t have the answer we have always been able to point you in the right direction or find the answer for you.
9. FREE CALL – 1800 777 111. We even pay for the phone call.

I wish you and your business all the success for the remainder of 2008 and onwards into 2009. If there is anything I can do to help please feel free to call me personally on 1800 777 111 or 0447 777 111.

Norm Jefferies
Managing Director

• Norm Jefferies Maps Out The Future For Computer Merchants
• Send Anything Around The World
• What Else Can We Do For You?
• Buying Hardware From Computer Merchants
• We’re On A Mission

Netbox Blue allows businesses to protect their network from external and internal threats

• This includes eradicating spam and blocking potential viruses.
• Your staff will be happier - no longer will they receive numerous emails from unwanted sources.
• Netbox Blue virtualises hardware which leads to a reduction in costs.
• Visit ThinkInsideTheNetbox to learn more about Netbox Blue and what sort of companies have taken advantage of this product.
• Contact us on 1800 777 111 if you have any further enquiries.

• Stop Spam Forever And Win A Nintendo Wii!
• NetBox Blue Solve Our Spam Problem
• ThinkInsideTheNetbox iPhone Winner
• ThinkInsideTheNetbox Wii Winner
• NetBox Blue

Dear Margaret,

Talking about Green, my dear Nigel had a Green experience awhile ago. He had a bad shellfish at our favourite seafood restaurant and he hasn’t been able to look our goldfish in the eye since. I didn’t realise that someone could actually turn that particular shade of puce.

And more recently when our neighbour pulled up in his driveway with his brand new 4WD.

It was a beautiful deep sea green colour, which paled in comparison to the green my dear Nigel turned out of pure envy. However Nigel was laughing on the other side of his face when they both turned up at the petrol station. Our neighbour in his 300horsepower 3tonne giant which uses 30 litres/100km going downhill with a 100 knot tailwind, and my Nigel with his company hybrid which coughs if it sniffs any more than a teaspoon of fuel at a time.

To be quite honest, I appreciate the extra dollars that Nigel has left in his pocket as it means he can spoil me that little bit more!

Yours truly,
Jade!

Dear Jade,

Thanks for your letter. Green by name, green by nature!

Aren’t men funny beasts! It sounds like you have a gem (can I suggest Emerald?) in Nigel. Look after him, won’t you! The benefits of using the right tool for the job are many and various. New clothes, dining out, jewellery…flowers! – versus spending big money on purchases and maintenance of oversized and overspecialised giants.

If I was the boss of my home (and I think you are!) I know which option I’d prefer!

Margaret

• Dear Margaret, October 2007
• Dear Margaret, June 2008
• Dear Margaret, April 2008
• Dear Margaret, June 2007
• Dear Margaret, March 2007

The legislation is important for governments, business, and the Australian community by:

• Providing robust data to underpin the environmental and financial integrity of Australia’s national emissions trading scheme
• Reducing the number of greenhouse and energy reports required across State, Territory and Australian Government programs
• Providing corporate level information to the public on greenhouse and energy performance of Australian corporations for the first time.

Do I need to report now?

Corporations who might meet thresholds and aren’t already collecting greenhouse gas emissions and energy data should begin collating that information and keeping records from 1 July 2008. Most corporations likely to be affected by the legislation have systems or processes in place for reporting under mandatory or voluntary government programs or to meet investor or shareholder demands.

Although data collection should begin now, Corporations have until 31 October 2009 to submit their report under the Act.

Who needs to report?

From 1 July 2008, corporations will be required to register and report for the 2008-2009 financial year if:

• They control a facility that emits 25 kilotonnes or more of greenhouse gases (CO2 equivalent), or produce or consume 100 terajoules or more of energy; or
• Their corporate group emits 125 kilotonnes or more greenhouse gases (CO2 equivalent), or produces or consume 500 terajoules or more of energy.
• Lower thresholds for corporate groups will be phased in by 2010-11. The final thresholds will be 50 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases (CO2 equivalent) or 200 terajoules of energy.

An online calculator is available to help corporations assess if they are likely to meet thresholds.

What is the coverage?

By the 2010-11 reporting period the legislation is expected to cover around 700 medium and large corporations. The reporting system will improve data coverage to over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions in the covered sectors. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, land use, land use change and forestry activities will not be included until methodologies for reporting at the facility and corporation level are sufficiently developed.

Taken from www.climatechange.gov.au/reporting/publications/pubs/ngers-presentation.pdf

Notes:

• TJ = terajoule (1012 joules) of energy consumed or produced
• kt = kilotonne (106 kilograms) CO2-e equivalent of greenhouse gases emitted

Conversion factors:

• Energy
  • 1 terajoule = 1000 gigajoules
  • 1 gigajoule = 1000 megajoules
  • 1 megajoule = 1000 kilojoules
  • 1 kilojoule = 1000 joules
• CO2-e emissions
  • 1 kilotonne = 1000 tonnes
  • 1 tonne = 1000 kilograms

More Information

• Visit www.climatechange.gov.au/reporting,
• Email: reporting@climatechange.gov.au
• or call 1800 081 831.

For information on emissions trading visit the Department of Climate Change website.

None Found

South Australia

It is anticipated that:

• Additional mandatory reporting will be introduced (as soon as 2010) for major business operating in the state;
• In line with South Australia’s Strategic Plan 2007, greenhouse gas emissions will need to be reduced by at least 60 percent by 2050. Thus, aggressive reduction targets will be progressively imposed on business over the coming years;
• Industry will also embrace renewable energy and increase usage to 20 percent by 2014.

South Australia has committed to establish a national emissions trading scheme no later than 2010. Additionally, South Australia’s Strategic Plan commits the state to:

• Meet the Kyoto target (108 percent of 1990 levels) by 2012;
• Increase the use of public transport to 10 percent by 2018;
• Reduce South Australia’s ecological foot print by 30 percent by 2050;
• Improve the energy efficiency of Government buildings by 25 percent by 2014;
• Reduce total emissions from the state Government operations by 60 percent by 30 June 2020;
• Purchase a minimum of 20 percent Green Power by 1 January 2008;
• Improved energy efficiency for new housing;
• Convert 50 percent of State Government cars to more environmentally friendly fuels.

Reference: Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007. Tackling Climate Change: South Australia’s Greenhouse Strategy

New South Wales

The State has committed to a national emissions trading scheme no later than 2010.

• NSW Government has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 158.2 million tonnes (2005 level) to 63.3 million tonnes by 2050. Such a target will affect all levels of business;
• Under the NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme, electricity retailers must meet mandatory scheme will have a flow-on effect to all levels of business;
• All new residential development is required in reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared to the NSW average.

The Government has also implemented strategies to reduce business uncertainty by establishing carbon constraints in order to promote investment and innovation. This decision provides a clear signal of intent, assists industry risks management, provides investor confidence and promotes technical innovation in a carbon constrained future.

NSW is also committed to:

• Meet Kyoto target (108 percent of 1990 levels) by 2012;
• Achieve energy efficiency requirements for new housing;
• Introducing a green vehicle registration program to allow drivers to offset their vehicle emissions.

Reference: The NSW Greenhouse Plan 2005. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change

Victoria

Large corporations are forced to set reduction targets for their energy consumption through the Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans (EREP) Program.

• A pilot program that required greenhouse gas emissions reporting and disclosure has been implemented in 25 companies;
• EPA Works’ Approval and Licensing are required to implement best practice with respect to greenhouse gas emissions;
• Landmark Climate Change Bill to be introduced requiring greenhouse gas abatement, and development of ecoefficiency standards for industry;
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60 percent by 2050 (from 121.9 million tonnes in 2005 to 48.8 million tonnes in 2050). This reduction target will have a flow-on effect to all levels of business;
• Mandating five star environmental ratings for all new Government offices;
• Increase Victorian renewable energy generation to 10 percent by 2016;
• The EPA Greenhouse Program is the first regulatory greenhouse and energy efficiency program for industry in Australia requiring the implementation of best practices with respect to greenhouse gas emissions and energy audits for existing licensed premises.

The State Government has stated it will establish a national emissions trading scheme no later than 2010.

It has also committed to:

• Meet the Kyoto target (108 percent of 1990 levels) by 2012;
• Achieve energy efficiency requirements for new housing.

Reference: Sustainability Action Statement 2006.  Victorian Climate Change Program

Western Australia

The Western Australia’s Greenhouse Strategy (2004) defines several objectives for its response to global climate change.

The State is committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60 percent by 2050.

• Major industrial greenhouse gas procedures required to report their emissions annually along with their reduction strategies;
• Large and medium sized power consumers forced to comply with a mandatory energy efficiency scheme;
• The WA Government is committed to reduce green house gas emissions from 71 million tonnes (2007 level) to approximately 26 million tonnes by 2050. This reduction target will have a flow-on effect to all levels of business;
• Emission reduction strategies and targets have been developed for key sectors of the economy.

The Government will work to minimise its own contribution by demonstrating emission reductions which will impact on the supply chain of business to the government.

A Greenhouse Abatement fund will be created to hold and deal with organic sequestration rights and credits generated by
Government institutions.

Reference: Premier’s Climate Change Action Statement. Climate change: Making Decisions for the Future (PDF). WA Department of Environmentand Conservation

Queensland

Queensland will:

Reduce emissions by at least 60 percent by 2050 (from 157 million tones in 2005 to 62.8 in 2050). This reduction target will have a flow-on effect to all levels of business;

• Aim for renewable and low-emission energy target of 10 percent by 2020;
• Introduce additional mandatory reporting (as soon as 2010) for medium and major businesses operating in Queensland;
• Progressively impose aggressive emission reduction targets on business;
• Introduce a Queensland Carbon Offsets Policy to ensure that industries are ready for any emissions trading scheme introduced nationally.

Queensland Government Environmental Offsets Policy (PDF)

The Queensland Government is also committed to:

• Establish a feed-in tariff which will pay consumers for energy they contribute to the electricity grid from a solar panel system;
• Ensure new commercial buildings reach a minimum four-star energy efficiency rating from 2010 under the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating Scheme;
• Achieving carbon neutrality for Government office buildings by 2020;
• Incorporating into development assessment processes under the Integrated Planning Act 1997 a State Planning Policy to ensure climate change issues are addressed;
• Ensure new houses install non-electric water heaters;
• Phase out the use of electric hot water systems in existing homes from 2010;
• Introduce a system of motor vehicle transfer duty requirements based on the number of cylinders in an effort to reduce emissions.

Reference: Climate Smart 2050 Queensland Climate Change Strategy. Environmental Protection Agency Queensland

None Found

We trust that Roger will remember his work address is 41 Sudbury Street, Darra, Queensland!

This is not the first time Roger has won a prize at an IBM event, of which he was reminded by many of us who were at the launch.

None Found

Indeed! I recall October 2006 and October 2007 in Melbourne where that half hour never eventuated. It was pretty much cold and overcast for 3 days running. As beautiful as Melbourne is, I couldn’t say the same for the weather over the last two Interaction conferences.

Well, for Interaction 2008, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. They say the Gold Coast offers just about everything –  Sun, Surf, Sand and now a bunch of IBM users. That’s right - Interaction 2008 will be in SUNNY QUEENSLAND.

Interaction 2008 Venue

Marriott Resort – Surfers Paradise – Australia
158 Ferny Ave
Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217
(07) 5592 9800
Commencing 8th September 2008

For more information about the Interaction User Group Conference, please visit the Interaction web site. Everything you need to know about Interaction, including how to register for the conference is available at this web site.

For those of you attending the conference this year, we’d like to extend you an offer to drop in and visit the office of Computer Merchants. From the Gold Coast you can be at our place in under an hour. See the map below for directions to and from our office. We’d love to show you around our place if time permits. And remember to visit us at our stand at the conference as well!

View Larger Map

• IBM Interaction Conference 2007 Recap
• Interaction 2008 Photos
• Interaction 2007 Dates To Remember
• Interaction News April 2008
• Interaction Conference 2007 Coup

Dear Margaret,

A funny thing happened on my walk to work the other day.

We’d had a terrible storm on the previous evening, with tumultuous rain and accompanying cacophonous thunder. Thankfully I had experienced little discomfort to my person from the unseasonal conditions but the effects of the tempest had left my pathway strewn with debris, blown from now stripped vegetation.

My immediate concern was for the diminutive but not insignificant fauna which populate my regular course. As I scanned the undergrowth for signs of injured and incapacitated wildlife I slipped on the wet lawn, tripped over a fallen log and landed on my derrière.

Amongst all the chaos I had failed to notice that my left stocking had slipped and was now encircling my ankle. It appeared at first glance that my garter had failed and was no longer in support of my sock. Thankfully however I was prepared with my Continuous Garter Protection. I was simply able to roll back my stocking to the point of failure and restore my clothing to its former condition.

Imagine the embarrassment of arriving to work with my stocking trailing around my ankle!

Yours truly,
Ms E Stream

Dear E Stream,

Sounds like you’re onto something with Continuous Garter Protection. The roll back function could be very useful in the event of a failure. I presume that you are using some form of garter replication to provide redundancy for your garter.

I’m hearing echoes of an IT solution that provides very similar features!

Thanks for your story!

Margaret

• Dear Margaret, September 2008
• Dear Margaret, June 2007
• Dear Margaret, March 2007
• Dear Margaret, December 2007
• Dear Margaret, June 2009