MACQUARIE Telecom, part of Macquarie Telecom Group (ASX: MAQ), today launched a Microsoft Teams service to allow customers to integrate their desk phones into their Teams clients and bring staff a step closer to being back in the office.

The cloud-based service uses a secure session initiation protocol (SIP) trunk system which allows users to make and receive direct calls via Teams on their mobile, laptop or other device, using their same office or desk number.

“Earlier this year we introduced a new desk phone, but needs have changed and we need to virtually bring that desk phone into customers’ home offices,” said David Flanagan, chief product officer at Macquarie Telecom.

“The mindset that apps like Teams are used for video meetings and group conference calls, while mobiles and desk phones are used for day-to-day calls, is changing," Mr Flanagan said.

"The combination of widely available reliable broadband and a normalised work-from-home is driving direct calling using collaboration software.”

The new service follows demand from a range of Macquarie’s existing and prospective customers across industries, with many citing that their work-from-home policies would continue after restrictions were lifted and that many staff did not have business mobile phones to use for work.

Macquarie estimates the SIP trunking service could reduce line rental costs for organisations, with additional setup and maintenance savings through reducing the number of PABXs on site.

“The ability and adaptability of workers in Australia to jump straight into working from home has been rightly hailed, but it’s taken for granted that many are using their personal devices to do so, which may not be preferred or appropriate," Mr Flanagan said.

"Businesses need services like this to maintain WFH policies, because we won’t return to the norm as we knew it

Macquarie has been a Microsoft partner for more than 10 years and recently entered an agreement to deliver Azure public cloud services as well as SD-WAN via the Azure Marketplace to Australian customers.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell has commended Lex Greensill for following through on his promise not to provide supply chain finance to late paying businesses.

“We welcome Greensill’s public statement today, reiterating its position that it will not allow its supply chain finance facilities to be used by Australian clients which extend payment terms to SME suppliers beyond 30 days,” Ms Carnell said.

“Greensill has also confirmed it will discontinue the use of supply chain finance facilities who misuse its products by pushing out payment terms.

“It is clear from media reports this week, Greensill’s statement is in relation to its dealings with contractor UGL, owned by construction firm CIMIC.

“UGL has reportedly extended its payment terms to its small business suppliers to 65 days from the end of month the invoice is lodged, offering supply chain finance to those that want to be paid earlier and are willing to take a discount on the invoiced amount," Ms Carnell said.

“This is an example of clear misuse of supply chain finance as outlined in our recently released Supply Chain Financing Review. Practices such as this are harmful to small businesses, especially in the current challenging environment.

“As recommended in our final report on our Supply Chain Financing Review, federal legislation requiring small businesses to be paid in 30 days is the only way to drive meaningful cultural change in business payment performance across the economy," she said.

“Last year the Prime Minister said the government would introduce a rule requiring businesses with commonwealth contracts to pay their suppliers within 20 days. That’s certainly a step in the right direction and can’t happen soon enough. 

“In the meantime, large businesses extending or in some cases suspending payments to small businesses are on notice that this behaviour is unacceptable and may rule them out of future federal government contracts.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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AS THE WORLD deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) is offering its WAVE push-to-talk service free to critical industries in Australia and New Zealand until the end of June 2020.

The offer will enable essential organisations to benefit from the capabilities the service delivers to mobilise frontline workers and unify group communications across multiple technology users.

As the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic, commercial, emergency and volunteer organisations are at the frontline of the response, helping to keep the country safe. Motorola Solutions anticipates that many responding organisations do not have immediate access to instant push-to-talk communications they need to mobilise volunteers and other frontline personnel.

“The most important use of technology right now is helping essential organisations and frontline personnel to work more safely and efficiently,” Con Balaskas, managing director A/NZ for Motorola Solutions said

“We are working closely with our partners and customers throughout Australia and New Zealand to provide technology and our support to help them deliver their essential work.”

WAVE connects teams by enabling push-to-talk functionality across phones, radios and computers ensuring users have access to individual and group calls, texts, location and mapping services and secure communications. 

Further information about the offer is available here.

Details

The WAVE service is being offered free of charge for the next three months ending on June 30, 2020. Included in the offer and WAVE PTX Mobile Applications Licences for between five and 50 users and two Dispatch Console Licences. Normal terms and conditions apply (number of subscriptions may be restricted).

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THE CARAVAN industry can drive and lead the road to recovery for domestic tourism, with more than 710,000 recreational vehicles (RVs) set and ready to go.

The recent release of April 2020 Caravan Park Accommodation figures shows a devastating blow to the industry with $208 million in losses for April.  

Across Australia in the past month alone, COVID-19 response measures have cost the industry over $208 million and this figure is further inflated by the loss of expenditure that would have been generated by regional tourism and thousands of small businesses.  

It also proves the important role caravan and camping trips would normally play for Australians over Easter and Anzac Day long weekends.  

Over Easter alone, an estimated 300,000 Australians had their camping trips cancelled, a significant group that deliver direct investment and life into regional Australia.

This revenue has been stripped out of the hands of mum and dad operators throughout the country.  

Accommodation data for April 2020 indicates that the caravan park sector, as expected, has been decimated by the COVID-19 crisis.

Caravan park revenue in April across Australia suffered a 90 percent decline from April 2019, which equates to $208 million in revenue lost for the month.

Occupancies fell by 75 percent in cabins and 82 percent in powered sites, and fell a further 89 percent in unpowered sites.

Daily rates across the states also fell, leading to Revenue per Available Site being $12 for Cabins, $2.70 for Powered Sites and $0.59 for Unpowered Sites.

All States were impacted, however the revenue reductions were worst in NSW, where caravan parks revenues decreased by 95 percent compared with April 2019.

Best placed to drive and lead the road to recovery

There are more than 710,000 registered RVs waiting to holiday and stimulate the market.  With over 18 million Australians indicating they are connected to the caravan and camping lifestyle, this presents an unrivalled opportunity to be active in market quickly as soon as the time is right.  

The potential of the camping sector with its significant interest and audiences puts it uniquely suited to stimulate domestic tourism and provide a lifeline to the thousands of tourism businesses eagerly awaiting a return to business.

The Caravan Industry Association of Australia is calling on all levels of government to consider the caravan and camping industry as part of the solution, to lead the way on the road to recovery of the domestic tourism industry in Australia. 

This includes the consideration of Caravan Parks as facilities which can accommodate independent travel in a manageable way, allowing for travellers to get back on the road and spending again as soon as possible to help rejuvenate regional communities who are seriously hurting.  

Industry product is uniquely suited to independent trips whereby self-reliant facilities are onboard vehicles such as bathrooms, showers and kitchens and cabin style accommodation is self-contained.

The diverse eco-system of the caravan and camping industry means that it will be resilient through this time and be ready to offer Australians the self-reliant, 'back to basics' experience on short notice when the time is right. 

www.caravanindustry.com.au

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SERVICESEEKING has crunched the numbers on their top 20 categories in April 2020 againt March 2020 to determine which tradies won and lost during Covid-19.

While job volume across the platform was down by 15 percent versus the prior month, Jeremy Levitt was surprised to see several key categories grow during the pandemic as home owners and renters alike fixed up property maintenance issues at home to make lockdown easier to bear. 

The April 2020 v March job data shows:

• Air conditioning and heating jobs up 152.38%
• Paving jobs up 99.51%
• Asbestos removal jobs up 87.12%
• Rubbish removal jobs up 67.85%
• Fencing repair jobs up 62.46%
• Electrical services jobs up 53.83%
• Roofing jobs up 37.52%
• Concreting repair jobs up 30.02%
• Carpentry jobs up 24.61%
• House Painting jobs up 9.57%
• Plastering jobs up 9.18%
• Plumbing jobs up 6.47%
• Handyman jobs up 2.45%
• Cleaner jobs down -3.06%
• Removalist jobs down -10.37%
• Renovation jobs down -15.55%
• Pest control jobs down -16.71%
• Tiling jobs down -22.39%
• Gardening jobs down -26.81%
• Flooring jobs down -58.09%

Jeremy Levitt, co-founder of find a tradie website, ServiceSeeking.com.au said, "We saw a dramatic fall in large renovation jobs month on month, down more than 15 percent, which we think may preceed a fall in property prices.

"Property owners typically pull back on renovating when their confidence falls," he said.

 "However, we saw the Covid-19 'nesting' phenomenon in full effect, with locked down home owners and renters increasing their spend on property maintenance categories like electrical services, roofing, airconditioning servicing and rubbish removal."

www.serviceseeking.com.au

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MASTER  Builders Victoria and the CFMEU Victoria and Tasmania (Vic/Tas) -- along with employer associations Master Plumbers, Neca, CCF, PPTEU, ETU and the AMWU -- have formally written to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews calling for a 'trial of easing restrictions in addition to the deliverance of new stimulus' to ensure the protection of the building and construction industry.

The United Group’s proposal comes in light of new modelling conducted by Master Builders Victoria, which prefaces that if current restrictions continue, productivity losses could result in an estimated annual fall of over $6 billion in activity across the building and construction sector, compared with 2018/19, with a further $2 billion reduction in property related Victorian State Government revenue.

As the Victorian Government contemplates easing restrictions, the group has highlighted the successful manner in which the industry has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all construction workers, proving the ability to keep workers safe during this time.

The proposed alleviation of restrictions comes as the group looks to the planning and strategising of returning the industry to increased production as soon as possible whilst not compromising or retreating from the primary responsibility of safety.

Master Builders Victoria CEO, Rebecca Casson said, “The building and construction industry has proven the ability to deliver its essential work while following strict physical distancing and hygiene routines. We have demonstrated our sector’s capacity to help lead Victoria’s economy out of this crisis.”

Procedures that have been successfully put in place to ensure workers health and safety have included:

• Specifically developed industry guidelines for COVID-19;
• A dedicated Industry Liaison Officer and COVID-19 1800 number for the industry;
• The establishment of a high-level taskforce to oversee all direction;
• The conversion of the Incolink bus into a mobile health screening service to test for COVID-19 at building and construction sites across the state.

CFMEU Vic/Tas secretary, John Setka said, "We are committed to working with our united group of employer associations and unions to ensure our industry continues to operate, with the safety of workers being the upmost priority for all.”

 The alleviations to certain restrictions are suggested in the following areas of the industry:

1. Within commercial construction to address productivity; and

2. Within residential construction – such as through display homes and land-sales offices returning to normal trading hours

"The group stands united and committed to evidence-based decisions and advice from the health experts in order to maintain the utmost safety, whilst continuing to rebuild our states’ economy. We believe we can achieve both in a successful manner," a spokesperson said.

Click to read the Letter to Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria

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AS THE PEAK national body for caravan and camping, Caravan Industry Association of Australia is supporting the domestic initiatives recently announced by Tourism Australia to stimulate the domestic tourism market with the release of their Live from Aus initiative.

There are more than 710,000 RVs currently sitting idle throughout Australia, with an estimated 18 million Australians who are connected to the caravan and camping lifestyle, who have been cooped up in their homes.  This audience in particular will be eager to hit the road and explore once restrictions ease and will be key to reinvigorating tourism businesses and regional communities in all parts of Australia. 

Association CEO, Stuart Lamont said, “We realise the immense pressure that tourism operators are under right now.  The last few months have been traumatic and it looks as through international tourism is still a way off.  This will add to the pressure being felt by those tourism businesses who largely cater to an international market.

“We see an immense opportunity for the caravan and camping sector to help activate these businesses again through the dispersal of domestic caravan and camping visitors into regions hit hard by the loss in tourism dollars.

"It has also been encouraging to see the recent easing of restrictions in some states and territories.  While it doesn’t yet provide the detail to plan with certainty, travellers can look forward to a time when they are once again able to move freely around the country and experience our unique culture, natural beauty and amazing food and drink."

Caravan and camping would normally contribute more than $21 billion annually to the Australian economy, to be able to reactivate this market will go a long way to helping Australia heal.  Data out of Tourism Research Australia for 2019 showed that Caravan and Camping is Australia's favourite holiday accommodation, accounting for more nights than any other type of accommodation for leisure. 

"Tourism Australia’s readjusted focus to stimulate the domestic market is very strategic move to kickstart the recovery process for many hurting businesses," Mr Lamont said.

"Caravan Industry Association of Australia is very supportive of this shift and looks forward to being part of this journey to see travellers back on the road enjoying themselves and celebrating our wonderful home country."

www.caravanindustry.com.au

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QUEENALAND Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, will be the headline speaker at Australia’s biggest online renewable energy event on May 6, 2020.

The Stimulus Summit: A Renewables-Led Economic Recovery will bring together state and territory energy ministers, industry and community leaders, and prominent academics to outline a roadmap for simultaneously revitalising and decarbonising Australia’s economy.

“We have to tackle the COVID-19 economic crisis and the climate crisis at the same time or we will lurch from one major problem to another,” said John Grimes, CEO of the Smart Energy Council, a peak national body for the solar, energy storage and renewable hydrogen industry.

“This is Australia’s moment to modernise and grow the economy, create hundreds of thousands of new, future-proof jobs and position Australia as a global renewable energy superpower,” Mr Grimes said.

Keynote speakers at the free online Stimulus Summit (11am-4pm on 6 May) include: 

• Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk;
• State and Territory Energy Ministers
  • Bill Johnston, WA Minister for Energy 
  • Dan van Holst Pellekaan, SA Minister for Energy
  • Shane Rattenbury, ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability;
  • Lily D’Ambrosio, VIC Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change
• Professor Ross Garnaut, Australia’s pre-eminent economist;
• Innes Willox, CEO of the Australian Industry Group;
• The CEOs of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Climate Council, Climate Works, Carbon Market Institute, Farmers for Climate Action and Beyond Zero Emissions; and
• The CEOs of Hydro Tasmania and JET Charge and other renewables industry leaders.

More than 3,000 people have already registered for the Stimulus Summit, which the Smart Energy Council is delivering in partnership with www.reneweconomy.com.au  

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