Jabra expands its professional-grade audio expertise into the growing frontline workforce category with the launch of Jabra Perform 10. As part of the Jabra Perform family, this new corded headset is purpose-built for customer facing associates in retail and warehouse environments who rely on real-time communication to stay productive and responsive throughout their shifts.

Jabra Perform 10 is a value-adding audio endpoint designed to work with leading Push-to-Talk (PTT) platforms from vendors such as Zello and Zebra. The device enables associates to communicate quickly and clearly at the touch of a button without having to interact with a handheld device, so they can stay focused on the customer instead of the technology. With shift-long comfort, simple plug-and-play setup and Jabra’s trusted audio quality, the Perform 10 helps teams stay connected and on task from the stockroom to the shop floor.

The lightweight mono earpiece connects to an adjustable in-line lapel mic featuring a PTT button, volume controls and a 360-degree rotational clip for secure placement on any uniform. With its USB-C plug-and-play connection, Perform 10 easily integrates into existing workflows.

Key Features of the Jabra Perform 10:

Designed to integrate with Push-to-Talk technology: Perform 10 works as an essential companion to modern Push-to-Talk platforms, making it easier for associates to relay information quickly, coordinate with teammates and respond efficiently in fast-paced retail environments while remaining attentive, hands-free and on-task.

Shift-long comfort that adapts to your associates: An adjustable earpiece, soft and flexible ear hook and pressure-relieving design provide a stable fit for all-day wear. It stays comfortable even for associates who wear glasses.

Jabra signature audio: Designed for clarity in noisy settings, the high-performance in-line mic ensures associates are heard the first time without raising their voice or repeating themselves.

Built to last: Despite its lightweight and discreet design, Perform 10 is engineered for long-term durability. With an IP67 (making it dust-tight and waterproof) rating and rigorous testing across thousands of drops and bend cycles, it helps minimise device replacements and reduces the support burden for IT teams.

The Jabra Perform 10 helps transform daily retail routines by giving teams the freedom to move, respond and collaborate without missing a beat. It keeps communication flowing, reduces interruptions and supports better service during face-to-face moments with customers. By taking the complexity out of team communication, associates stay present, work more efficiently and feel confident in getting their tasks done.  

Jabra Perform 10 is available now on Amazon and Jabra.com, For more information, please visit the Jabra Perform 10 page.

Xero, the global small business platform, today announced the next evolution of its AI financial superagent JAX (Just Ask Xero)—built on Xero’s agentic platform. JAX delivers a reimagined experience by learning how your business runs, automating routine tasks and workflows, and delivering actionable insights—orchestrating multiple AI agents behind the scenes to cut busywork and help you make smarter decisions. All of this is delivered by a trusted partner built for you, with you.

“This evolution of Xero’s platform is a foundation for the next era of small business accounting,” said Diya Jolly, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Xero. “JAX doesn’t just support today’s workflows; it continuously learns, adapts and acts to meet the evolving needs of business owners. By handling repetitive tasks and empowering our customers to focus on growth, relationships, and high value decisions, we’re seeing what’s possible for the future of work in the accounting industry, and we’re excited to keep expanding our AI offering.”

Orchestrating multiple agents on Xero’s platform, Xero’s AI Superagent JAX is designed to deliver:

1. A reimagined experience to replace scattered tools: Through one intelligent interface, JAX will unify the Xero experience and learn a business’ rhythms, automatically adapting to how that business operates.

2. Automated actions and workflows – ‘Just Done with your control’: JAX will automate routine tasks and workflows, like bank reconciliations, data entry, and getting paid–which saves customers valuable time and helps them stay compliant.

3. Access to actionable insights: Combining deep insights from across Xero customers’ businesses and connected apps, as well as collaborating with OpenAI on web research, JAX will move information beyond static reports. JAX will provide timely, proactive suggestions and a unified view of a business’ data, helping customers explore their financial data and dig deeper with Xero’s advanced financial insights. All of this will empower customers to make smarter, more informed decisions.

4. A trusted partner built for you, with you: JAX offers a trusted partnership built on security, privacy and Xero’s decades of accounting expertise, which is essential to delivering reliable and contextual insights. Xero’s proprietary JAX Assure control system further supports increased accuracy and fewer “hallucinations” compared to conventional AI tools that rely

solely on large language models. By proactively spotting potential issues and helping to keep financial data more clean and accurate, JAX acts as an always-on dedicated team.

As part of Xero’s new product offering, the company is excited to collaborate with OpenAI on its deep web research feature to bring financial information from across the web, like tax laws and market trends, right into Xero. “With AI tools like JAX, small businesses can save time, work more efficiently, and grow,” said Giancarlo “GC” Lionetti, Chief Commercial Officer at OpenAI. “Collaborating with Xero is a great example of how we’re bringing the practical benefits of intelligence directly into the platforms businesses already rely on.”

The new features will also enable Xero to meet growing demand for AI innovation among its user base, with 73% of customers having used AI across the platform since March. This trend is set to continue, as a 2025 Xero survey of 300 AU small businesses found that 58% of respondents who plan to increase their AI investment in the next year, believe that adopting AI is absolutely essential or very important for remaining competitive.

To learn more about JAX, visit xero.com/jax

If you run a small business or are involved in accounting it is unlikely you have not heard of Xero. Every year, Xero invites its accounting customers to visit Xerocon to learn more about its cloud-based accounting software. This year, 3,500 people are attending in Brisbane, with an extra 8000 people connected online.

In this AI age, it’s not surprising that one of the key themes is automating routine tasks.

Xero powers 2.6 million small businesses worldwide, with Australia being the largest market.

Last year, Xero introduced 300 new product features, with a significant emphasis on the Xero smartphone app. It is refreshing to hear that the features came from user feedback.

Technology levels the playing field between big businesses and small businesses; AI further accelerates this trend. Xero aims to reimagine accounting through the power of AI.

In line with customer feedback it was pleasing to see a “Laundromat” a place to sit with designers to explore new ideas at Xerocon for future product enhancements.

An example of a new feature from last year is Invoice by SMS, which helps small businesses get paid up to 4 times faster.

NEW Xero features for 2025 announced at Xerocon

Xero says its ‘Just ask’ tool becomes ‘Just done’ tool. JAX (Just ask Xero) is evolving with AI. AI for zero is not rolling out more software to address numerous individual tasks, but rather reimagining the base software to deliver insights, advice, and eliminate menial tasks.

Automated actions are being designed to eliminate manual tasks, such as following up on overdue invoices and making suggestions based on financial activity.

JAX will now be able to automate invoices and the invoice email to your client.

Bank reconciliation will now be automated with oversight and editing abilities. JAX will learn from your corrections and improve the process moving forward. High-confidence reconciliation is performed automatically, with low-confidence issues highlighted to the user.

The Homepage is now customisable as every business has different needs and wants different information highlighted..

Accounts use more apps than just Xero.  Xero partner hub delivers better third-party integration. 

Tax manager proactively informs what is required for compliance throughout the year. New dashboard widgets even inform you of your on-time tax lodgement with the ATO.

AI Insights will deliver management reports, saving you time on analysis. Want more insights? JAX will suggest questions you might like to ask. This extends to Financial insights, where you can ask questions like Why are my expenses increasing this month? Should I lease or buy a vehicle?

In other AI news, Xero has partnered with ChatGPT, allowing users to answer questions directly from the internet within Xero JAX. JAX can combine internal data with external information to more effectively suggest solutions based on the customer’s actual information.

On the payment side, you can now do progress payments, do multiple payments at once, and have access to new invoice templates.

If you run an accounting practice with numerous clients, staff can now be granted client account access in a few simple steps, selecting the specific data they require access to. The accounting practice can also keep track of ATO lodgement progress across all its clients in one view.

An accounting firm can utilise JAX to pose questions to its entire client base. E.g. which of my clients is experiencing unexpected increases in expenses?

New features will start rolling out from next month to the end of the year.

Angus attended Xerocon as a guest of Xero.

Amazon Web Services (AWS),has released new research revealing that while artificial intelligence (AI) adoption continues to accelerate in Australia,there is a growing gap between startups and large, more mature businesses in the depth of their AI adoption. This AI gap risks creating a two-tier economy in which tech-driven startups innovate more rapidly and outpace their established and less agile competitors.  

In Australia, nearly one business every three minutes adopted AI solutions between 2024 and 2025. In total, 1.3 million or 50% of Australian businesses are now regularly using AI, showing a year-on-year growth rate of 16%. These businesses demonstrate the productivity and economic potential of AI adoption, with 95% reporting an average increase in revenue of 34%. 86% of adopters have already experienced productivity gains, while 94% expect an average of 38% in cost savings. 

To better understand the scope of AI and how different companies are using it, AWS collaborated with Strand Partners to conduct an AI adoption survey in Australia. The “Unlocking Australia’s AI Potential” study surveyed 1,000 business leaders and 1,000 individuals in Australia.  

Widespread But Basic Adoption of AI across Australian Businesses 

While AI adoption is increasing, most Australian businesses are not yet harnessing its most advanced uses, with 58% focused primarily on basic use cases, like driving efficiencies and streamlining processes through chatbots. Just 17% of Australian businesses are at the intermediate stage of integrating AI across various business functions, and only 24% have reached the most transformative stage of AI integration, where AI is no longer just a tool but a core part of product development, decision-making, and business models, that lead to innovation. 

Startups, in particular, are enthusiastic and innovative in their use of AI in Australia, adopting AI’s most advanced uses far more rapidly than more established companies. 81% of startups in Australia are using AI in some way, of which 42% are building entirely new AI-driven products with AI, leveraging the technology to its full potential. In contrast, 61% of large enterprises are using AI, but only 18% are delivering new AI products or services, and only 22% have a comprehensive AI strategy. 

This gap in innovation risks the emergence of a two-tier economy, where startups are surging ahead of large enterprises in AI integration and adoption. Without deeper integration, these businesses risk missing out on the full potential of AI, falling behind more agile competitors, and driving a two-tier economy that will shape Australia’s prosperity for decades. 

“While it’s encouraging to see a growing number of businesses in Australia innovate with AI and realise revenue, productivity, and cost benefits, our research has uncovered that barriers such as lack of skills and regulatory uncertainty remain, impacting the ability for larger enterprises to deepen their use of AI,” said Michelle Hardie, Head of Professional Services, ANZ, AWS. “To accelerate Australia’s competitive edge on the global AI stage, it is essential that governments and industry take steps to address these barriers to unlock Australia’s full AI potential. At AWS, we are supporting the broad adoption of AI through our new AI Spring Australia program that is focused on building AI capability and skills across different sectors and industries, including large enterprises, as well as through infrastructure investments and skills training initiatives, including our recent investment of AU$20 billion in Australia.”  

Lack of AI Skills and Knowledge on AI Regulation Are Main Barriers to Deeper Adoption 

A lack of skilled personnel is the leading reason (39%) Australian businesses say is preventing them from adopting or expanding their use of AI. Many reported having the technology and the vision, but are unable to find the people to bring it to life. This could impact Australia’s global competitiveness and limit economic growth, as 51% of businesses identified AI literacy as being important for future hiring, and only 37% of businesses feel prepared with their workforce’s current skillset. Funding is also a particularly important factor for startups in Australia, with 65% saying access to venture capital is crucial in creating an environment for growth. AWS has trained 400,000+ people in Australia since 2017 in digital skills, and will continue to support Australia’s current and future workforce through generative AI programs like AWS AI Spring Australia, AWS Generative AI Accelerator, and AWS AI Launchpad. 

A clear, streamlined regulatory landscape is also necessary to give businesses the confidence they need to adopt and invest in emerging technologies The research found that only 24% of businesses are familiar with the consultation by the Australian government to implement AI regulation and could explain how the legislation would operate. Those surveyed also estimated they spent 30% of their IT budget on compliance-related costs, such as data privacy and protection compliance, legal consultations, and cybersecurity measures. 73% expect this figure to increase in the next three years.   

The Path Forward for AI Innovation 

The report uncovered three priority actions to overcome these barriers and unlock the full potential of AI across startups and large enterprises to avoid the emergence of a ‘two-tier’ economy: Firstly, invest in and build industry-specific skills programs to develop a digitally-skilled workforce that can drive AI-led innovation and growth. Secondly, establish a clear picture of Australia’s pro-growth regulation that is predictable and innovation-friendly, to help drive deeper AI adoption across all businesses. Lastly, with 86% of businesses saying they are more likely to adopt AI if the government leads, it will be critical to accelerate digital transformation in the public sector, especially in healthcare and education, and use public procurement to drive innovation.  

In Australia, AWS is committed to realising the ambitions of local customers, partners, and communities, and creating economic opportunities in the country. We reinforced this in June by announcing AWS’s plans to invest AU$20 billion from 2025-2029 to expand Australian data centre infrastructure and strengthen the nation’s AI future. With growing concerns about the development of a ‘two-tier’ AI economy, more needs to be done to equip the workforce with the right skills at scale so organisations can innovate and grow in an AI-powered future. AWS’s various programs are designed to help both individuals—whether students, career changers, or those new to the cloud— as well as businesses, build job-ready skills and pursue opportunities in the digital economy. 

Spring carries with it the natural pull to reset. For sole traders, that reset is essential. Running your own show means you are the operations manager, marketer, bookkeeper and customer service team all rolled into one. With so many hats, clutter creeps in – not in your office cupboards, but in your digital systems, customer records and even your daily routines.

Now is the time to strip back what’s weighing you down and create space for clarity, growth and momentum.

Trim the tech tangle

When you are juggling everything yourself, it is easy to sign up for apps that promise to save time. But over months or years, those tools can overlap, cost more than they deliver, or simply sit unused. A scheduling tool you stopped promoting, an invoicing app that doesn’t connect to your accounting, or a social media platform you no longer post on – all of these can create friction.

Ask yourself – does this tool actively save me time or help me win more work? If not, cancel or consolidate. Streamlining your digital toolkit gives you fewer logins to remember, fewer invoices to pay and more focus where it matters.

Top tip: Review your subscriptions once a year. Even saving $30 a month on unused software is $360 you can put back into marketing or equipment.

Polish your customer records

For sole traders, relationships are everything. But when contact details live in scattered inboxes, text threads or handwritten notes, you risk missed opportunities. Out-of-date details or duplicate entries can make you look disorganised and cost you repeat business.

Now is the time to gather everything into one system – whether it’s a simple CRM or a structured spreadsheet. Group customers by type, frequency or location so you can spot who hasn’t heard from you in a while and who might be ready for a follow-up.

Top tip: Think of your database as your most valuable marketing tool. Clean records mean you can send a quick, personalised message that turns into another booking or sale.

Refresh your customer journey

You only get one chance to make it easy for customers to find you and book you. As a sole trader, you don’t have a marketing department smoothing out the wrinkles – it’s on you.

Search your business online, click through your own website and send yourself an enquiry. Does it work seamlessly on a mobile phone? Do you get an instant confirmation? If the process feels clunky, it will feel worse for a time-poor customer.

Top tip: A smoother journey doesn’t require a new website. Sometimes, it’s as simple as updating your Google Business profile, adding click-to-call buttons or creating automatic confirmations.

Check your goals still match the market

When you set your business goals last year, were market conditions the same as today? If not, revisit them. A sole trader’s goals should be tightly aligned with the current environment and your available capacity.

Maybe demand has shifted, maybe you have discovered a service customers value more, or maybe you want to reduce hours and lift rates. Outdated goals are distractions. Updated goals give you purpose and focus.

Top tip: Write your three most important goals somewhere visible – above your desk, on your laptop background – so they actively guide your daily decisions.

Clear your calendar and your role

Sole traders often spend too much time on admin and not enough on billable or enjoyable work. Repetitive tasks such as chasing invoices, confirming appointments or sending reminders can be automated.

Every hour saved is an hour you can use to deliver for clients, plan ahead or simply recharge. Decluttering your role is about protecting your time and energy so you can run the business, not let the business run you.

Top tip: List the five tasks you enjoy doing each week. Then find one way to automate or streamline each. Even small wins accumulate into big relief.

Leading with clarity

A spring clean for your business is about freeing yourself to lead with clarity. When your tools work together, your customer records are fresh, your goals are current and your time is protected, you stop running on autopilot and start steering with purpose.

This Spring, give yourself permission to reset. The clearer your foundations, the faster you can grow with confidence.

Contributed by Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia & New Zealand