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In Innovation

/ Published on 04 August 2008

South Australian company Platypus Software this week will show leading educators its innovative Student ePortfolio system, which creates an electronic learning space for each child and his or her teacher.

At the event on Wednesday, August 5, global software giant Microsoft will also appoint RGMT Pty Ltd –trading in SA as Platypus Software  - as South Australia’s newest Microsoft Gold Partner, an elite program which acknowledges the company’s expertise in the education sector.

Educators from across the State will attend this event to see the unveiling of the Platypus Student ePortfolio System, which provides an electronic learning space for each child to support SA's new Personalised Learning initiative.

Platypus Software founder Ron Green, a former state-wide advisor for the SA Education Department, said "personalised learning" was an enormous paradigm shift for teachers and students. "Personalised education has been discussed in research and policy papers for many years," he said.

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In Innovation

/ Published on 30 June 2008

Enterprising Adelaide mother-of-three Sheree Hyde has launched an innovative business that aims to take the pain out of parenting at a time of soaring petrol prices and home interest rates.

Kids Around Town is a parent-friendly initiative that reduces the cost of entertaining a young family on a tight budget through a combination of handy advice, thrifty activity ideas and relevant discount vouchers.

The $28 family guide, which gives one third of its sale price to the charities selling them, is scheduled for launch before the October school holidays. As well as listing free family fun activities such as playgrounds, libraries and markets, it will include discount vouchers from local businesses such as The Beachouse at Glenelg, Wiggly Worms, Toyworld and the Capri Theatre.

Sheree, who developed her business plan between kiddie playdates and kindergarten, said the Kids Around Town concept was born from her frustration as a parent. “The current crop of discount voucher books is designed more for couples than families with youngsters,” she said.

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In Alltraders

/ Published on 22 June 2008

Adelaide-based website host Alltraders has embraced the latest iteration of the Joomla! content management system, Version 1.5, to provide its customers with the most up-to-date web technology.

After more than two years of redevelopment by the global Open Source community, Joomla! 1.5 ushers in a new era for the software, with its code base rebuilt into a carefully organised, object-oriented framework.

Most obviously, the user interface is completely renovated to make it easier on the eye and easier to use. Joomla! 1.5 also simplifies life for website designers by allowing meticulous control over core markup as well as a  new template configuration interface. 

Alltraders director Michael O'Loughlin said Joomla 1.5 was a major step forward for the website content management system. "Joomla! has always been easy to use, but early version templates were a bit old-fashioned looking," he said.

"Version 1.5 adds real pizzazz to the look and feel of Joomla!-based websites. More importantly, the site management tools are simplified and the underlying software is totally redeveloped. We think the value offered by Joomla! 1.5 is undeniable, so we are suggesting it to all new customers and supporting existing customers to examine upgrading their sites to Joomla! 1.5 technology."

Alltraders is the trading name for State Web Services Pty Ltd. For more information about Joomla 1.5, visit www.alltraders.com