Using the Internet for electronic business has become an area of action for the Australian government. This paper presents research results from two regional areas, which indicate that while most manufacturing SMEs use e-mail, very few are involved in electronic commerce activities. Major barriers are concern about security and privacy of transactions, cost of consultants, and lack of IT expertise of staff. Employing people with appropriate knowledge has been added to current training methods such as onthe-job training. Results from the two regional areas are found to be consistent. Comparisons between small and medium organisations highlight some differences.

The information-intensive nature of the tourism and travel industry suggests an important role for Web technology in the promotion and marketing of tourist destinations. The rapid development of the Internet and WWW is having profound impacts on the industry.

Abstract:The information-intensive nature of the tourism and travel industry suggests an important role for Web technology in the promotion and marketing of destinations. This paper evaluates the level of Web site development in AsiaPacific Regional Tourism Organisations. The study uses the extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption (eMICA) (Burgess and Cooper 2000), and highlights the utility of using interactivity to evaluate the relative maturity of commercial Web sites.

This article discusses the risk assessment of a health information system. A case study was conducted at the South Western Sydney Area Health Service to examine the potential risks of the Maternal and Infant Network (MINET) health information system using Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA). FMEA was conducted by utilising safety attributes identified by the authors. Potential failure modes of the system were identified by the study. From this study, it can be concluded that FMEA is an appropriate risk-assessment method for MINET.

In most developed countries the ageing population is placing a severe strain on health systems and national budgets. In meeting this challenge, e-Health initiatives seek medically-focused ICT solutions for improved health services that enable senior citizens to remain living at home longer. A literature review and interviews with health-care providers reveal that significant factors affecting the well-being of the elderly are isolation and loneliness. In this paper we report on the first stages of a study on the digital literacy of seniors and the potential development of social media to meet the capabilities of people as they age. Focus groups with senior citizen computer club members tell us that older folk are become more digitally literate. As social media becomes more usable and acceptable, we propose that online communities for senior citizens may have significant health benefits. As this is a multifaceted emergent phenomenon we apply concepts from Complexity Theory to our analysis and to the design of future research on this topic using an action research methodology. Abstract In most developed countries the ageing population is placing a severe strain on health systems and national budgets. In meeting this challenge, e-Health initiatives seek medically-focused ICT solutions for improved health services that enable senior citizens to remain living at home longer. A literature review and interviews with health-care providers reveal that significant factors affecting the well-being of the elderly are isolation and loneliness. In this paper we report on the first stages of a study on the digital literacy of seniors and the potential development of social media to meet the capabilities of people as they age. Focus groups with senior citizen computer club members tell us that older folk are become more digitally literate. As social media becomes more usable and acceptable, we propose that online communities for senior citizens may have significant health benefits. As this is a multifaceted emergent phenomenon we apply concepts from Complexity Theory to our analysis and to the design of future research on this topic using an action research methodology.