The Game Changers

December 2014 ParlimentIn days gone by, employers saw flexible working arrangement as a cost to the business.

Today, clever businesses are reinventing the way they work by adopting telework and working remotely.

We spoke to a successful Canberra-based small business that is thriving because of its remote, distributed work style. Jo Scard is the Principal of Australia's first virtual and flexible communications and government engagement agency, Fifty Acres.

Amber Standley 2Game changers are those visionaries who change the status quo, shift our thinking and disrupt whole industries.

Canberra is home to a number of people across government, academia and business that are changing the way we think and understand the world.

We caught up with Amber Standley, whose business APositive is changing the way we experience advertising, digital content and interact with data.

 

Beacon

Sensors have played a role in government asset management for a long time, but new technologies like digital beacons may provide opportunities for entirely new industries. It's no longer just about the content, but also the context and the way information is experienced.

Beacon transmitters are now much more accessible and affordable and allow notifications to be sent to smartphones whenever the user is in the vicinity of a beacon. Beacons could be used in a variety of settings to trigger a free app, loaded with all sorts of content about the location, including maps, video and coupons.

SpiresjpgWhen the University at which she worked offered a round of voluntary redundancies, Amber Standley jumped at the chance to start her own business.

She has completed an augmented reality exhibition for a joint initiative between AusIndustry, the ACT Government and virtual business accelerator Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre, to develop a traveling exhibition that showcases some of Australia's most innovative entrepreneurs.

Building on her skills as a designer, creative director and project manager and her study for a Masters in Digital Design, Amber launched APositive, a design company focused on unique, innovative, and interactive communication solutions.