2026 stories - Page 31

Australian retailers risk losing AUD $66 billion this peak season as 41% of consumers cut spending after poor service experiences, warns Qualtrics research.

CommBank becomes Official Regional Partner for the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026, supporting women's football as the tournament returns after 20 years.

Australian insurers trail global peers by 6.6% in risk preparedness, struggling with AI, cyber threats and rising political pressures, PwC Australia warns.

Experts predict that cyber resilience, AI infrastructure, and energy constraints will redefine IT strategies across the UK and Australia in 2026.

In 2026, CISOs will confront growing AI risks, deep-fakes, geopolitical threats, and tougher regulations, demanding new strategies for business resilience.

Portalink partners with Shopify to automate offline B2B sales orders, cutting costs and errors, available to Shopify Plus customers from January 2026.

Seven in ten Australian workers feel unprepared for AI at work, with most employers failing to offer training amid growing job security fears.

By 2026, AI will power fully automated cyber attacks, escalating the scale and speed of online threats, warns Trend Micro's latest forecast.

Prezzee launches PrezzeePay, enabling retailers worldwide to offer unified digital gift cards without costly system changes, targeting cashless Gen Z shoppers.

UNESCO will deploy the AI-driven EDiSON disaster response system in the Solomon Islands to enhance early warnings for cyclones and floods by 2026.

Over half of government CIOs expect IT budgets to rise in 2026, prioritising AI, cybersecurity and cloud tech despite fiscal constraints, says Gartner research.

Enterprise security faces major changes in 2026 as AI, hybrid cloud, and automation reshape risk management and resilience strategies worldwide.

By 2026, cybercrime will industrialise with AI and automation enabling faster, large-scale attacks, making rapid defence crucial for organisations worldwide.

Beau Tydd has been elected President of the Australian Computer Society for 2026-27, succeeding Helen McHugh to lead Australia's tech profession forward.

Retailers now measure peak season success by delivery efficiency, blending speed and cost control to protect margins amid rising consumer expectations.

In 2026, enterprises will prioritise resilience, sovereignty and cost control in cloud computing, embracing multi-cloud and hybrid strategies for growth and security.

Genetec predicts flexible cloud adoption, AI-driven automation, and connected systems will transform physical security by 2026, enhancing control and efficiency.

By 2026, AI assistants in businesses are predicted to cause more internal data leaks than human employees, raising new cybersecurity and compliance challenges.

Intuit Australia partners with SISS to launch Open Banking feeds for QuickBooks, enhancing real-time banking integration under CDR with major banks live.

Cybersecurity by 2026 will prioritise AI threats, supply chain risks and identity management, with firms shifting towards visibility and biometric authentication.