2026 stories
In 2026, Australian businesses face a decisive test: turn years of AI and cloud investment into real advantage, or fall behind.
Rural and remote community groups can now apply for digital grants of up to AUD $10,000, with AUD $200,000 available nationwide.
Qualtrics again tops Gartner's 2026 Voice of the Customer rankings, leading on execution, vision and AI-driven experience agents.
Bitget's Bitcoin reserves jump 86% and net inflows hit USD $205.95 million as it launches AI trading tools and tokenised TradFi push.
In 2026, AI agents move from pilots to the enterprise core, forcing firms to prove measurable value under tight governance.
Global ransomware attacks jump 50% to 7,874 in 2025, with industrial firms bearing the brunt as criminal groups reshuffle their tactics.
On International Women's Day, Omada backs EU pay transparency and boosts female leadership, pushing tech towards fairer hiring and pay.
Connected packaging sheds its fad status as record executive backing, rising budgets and compliance pressures push it firmly into the boardroom.
CISOs slow-roll agentic AI in defence, even as they brace for more advanced, AI-boosted attacks and rising personal liability risks.
Aviva has named Chris Cochrane as its next group Chief Information Officer, with his appointment due to take effect in summer 2026.
Global mobile app installs jumped 10% in 2025 as sessions rose 7%, fuelled by surging finance and eCommerce usage in APAC and beyond.
New Zealand employers plan pay rises and richer perks as economic optimism grows, with 84% expecting the outlook to lift staff salaries.
Crypto enters 2026 swinging as regulation, stablecoins, Bitcoin and DeFi trade blows in a defining bout for digital finance's future.
Fleet operators cautiously trial AI to tame rising costs as ageing vehicles and maintenance bottlenecks drive up downtime and service spend.
As e-invoicing mandates loom across Australia and New Zealand, businesses must upgrade now or risk losing lucrative government contracts.
RFPs now touch 40% of enterprise revenue as Loopio reports rising submission volumes and surging generative AI use in bid workflows.
Sharp swings in online peak spending and 64% checkout abandonment risk derailing retailers' forecasts and promo plans for 2026.
US small firms are leaning on AI to slash admin costs and free staff for higher-value work, avoiding deeper headcount cuts for now.
Mastercard opens 2026 fund in Canada, offering CAD $10,000 grants and support to help women-owned small firms grow amid economic uncertainty.
By 2026, modern workspaces will hinge on invisible infrastructure, governed AI and human-centric orchestration to stay competitive.