Jabra’s new premium Elite 8 & 10 earbuds include Spatial Sound, Advanced ANC, optimal battery life and compact design to power you through work and life.

Jabra, leader in personal sound and hybrid work solutions, has launched two new premium models to expand the top end of their Elite true wireless earbuds range. The Jabra Elite 8 Active, tested to be the world’s toughest earbuds*, and the Elite 10, Jabra’s most advanced earbuds for work and life with clear calls, all-day  comfort and optimised to deliver a more immersive Dolby Atmos experience through Dolby Head Tracking.

The world’s toughest premium earbuds

Jabra’s new addition to its active range, the Elite 8 Active, will set a new standard for durability and fit. Built for much more than running or sports, they are designed to be durable enough for users regardless of what they choose to do and wherever life takes them.

The Elite 8 Active buds pass all the required tests for the US Military Standard for Ruggedized Electronics (810H). That is everything from humidity and high temperature to rain and altitude. They are completely watertight when submerged up to 1.5m. – they are IP68 rated, meaning that they are fully dust and waterproof, whilst the charging case is IP54  rated to be dust and splashproof. In addition, we put the Elite 8 Active through their paces with Highly Accelerated Corrosion Testing (HACT). This requires the earbuds to pass 11 full cycles of testing, including enduring 2 hours in 40°C temperatures with 93% humidity, going through a 15-minute splash test in salt water, and surviving a 15-minute 40°C heat drying  test, to successfully prove their anti-corrosion credentials. All of this whilst staying secure in  the ear with the improved grip provided by Jabra ShakeGrip™ technology.

While Jabra Elite 8 Active premium earbuds are proud to be tough, they have not sacrificed their sound, nor aesthetic. They are made to fuel workouts with incredible sound thanks to Dolby Audio, which delivers lifelike, clear sound for a longer and more comfortable listening experience. The Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) automatically optimises the ANC performance to the environment you’re in. Wind Neutralising HearThrough™ technology also muffles any wind interference without blocking out traffic, ensuring safety without compromising on steady sound. 

With 6-mic call technology and wind noise protecting mesh, stable smartwatch  connectivity**, Google Assistant, Fast Pair, Swift Pair and Spotify Tap, battery life for up to 8  hours (32 hours with a case), these earbuds are just as good for working as for working out. 

Dialling-up your Dolby Atmos listening experience

Jabra’s new top-of-the-line Elite 10 premium earbuds promise the best combination of comfort, sound and calls anywhere, for both work and life. These true wireless earbuds, which are optimised for enjoying content in Dolby Atmos, are truly immersive and Jabra’s first earbuds to support Dolby Head Tracking. Dolby Head Tracking engages listeners in a whole new way by keeping them in the centre of the soundstage as they move their heads, enabling a more natural sound experience for your favourite entertainment, including both Dolby Atmos and stereo content. And when available, the combination of Dolby Head Tracking together with  Dolby Atmos content further elevates the sound with incredible detail and clarity for the ultimate Dolby Atmos listening experience. 

Elite 10 also eliminates surrounding noise with Jabra Advanced Active Noise Cancellation^TM. The ultra-powerful ANC auto-adjusts for what’s around you. This is achieved by infrasonic waves that measure the ear canal and algorithms that detect noise leakage and wind conditions. As a result, the earbuds will automatically switch to the highest ANC gain in noisier environments and reduce the gain in quiet places.

Designed with learnings from Elite 7 Pro for fit and Elite 85t for all-day wearing comfort, the  Elite 10 is the first in Jabra’s true wireless earbuds range to offer Jabra ComfortFit technology for the most natural, airy fit and less occlusion due to its semi-open design that relieves ear pressure, allowing users to walk and talk in comfort. Every surface the ear touches is made of soft silicon for a snug fit, meaning less wearing fatigue for all-day use. These earbuds are also designed to cater for more ear shapes and sizes than ever before.

The Elite 10 comes complete with 6-mic call technology for crystal-clear calls, 6-hour battery  (27 hours with case), including a pocket-friendly cradle optimised for wireless charging,  Bluetooth Multipoint connection, hands-free voice assistance and easy pairing. 

Calum MacDougall, SVP at Jabra, said, “Jabra has been successful by identifying user needs and then applying our unique audio engineering capabilities to meet those needs. For Elite 10, we focused on comfort and calls and music performance to meet the need for all day use from music to meetings. For Elite 8 Active, we meet the need for users to be  confident to use their earbuds, wherever they are, from work to work-out.”

Javier Foncillas, VP Commercial Partnerships & Global Sales at Dolby Laboratories said, “Dolby innovations have redefined how entertainment is created and experienced for consumers across the world. We share Jabra’s passion and ambition for quality, and the combination of the new hero Elite range together with Dolby’s latest audio innovations like Dolby Head Tracking and Dolby Audio are a perfect match.”

Elite 8 Active: MRSP $329, available in caramel, navy, and black. Pre order from September 1st, and in stores from the 15th of September, 2023, at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, The Good Guys, Amazon and Jabra.com.au. Find out more.

Elite 10: MRSP $379, available in Cream, Cocoa, Titanium black, and Gloss Black. Pre-order from September 1st, and in stores from the 15th of September, 2023, at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, The Good Guys, Amazon and Jabra.com.au. Find out more.

Key features of the Elite 8 Active:

• IP68 rated dustproof, watertight, sweatproof and 1m drop-resistant earbuds, and an  IP54 rated dust and splashproof case
• Crystal clear sound and added dimensionality with Dolby Audio
• Jabra ShakeGrip^TM technology for secure fit in a wing-free, sleek design
• Adaptive Hybrid ANC auto-filters background noise 
• Wind Neutralising HearThrough^TM for indoor and outdoor activities
• 6-mic call technology with wind noise-protecting mesh
• 6mm speakers
• Up to 8-hours battery life and up to 32-hours with case (ANC on)
• Stable Smartwatch connectivity**
• Google Assistant, Fast Pair, Swift Pair & Spotify Tap playback
• Bluetooth Multipoint connection
• Ready to support Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) & LC3, LC3plus codec with future  firmware update

Key features of the Elite 10:

• Optimised for Dolby Atmos with Dolby Head Tracking, which enables a more  immersive Dolby Atmos experience
• Jabra ComfortFit technology for a natural airy fit and less occlusion with semi-open  design to relieve ear pressure
• 6-mic call technology with advanced algorithms for better call clarity in any  environment
• Jabra Advanced ANC^TM which blocks out 2x more noise than Jabra’s standard ANC
• HearThrough technology with wind noise reduction
• 6-hour battery (27 hours with case) with ANC on, including pocket-friendly cradle  optimised for wireless charging
• IP57-rating
• Bluetooth Multipoint connection
• Hands-free Voice Assistant, Fast Pair, Swift Pair, Spotify Tap playback
• Ready to support Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) & LC3, LC3plus codec with future firmware update

Telstra has announced the creation of Telstra Business to support the changing needs of Australian small to medium businesses as demand for data and connectivity grows ~35%* each year and technology and digitisation play an increasingly critical role in future business success.

Telstra Business will see a dedicated team of experts work closely with Australian small to medium businesses to provide the right connectivity, technology and digitisation solutions to support innovation and growth.

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said small to medium sized businesses contributed around one-third of Australia’s GDP in a sector worth over half a trillion dollars for the economy.

“We live in an era defined by digital innovation and growth in technology. Our new dedicated Telstra Business team will support small to medium businesses to harness the transformative benefits of technology through secure products, solutions and support, tailored to their needs so they can focus on growth and expanding their business,” said Ms Brady

The function will be led by Amanda Hutton as the new Group Executive of Telstra Business. Amanda has been with Telstra for over six years in various executive roles in Consumer & Small Business, responsible for retail stores and small business centres, transformation and digitisation strategies. Before joining Telstra, Amanda spent 15 years leading service, customer and product teams for other globally recognised telecommunications brands.

“Amanda is a highly regarded, customer-focussed leader with extensive technology and telecommunications experience. She has a strong track record of transformation, championing customer experience improvement, and is a leader in digitisation,” Ms Brady said.

Ms Brady said the new Telstra Business function would serve small to medium business customers currently looked after by Telstra’s Consumer & Small Business function and businesses with up to 500 employees in the Telstra Enterprise function.

“This will enable all three customer facing functions to better tailor solutions to meet the changing needs of their customers in the digital economy,” Ms Brady said.

Telstra also today proposed organisational changes in Telstra InfraCo and Telstra Wholesale to enable the delivery of a globally-leading, end-to-end digital infrastructure business focussed on growth and customer success.

The internal changes would reorganise the InfraCo and Telstra Wholesale Fixed teams under InfraCo CEO Brendon Riley to deliver market-leading products and solutions in a simpler and more streamlined way, with a single sales and product channel across both fixed and active solutions.

Ms Brady said the changes would support significant opportunities in digital infrastructure being driven by AI, the shift to the cloud, and the emergence of new customer groups like hyperscalers and data centre operators.

“We’re in an era where connectivity increasingly underpins the way people live and work. These changes will enable us to support our customers across segments and for industries to digitise and unlock productivity gains that flow through to economy-wide benefits.”

Zoom Video has announced that Zoom AI Companion (formerly Zoom IQ), the company’s generative AI digital assistant, is now included at no additional cost for customers with the paid services in their Zoom user accounts^[1]. AI Companion reinforces Zoom’s vision to deliver limitless human connection on one platform, empowering people by increasing their productivity, enhancing their skills, and improving team effectiveness. Zoom also announced today that Zoom IQ for Sales, its conversational intelligence software, will be renamed Zoom Revenue Accelerator.

Since Zoom introduced generative AI in early June, thousands of companies have benefited from free trials of Team Chat compose and Meeting summary. Beginning this fall, Zoom will significantly expand its generative AI offering across its platform with the launch of AI Companion, at no additional cost with paid Zoom user accounts.

Zoom’s federated approach to AI delivers high-quality results and lowers costs by dynamically incorporating its own large language models, along with third-party models such as Meta Llama 2, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Rooted in this unique approach, Zoom AI Companion delivers powerful, real-time digital assistant capabilities to help users improve productivity and work together more effectively. Zoom customers can expect to see AI Companion throughout the entire platform, from Meetings, Team Chat, Phone, Email, and Whiteboard, with additional features on the roadmap.

“We are transcending the hype in generative AI by delivering tangible products and disrupting the industry’s pricing model, making it easy for businesses and people like you and me to leverage generative AI’s full benefits in our day-to-day work,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “We were founded on doing what’s right for our customers, and we firmly believe that offering Zoom AI Companion at no additional cost to our paid Zoom user accounts delivers tremendous value as we all navigate the challenges facing us today. We are excited to see our customers and users start using AI Companion and about our strong roadmap for further innovation underpinned by a commitment to responsible AI.”

How Zoom is Putting Customer Privacy First with Generative AI

Zoom’s goal is to invest in AI-driven innovation that enhances user experience and productivity while prioritizing trust, safety, and privacy. In August, Zoom shared that it does not use any customer audio, video, chat, screen-sharing, attachments, or other communications-like customer content (such as poll results, whiteboards, or reactions) to train Zoom’s or third-party artificial intelligence models. Additionally, AI Companion is turned off by default — account owners and administrators control whether to enable these AI features for their accounts. Zoom provides admins and users control and visibility when AI features are being used or activated. By putting its customers’ privacy needs first, Zoom is taking a leadership position, enabling its customers to use AI Companion and its capabilities with confidence.

Modern Work Powered by Zoom AI Companion

AI Companion makes it easy and frictionless to collaborate and become more productive, removing repetitive tasks and distractions, and helping teams collaborate more effectively.

AI Companion incorporates several new real-time AI capabilities immediately, with additional capabilities expected to launch over the next few months. AI Companion is transforming modern work in the following ways:

• With Zoom Meetings, users can watch recordings faster through highlights and smart chapters, and review summaries and next steps, so they can easily catch up on a missed meeting. In the meeting, if enabled by the meeting host, attendees can catch up quickly without disrupting the meeting flow by discreetly submitting questions via the in-meeting AI Companion side panel to receive an AI-generated answer on what they missed. Post-meeting, hosts can receive an automated meeting summary to share with attendees and those who were unable to attend a meeting. These capabilities help team members who may be in different time zones catch up asynchronously. Planned for spring 2024, users will also have the ability to receive real-time feedback on their presence in meetings, as well as coaching on their conversational and presentation skills.

• Zoom Team Chat is critical for real-time and asynchronous work, but it is easy to get lost in the volume of messages. AI Companion allows users to quickly draft messages based on the context of a chat thread, as well as change tone and length, so they can spend less time composing replies. In the coming weeks, users will be able to catch up on long chat threads through generative AI summarization, and by early 2024, users will have the ability to auto-complete chat sentences and schedule meetings from a chat.

• This fall, Zoom Whiteboard users will get help from AI Companion with generating and categorizing ideas, and by spring 2024, users will be able to harness their whiteboard content to generate images and populate whiteboard templates.

• Additionally, in early fall, Zoom Mail users will be able to get draft email suggestions. By spring 2024, users will be able to add meeting summaries to Zoom Notes and summarize SMS threads and calls with Zoom Phone.

• In spring 2024, users will be able to interact with AI Companion through a conversational interface that will be able to understand the context of questions and support users with their content across the Zoom platform, such as prior meetings, chats, and select connected third-party apps, even initiating actions on their behalf. For example, users will be able to interact with AI Companion to get help with:
  • Pre-meeting preparation: Ask AI Companion to find the status of key projects to prepare for an upcoming customer meeting. AI Companion will be able to surface knowledge from meetings, chats, whiteboards, emails, documents, and, with users’ permission, from third-party applications on behalf of the user, to provide the latest updates.
  • In-meeting real-time support: Ask AI Companion real-time questions during the meeting to catch up on key points in the discussion, create and file a support ticket on an issue raised during a call, or provide a draft response to a question raised during the meeting.
  • Post meeting: Ask AI Companion to summarize the meeting that was held, automatically identify action items and key stakeholders, and surface the next steps to the relevant stakeholders in Team Chat or, with users’ permission, in their third-party applications.

Easy intuitive interface

Users will be able to access AI Companion from within their existing workflows such as within Zoom Meetings, Zoom Team Chat, and Zoom Whiteboard for capabilities such as Meeting summaries, Team Chat compose, and Whiteboard generation with a simple, easy-to-use experience. Starting now, users can additionally have interactive capabilities with AI Companion via a side panel by accessing these directly within the Meetings experience; this capability will expand across the Zoom platform in spring 2024, as capabilities are added.

For more information on AI Companion, visit the Zoom website.

^[1] Zoom AI Companion may not be available for select verticals and select regional customers.

 After significant growth in peak pandemic years, Australian consumer online retail spending has stabilised according to the Australian Ecommerce Report 2023 which was released today by IAB Australia and Pureprofile.  The report found that 67% of consumers reporting convenience is still the number one reason for purchasing online, however with recent rises in the costs of living, the report also found consumers are increasingly focusing on discounts, loyalty programs and seeking price comparisons to minimise unexpected price increases when they shop online.  

According to the report, retailers must look to win over cost-of-living pressured online shoppers by ramping up value propositions and providing relevant shopping experiences that are suited to the current economic climate.

Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia commented “Australian consumers are increasingly enjoying a mix of online and in-store shopping, but its clear retailers face a new set of challenges with shoppers who are price sensitive seeking value for money in their brand choice.  We know that constant discounting and undercutting competitors is not a long-term strategy, but retailers will need to consider how to offer a clearly articulated value exchange for consumers.”

Martin Filz, CEO of Pureprofile commented “Pandemic behaviour shifts have become sustained habits for consumers with personalisation and relevance now the expectation, along with increased convenience and faster delivery.  However, it’s good news for retailers with online retail holding stable as consumers maintain the same frequency of purchase as a year ago, even if they are more cautious.”

According to the report, loyalty programs are providing increasingly important with 62% of online shoppers increasing their usage as they look to enhance their shopping experience while saving money. Nine in 10 online shoppers remain signed up to at least one shopper rewards program with 44% of those signed up to a rewards programs have 4 or more cards. Half (52%) of online shoppers pay a fee to subscribe to a retail loyalty program such as Amazon Prime, eBay Plus, Wesfarmers OnePass, Woolworths Delivery Unlimited or Costco Membership.

The report found that while these loyalty programs are providing retailers with rich behavioural data, trust, transparency, and a clearly articulated value exchange with benefits delivered to consumers is key to underpinning successful retail marketing.  Concern with how retailers use shopper data increased over the last year with 60% reporting some level of concern about how data collected via loyalty cards (up from 51% in 2022) and 60% concerned about data collected via transactions (up from 55% in 2022). 

For consumers subscribing to product delivery services such as meal preparation kits there has been an increase in the number of people indicating that a key reason for their patronage is related to price assurance and knowing how much the product will cost (up from 35% to 45%) which plays an important role in budget planning and management.

Key learnings for retailers include:

• 62% of online shoppers have increased the amount of time they spend shopping around doing research. Having information readily available and an easy research process will increase shopper confidence.
• Search remains key to 64% of shoppers in their process of discovering brands when shopping online, but it should be combined with other channels to maximise brand and sales outcomes.
• Half of online shoppers are aware of shoppable advertising, and 16% have purchased this way (26% of 18-29’s).
• Retailers’ own stores and communications are also key to shoppers discovering products and brands. 60% of online shoppers often read content produced by retailers.
• Retailers should amplify communication of their authentic ethical and sustainable credentials as they are compelling reasons for brand choice particularly amongst younger generations.
• Social media and influencers are key to millennial and gen Z online shoppers with 52% agreeing social media is an important part in how they find products they buy, and 41% identifying influencers as a useful source to discover new products.

Additional data points include:

• A third of online shoppers have increased their online shopping since recent rises in costs of living, while 19% have decreased their usage. Clothing, shoes, and fashion remain the most popular online purchases over the last 12 months, while Amazon continues to be the most popular online retailer. 20% of online shoppers now buy medications online.
• Some 20.6 million Australians aged 14 years+ visited a retail website or app in a month in July 2023, spending on average 351 minutes each over the month. Consumer electronics (17.4m), vouchers and rewards (16.4m), grocery and supermarkets (15.2m) and department discount stores (14.5m) were the most popular (Ipsos iris Online Audience Measurement Service July 2023, Age 14+, PC/laptop/smartphone/tablet, online population (audience) selected sub-categories)
• Purchasing ethical and sustainable brands is still as important to online shoppers this year.  Purchasing from ethical brands was important to 45% of consumers (46% in 2022), 47% prefer to purchase from sustainable brands (47% in 2022) and 58% preferring to buy from Australian owned brands (64% in 2022)
• 24% of online shoppers subscribe to a product delivery service such as meals, cleaning products, toilet paper or wine, reporting convenience as their major driver.  However, 53% of shoppers who previously subscribed to product delivery services are no longer subscribed, with most reporting they did not want to be locked into a recuring purchase.
• 6 in 10 (59%) consumers are shopping online every 2-3 weeks, maintaining frequency of shopping over the last year.
• 50% of online shoppers buy groceries online at least once a month and 73% of online shoppers buy non-grocery retail products online at least once a month.

The Australian Ecommerce Report 2023, which is now in its third year, is based on research conducted with 1,000 Australian online shoppers during July 2023.  It examines the consumer attitudes, behaviours and influences driving ecommerce in Australia

Economic growth is forecast to remain subdued in Australia for the rest of the year as higher interest rates, the higher cost of living, and declines in household wealth continue to weigh on growth.^[1] Despite the gloomy outlook, promising research has revealed that SMEs will not halt business travel for the remainder of the year at least, with site visits and industry events topping the list of reasons for businesses to invest in company travel.

The findings were derived from a survey of an independent panel of 255 SME owners and decision makers, commissioned by Corporate Traveller (corporatetraveller.com.au), the flagship small to medium-seized division of the Flight Centre Travel Group.

The survey uncovered that the majority of Australian SMEs (91 per cent) will maintain their travel this year, even if the economy slows. Only nine per cent indicated they would not travel at all.

Tom Walley, Corporate Traveller’s Australian-based Global Managing Director, says the reassuring results reflect the proactive, resilient attitude among the Australian SME sector. 

“SMEs have always operated boldly and bravely, and despite ongoing concerns over the economy, they haven’t let uncertainty cloud their business decisions. They recognise the key to continuing to operate and even thrive is to build sales, unlock new partnerships, and expand their network – and business travel provides excellent opportunities for that.” 

The survey respondents were asked to identify the reasons they will continue travelling, from a list of eight, and could select more than one response. 

More than a third (37 per cent) indicated the need to fly to visit other company sites, while 32 per cent said they will maintain travel for events and conferences. A quarter (26 per cent) also indicated the nature of their work required travel to customer locations and 25 per cent need to travel to make sales. A fifth (20 per cent) said important meetings with stakeholders required travel this year.  

Tom says, “Considering the vast size and remote location of our country, travel is one of the most effective ways to keep our businesses connected. Mining companies’ headquarters may be in a state capital’s CBD, but the mines are deep in the outback, or a Canberra-based business may have a satellite office in Sydney. In cases like these, business travel is a necessity rather than a luxury.”

“As well as continuing to travel, we were pleased to see so many companies still had the economic confidence to attend conferences and events, which requires additional financial outlay, beyond flights and accommodation. Those activities are excellent for networking, learning, and a great opportunity to work toward business growth,” Tom adds. 

The results also reveal businesses favour face-to-face engagements for developing and retaining their staff. A fifth (20 per cent) of respondents said their people will travel to attend training or professional development sessions, while 17 per cent said their business is more effective by doing face-to-face meetings, and 10 per cent are keeping business travel to keep their staff motivated. 

Tom explains, “The results demonstrate that companies recognise there’s a bounty of opportunities for Australian businesses which still invest in corporate travel, whether its team building, attending international conferences, or an exciting incentive or reward for staff.”  

Reasons businesses will continue to travel despite economic challenges: 

Everyday more than 350,000 businesses use TikTok to connect with new customers and grow their business. To help support them on this journey TikTok launched the TikTok Thrive Roadshow in partnership with Afterpay. Visiting Melbourne and Sydney, the events offered attendees essential guidance on digital marketing, content creation, and business strategy to empower small and medium-sized businesses on TikTok to thrive and grow. The events attracted a diverse range of businesses, with more than 400 attending both events, including well-known names such as Frank Green, Chefs & Dogs, Edgars Mission, Beysis, and Esmio Australia.

During the event, small business operators and owners had the opportunity to gain invaluable insights from TikTok experts, industry professionals, and accomplished SMB owners who have achieved significant business growth and success through the platform. Founders from Beysis, Esmio Australia, and Chefs & Dogs, shared their expertise, whilst addressing pressing questions about harnessing viral success, transforming customer feedback into product solutions, and how to grow a prosperous business utilising TikTok.

TikTok AUNZ General Manager, Global Business Solutions, Brett Armstrong said, “With a thriving community of more than 350,000 businesses on our platform, we’ve witnessed the impactful role TikTok plays for businesses of all sizes throughout Australia. We trust that the Thrive Roadshows have provided business owners with valuable insights into sustaining success on our platform, as we remain committed to enabling them to succeed and dream big!.”

Joel Moran – Marketing Director, Brand, Growth and Product Marketing added, “Afterpay has always been committed to empowering businesses of all sizes for success. We know the importance of understanding and seizing the opportunities digital platforms offer, and we’re always looking for ways to help our merchants achieve success. TikTok is continuing to grow as an incredible platform for business visibility and success. By partnering with TikTok for the TikTok Thrive Roadshow, we’re excited to be supporting a roadshow of knowledge sharing that will benefit Australian businesses of all sizes.”

TikTok Thrive Roadshow is part of TikTok For Business’s continued commitment to provide inspiration, tools and solutions that allow businesses to take their TikTok journey to the next level.

Marketing presence provider, Localsearch is celebrating 30 years of working together with Australian small businesses by giving back a total digital presence package of $30,000 to SMBs who may have been doing it tough lately. 

With three decades of experience, and 28,000 Australian small businesses on their books while providing free support to a further 300,000, Localsearch is on the lookout for Australia’s standout, up-and-coming partners that are looking to make a mark on Australia’s SMB industry. Whether they are a hairdresser, a mechanic or creator of Australian handcrafts, Localsearch wants to hear from these mum-and-dad businesses and boost their digital presence. 

Daniel Stoten, Executive Chairman of Localsearch, said at the Localsearch 30th Anniversary event, “Three decades is simultaneously an achievement but also a moment to reflect. To be proud of what we have done and strive towards what we can do more. Looking back, Localsearch was originally in an industry that no longer exists, and today we’re in an industry that wasn’t in existence 30 years ago. We remain committed to being the very best digital presence partner we can be, making digital marketing damn easy for tens of thousands of small businesses across the country.”

Localsearch will welcome submissions from their network, searching for and awarding 10 standout Localsearch partners across Australia a comprehensive promotion package valued at $3,000 AUD to amplify their presence and showcase their work to the nation. Celebrating the milestone birthday together, the package can be used on products such as Google Ads, Meta Advertising etc. 

Daniel continues, “Small businesses are the backbone of our Australian economy. These businesses create jobs, contribute to economic growth, and provide unique and personalised services that larger corporations often cannot match. We are excited to spotlight some of Australia’s standout, promising and up-and-coming small businesses to the nation and celebrate 30 years of small business.”

Businesses are invited to submit their pitch to be considered here.

Applications will close on the 13th of September.

GoTo has rolled out AI Chat Analysis, an AI-powered sentiment analysis and chat summary function within GoTo Connect’s Contact Center. This new optional feature will expand the level of data-driven insight available to customer service supervisors and analysts, resulting in a better understanding of customer interactions.

Following each customer conversation, a positive, negative, or neutral sentiment analysis score will be given, providing insight into the customer emotion within interactions. Additionally, a summary of the customer conversation is generated using AI, enabling supervisors to identify challenges or coaching opportunities for agents without needing to read the entire conversation.

“In a year when innovation and AI seem to go hand in hand, businesses continue to navigate how they, too, can take full advantage of the increased efficiencies AI can provide. Within the broad area of AI, Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have played an outsized role in changing the game for businesses across almost any industry, offering up time-saving solutions and more advanced comprehension than ever seen before,” said Damon Covey, Head of Product, GoTo.

“These AI-powered advancements will not only save customer service personnel time, but also will provide insights to improve the customer experience,” stated Covey.

“The addition of the AI chat analysis is something that excites us very much, and we look forward to seeing how GoTo will continue to leverage AI in the future,” said Marouane Rouicheq, Managing Director, NativUC, and partner of GoTo. 

“As GoTo’s Top Contact Centre Partner award recipient for 2022, we have been prodigiously recommending GoTo Contact Center to our customers, and this innovation to access data and insights to augment customer success practices will only make it a more enticing offering for us to share”, he said.

Earlier this year, GoTo announced optional AI functionality for both GoTo Connect and GoTo Resolve, each leveraging OpenAI-based technology. GoTo aims to continue advancing its AI capabilities and is excited to announce the next phase of that growth.

CSIRO’s Australia’s AI ecosystem momentum report found 56 per cent of AI providers believe the AI industry has the necessary expertise to deliver positive outcomes for Australian businesses, and 60 per cent of respondents indicated they are accelerating and expanding their AI-related solution offerings to meet market demand.

“With the opportunity for different pathways of innovation, we can expect to see organisations utilise AI to distinguish themselves within their markets to gain a competitive edge. AI will help organisations become more agile in responding to emerging opportunities, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of their customers’ needs, wants, and sentiments. This, in turn, will enable them to create a highly personalised experience that sets them apart”, said Andrew Kernebone, APAC Head of Presales, GoTo.

What’s on the horizon for GoTo:

New AI-powered self-service features for GoTo Resolve are currently in beta and expected to be rolled out to customers in the next three months. These new capabilities will enable end users to troubleshoot and find answers to IT questions using natural language, regardless of their complexity, without the need to connect to a support agent.    

“With the right approach, AI can be a valuable asset to businesses, and complementary to human IT and customer support teams. GoTo’s aim is always to help businesses get their work done more efficiently and increase their productivity. Exploring evolving AI technologies and adding even more AI to power our already seamless products helps us to do just that,” said Damon Covey.

Small and medium sized business owners are taking advantage of Commonwealth Bank’s unique Benefits finder tool to find ways to offset rising cost of living pressures, develop skills or explore new opportunities.

New figures show businesses are turning to CBA’s Benefits finder to explore options for rebates and concessions relating to wages, staffing and rising business costs, but also to find support for training or new business opportunities.

Businesses were connected to almost 18,000 claim opportunities, through Benefits finder in the 2023 financial year (July 1 2022 to June 30 2023), for benefits worth around $36.9 million. The majority of claims initiated through Benefits finder related to support for wages and employment, followed by training and business development.

Business customers have been connected to more than 44,000 claims, worth more than $105 million in benefits, since the digital tool was launched for businesses in June 2021.

Almost 2000 business customers have also taken advantage of CBA and More Telecom’s discounted NBN^TM, broadband, phone or mobile services, saving more than $566,000 since the offering was launched to businesses in June 2022. Commonwealth Bank Executive General Manager Small Business Banking Grant Cairns said business owners were exploring Benefits finder for a wide range of reasons, including to help them better manage cost of living pressures such as staff and labour, and rising business costs, but also to support their development and growth.