News In Brief

Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs.
Below are snippets of all the media releases we received from Sept 29 till the end of the week.
This article updates throughout the week.

IBS Agentic AI

Singapore, Oct 2: IBS Software unveiled an AI-driven “Agentic AI” suite at the 25th Cargo Forum in New Delhi, embedding conversational virtual agents across its iCargo platform to accelerate revenue management, customer service, mail management, and sales. The agents enable natural-language interactions, real-time recommendations, anomaly detection, and predictive decisioning aimed at faster revenue recovery, reduced manual effort, and improved service levels, with explainable AI for trust, compliance, and scale.
“These AI agents act as copilots, empowering cargo teams to recover revenue faster, respond to disruptions instantly, and deliver personalized customer experiences at scale. This is about transforming operations from reactive to predictive,” he said.
“We are empowering our customers by uniting iCargo’s robustness as a trusted system of record and its maturity as a platform with the agility of agents to drive outcomes across their networks. With explainable AI built into the core, we ensure trust and transparency while delivering enterprise-grade intelligence at scale—making our customers future-ready in the agent economy,” he noted.

ENTECH Names McKenzie

Sydney, Oct 2: Kate McKenzie has taken over as ENTECH CEO and launched EnTalks for the 2026 ENTECH roadshows across Australia and New Zealand.
ENTECH, now in its 32nd year, remains the only AV and entertainment technology trade show visiting every major Australian population centre, with additional New Zealand stops.
McKenzie’s promotion follows founder Julius Grafton shifting focus to Sydney PA Hire.

Australia’s AI Gap

Sydney, Oct 2: Australia faces a widening AI readiness shortfall despite momentum in applied research and startups, according to a Salesforce–Morning Consult survey of 14,231 adults (1,101 in Australia).
Only 41 per cent of Australian workers say their workplace is prepared for AI—below the global average (48 per cent) and far behind India (83 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (70 per cent).
Workers back greater investment and expect structured training and incentives, yet only about one in three anticipate increased employer spending on AI learning in the next year, and just 28 per cent believe the national government invests enough in upskilling.
Findings align with Salesforce’s Global AI Readiness Index, which ties institutional coordination to real-world adoption.
“While Australia is rightfully highly regarded for its AI governance approaches, matching that momentum with worker training will unlock broader adoption and close the AI readiness gap,” said Justin Tauber, GM Agentic Technology, Trust & Adoption, Salesforce ANZ. “Investing in worker training is about more than just technology; it’s about building confidence, boosting national competitiveness, and ensuring AI adoption is sustainable and inclusive, while ensuring no one is left behind.”

Acronis–CyberCert Partner

Sydney, Oct 2: Acronis has partnered with CyberCert, certifier of the SMB1001 international cybersecurity standard, to help Australian MSPs deliver certifiable outcomes using Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud validated against all SMB1001 levels. The collaboration targets faster time-to-certification by consolidating backup, recovery, EDR/XDR/MDR, RMM, email security, patching, vulnerability assessment, and Microsoft 365 posture management in one platform, alongside Acronis Academy training.
“Our mission has always been to make cybersecurity achievable and certifiable for SMBs without unnecessary complexity,” said Ryan Ettridge, CEO & Founder of CyberCert. “With Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, MSPs now have a single platform validated against SMB1001 — turning certification into a practical, streamlined process that benefits service providers, insurers, and SMBs alike.”
“This collaboration empowers Australian-based MSPs to deliver enterprise-grade cybersecurity and certification in the most accessible way for SMBs,” said Gerald Beuchelt, Chief Information Security Officer at Acronis. “By aligning our integrated cyber protection platform with SMB1001 certification, we’re giving MSPs a powerful tool to deliver measurable business outcomes — not just technology.”
Benefits flagged include quicker certification, better positioning for supply chains and cyber insurance, and new recurring revenue for MSPs. Acronis is offering sponsored CyberCert Gold credits via its landing page and will host MSP Connect 2025: Beyond Security.
Built to Comply on 9 October 2025 on Sydney Harbour.

Peloton’s AI relaunch

New York, Oct 1: Peloton has introduced Peloton IQ, an AI and computer-vision coaching system rolling out across new and existing devices, alongside a refreshed Cross Training Series: Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+, and Row+ (Tread+ and Row+ in the US and Canada only).
Plus models add a movement-tracking camera for real-time form feedback, rep counting and suggested weights, hands-free voice control, Sonos-tuned speakers with a woofer, and an integrated three-speed fan. Bike+ also gets a phone tray; both Bike and Bike+ have a more cushioned seat, and a Comfort Saddle is available separately.
In Australia, products are on sale now at onepeloton.com/en-AU, with selected models on display at Harvey Norman franchisee locations from 8 October.
Peloton is also expanding content and wellness features through new collaborations with Hospital for Special Surgery, Halle Berry’s Respin Health (an eight-week program for perimenopause through postmenopause), and additional HYROX training classes. The company has acquired Breathwrk; All-Access and App+ members can use the Breathwrk app with their Peloton login, with deeper integrations to follow.
Community features include the expansion of Teams with official instructor-led groups and the launch of Club Peloton, a recognition program that rewards activity and variety. A software update enables these features.
Pricing in Australia changes from October: All-Access Membership rises from $59 to $65, and App+ from $35 to $39.99.

Kyndryl Expands Agentic AI

Sydney, Oct 1: Kyndryl unveiled new capabilities to its enterprise-grade Agentic AI Framework aimed at helping customers scale beyond proofs of concept and deploy AI-native workflows across sectors including government, banking, insurance and manufacturing.
The enhancements add a design process and engagement methodology via Kyndryl Vital, with “forward engineers” accelerating co-created projects from design to deployment.
“With decades of mission-critical infrastructure expertise, unique intellectual property and our AI consult methodology, Kyndryl is poised to lead our customers through this paradigm shift toward agentic AI,” said Kyndryl Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Martin Schroeter.
“Our differentiated approach blends agents within complex environments and empowers organisations to scale AI throughout their operations as they move to become AI-native.”
Kyndryl says its infrastructure-first approach, agent orchestration, and secure-by-design “guardian” concepts support autonomous, transparent and compliant operations.
A quarter of recent signings include AI-related content. The company is partnering with global alliances and universities, and highlighted use cases such as agentic actuarial workflows in insurance, multi-department government process automation, and streamlined banking onboarding using embedded agents.

Premiere Hits iPhone

New York, Sept 30: Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) is bringing its Premiere video editor to mobile with a new iPhone app aimed at pro-quality editing on the go. The app is free with optional upgrades for generative credits and storage, and supports handoff to Premiere on desktop for further refinement.
“We’re excited to bring the power of Premiere to creators’ fingertips, delivering pro-level creative control, without the pro-level complexity,” said Mike Polner, vice president, product marketing, creators at Adobe. “Premiere on iPhone makes it easy for creators to craft and share stories on mobile with studio-quality audio, precise editing tools and stunning visuals, to turn everyday content into polished stories anytime, anywhere.”
Key features include an unlimited multi-track timeline, 4K HDR and frame-accurate editing, animated captions, speed and motion effects, instant background removal, AI audio tools like Enhance Speech and Generative Sound Effects, and access to millions of free stickers, images, Adobe Fonts, and royalty-free music. The app also offers fast, native iOS performance, simple media management, watermark-free exports, and one-tap publishing to TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram and more, with automatic resizing and reframing.

Cooee Scales Up

Lake Macquarie, Sept 29: Terri-Ann “Tezzi” Daniel has grown Cooee Native Superfoods from a $17.90-a-week kitchen project into a fast-scaling, allergen-friendly brand now stocked in Woolworths Metro, Ampol Foodary, IGA and Spar QLD, with family-pack SKUs rolling out nationally via Metcash. The range spans six native-flavoured cookies (including the Miyagan Collection), popcorn varieties, and Bunji, a native-based pet food line sold at Bunnings.
A new Qantas partnership will serve Cooee’s Nan’s Jam Drop (Davidson plum) cookie on domestic flights from 15 October 2025, starting on Perth departures and rotating nationally on a six-week cycle, with more than 500,000 cookies slated over 12 months.
“Our cookies were created for inclusivity. With family members who were coeliac, lactose-intolerant and vegan, I wanted to make something everyone could enjoy. To see that idea now flying with Qantas is extraordinary,” Ms Daniel said.
Backers include Ochre Ventures ($1.5 million, supporting expansion and the Creative Native acquisition), a $25,000 Minderoo Foundation grant, and 80 crowdfunding investors. Governance and strategy are supported by advisors Anthony Owen (Chair) and Hamish Thompson (former Mars Vice President).

GWM Joins Richmond

Melbourne, Oct 2: Richmond Football Club has named leading automotive brand GWM as its new joint major partner. The GWM logo will appear across all Richmond apparel, including the Club’s AFL playing guernsey. GWM’s line-up spans SUVs, pickups, new energy vehicles and luxury off-road models.
“We see this partnership growing from strength to strength across the coming years,” Dunne said. “It is a partnership, not just a sponsorship. Our fans will see the GWM logo proudly displayed across our apparel and have the chance to learn about the great vehicles GWM has to offer.
“This is going to be a really aligned partnership, with both organisations striving to push up the ladder- we are focused on developing our list, while GWM is focused on increasing car sales in Australia.
“Already you see plenty of GWM cars on the road, and we are confident that the Tiger Army and broader Richmond family will help that number continue to grow.”
“This year GWM broke into the top 10 for Australian car sales, entering straight in at number seven,” Kett said. “When we associate ourselves with a football club such as Richmond, we are partnering with an organisation with great history and success. Like Richmond, we are in a renewal stage — renewing our portfolio, introducing new technology, and challenging the more established brands that have been ahead of us for so long.
“We see ourselves not just as the number one Chinese brand, but as a genuine player in the Australian market. By 2027, our strategy is to be a top five automotive brand in Australia, selling 75,000 units a year, up from 50,000 today.
“This relationship with Richmond will be a key enabler of that ambition. The power of Richmond and its supporter base will help us build familiarity and awareness, while we hope to share in their success on the field. Reaching 75,000 sales and maybe a premiership along the way, would be incredible.”

Dell Unveils XR8720t

Sydney, Oct 1: Dell Technologies has introduced the PowerEdge XR8720t, a compute sled for the XR8000 platform aimed at telecom and enterprise edge sites. Billed as the industry’s first single-server solution for Open RAN/Cloud RAN, it targets lower TCO by replacing multi-server stacks with a compact 2U design. Key specs include up to 72 cores, 24× SFP28 (25G) ports delivering 600 GbE aggregate bandwidth, and 430 mm depth for space-constrained cell sites. Powered by Intel Xeon 6 SoC with Intel vRAN Boost and Intel Ethernet E830-XXVDA8F, it supports high-precision timing (PTP, PTM, SyncE). The server is NEBS Level 3 compliant, operates from –5°C to 55°C, and features front-accessible I/O for easier upkeep. Positioned as AI-ready for CPU-based edge AI, real-time analytics, and ML— with optional GPU support— the XR8720t targets telecom, retail, defence, and manufacturing workloads requiring robust performance and synchronization.

Stripe Powers ChatGPT Checkout

San Francisco, Sept 29: Stripe has launched “Instant Checkout” inside ChatGPT for US users, enabling in-chat purchases from US-based Etsy merchants, with Shopify merchants (e.g., Glossier, Vuori, Spanx, SKIMS) coming soon. The rollout is powered by the new Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), an open standard co-developed with OpenAI.
The flow presents a Stripe checkout inline; after payment, Stripe issues a Shared Payment Token (SPT) scoped to the merchant and cart total, which ChatGPT passes to the merchant via API. Merchants can process via Stripe or another provider while still using Stripe risk scores. Orders move to merchant backends through ACP, with normal tax, fulfillment, and returns.
The standard aims to let businesses expose products, pricing, and checkout to AI agents with one integration while retaining brand control and existing systems. Stripe and OpenAI plan to expand access to more businesses, consumers, and geographies over time.
“Stripe is building the economic infrastructure for AI,” said Will Gaybrick, Stripe’s president of technology and business. “We’re working alongside the most ambitious companies to create new AI-powered commerce experiences for billions of people, and building the tools businesses will need to thrive in a world where agent-led transactions are becoming the norm.”
“By co-developing the Agentic Commerce Protocol with Stripe, we’re making it possible for businesses of all sizes to meet people where they are—and for shoppers to complete purchases seamlessly in conversation,” said Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications.
“Stripe has spent the last 15 years optimizing commerce for human buyers. Now, we are starting to do the same for agents,” said Kevin Miller, head of payments at Stripe.