Sam Higgins
Principal Analyst

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Blog
The Trust Imperative For Government Leaders
In 2021, Forrester ran a pilot study of Australian adults to measure how people’s trust in government drives critical behaviours. We found that Australians have moderate trust in the institution of government. On average, only 28% of Australians trust the federal government. That is lower than the average of 35% who trust state governments and 31% who trust their local leaders.
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VMware Customers: Get Ready For Broadcom Disruption
Late Sunday evening, Bloomberg reported rumors of advanced Broadcom talks to acquire VMware, which has since been confirmed this morning. In light of Broadcom’s investment activities in the past few years, this news is unsurprising. It made a string of massively expensive enterprise software company acquisitions: Brocade Communications Systems in 2016 ($5.9 billion), CA Technologies […]
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The Uses, Misuses, And Abuses Of Tech Spending And Budget Benchmarks
Tech budget and spending benchmarks can be valuable, but only when used correctly. Learn how to get the most value from benchmarking.
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Open Data Exposes An Uncomfortable Truth: Matters Of Gender Diversity And Inclusivity Remain Performative
Three steps to increase the level of trust in your gender-related messaging.
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US Public Sector Predictions 2022
Read this post to discover six key predictions on US public sector customer and employee experiences, cybersecurity, and technology. Then, dive deeper with a complimentary webinar.
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The Unstoppable Rise Of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
With the broader rollout of the e-yuan next month, government-backed digital currency will enter a new era. What will it hold for banks, non-financial services firms, and society at large?
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The Tech Council Of Australia Brings The Digital Generation To The Policy Forefront
Technology is central to nearly every aspect of our lives — even more so in the post-COVID world we’re all stumbling towards. For individuals, it’s the key to maintaining connections with family and friends. For employees, it’s the basis for communication, collaboration, and productivity. For many organizations, it’s currently the only way to engage with […]
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Finally, A US Digital Stimulus Package … But One That Only Keeps The Lights On
When US President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law, he added $1.9 trillion of economic stimulus to the $2.2 trillion provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and $0.9 trillion included in the federal government’s appropriations bill for 2021. This brings the combined fiscal stimulus of the Trump […]
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Automation Will Reshape Australia’s Job Market For Decades To Come
Seven years ago, you could have been forgiven for thinking that every second person you knew would be unemployed in just over a decade. Headlines at the time were sensational and alarmist after Oxford academics Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne estimated that 47% of American jobs were at high risk of automation. While we […]
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Facebook’s Ban On News Is A Blow To Consumers, Not Regulators
UPDATE: On February 22, Facebook announced that it would restore access to news media content in Australia. This decision was taken after the Australian government agreed to changes within the regulatory regime that would: 1) take account of existing deals between platforms and publishers; 2) allow for mediation prior to arbitration; and 3) include additional […]
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The Promise (And Perils) Of Customer-Focused Government Technology Transformation
Technology transformation is a fundamental lever to change the working of government overall.
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The Industrialization Of Intelligence Will Drive The Autonomous Enterprise
Learn the three key considerations every CIO needs to consider in building their digital transformation agenda.
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Best Practices For Tech Transformation In Government
Technology transformation is a fundamental pillar for reforming the overall workings of government.
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Return Of The Sovereign Cloud
A decade ago, I completed the first ever assessment of Australia’s emerging “trusted” or private infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) market. I followed this up with a 2010 opinion-editorial calling for improved “cloud computing regulation” in Australia as a model for global oversight of a hugely important market segment. How important? The cloud computing market has become as […]
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Evolving Business And Technology Priorities In Asia Pacific Post-COVID-19 (On-Demand Webinar)
It's no surprise that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on Asia Pacific firms’ business and technology priorities. According to our latest survey, 26% of firms are in survival mode versus 16% that are in growth mode.
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In A Crisis, Customer-Obsessed Government Can Save Lives
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and a global recession, the need for exceptional government customer experience has never been greater.
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Address Legal, Regulatory, And Operational Risks For The Return To Work
In addition to government guidelines, firms must consider a number of other factors in bringing employees back to work. Here are four areas you might not be thinking about.
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Tech Leadership Churn In Australian Banks — Correcting The False Promise Of Bimodal IT
Principal Analyst Sam Higgins dispels the myth that having two technology portfolios run by two different leaders is the best approach.
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The Time For Digital Rhetoric Is Over: Governments Must Overcome Execution Barriers And Fulfill Their Promises
I recently had the pleasure of congratulating Chris Fechner on his appointment as the new Queensland government chief customer and digital officer, a position announced by Minister for Digital Technology Mick de Brenni late last year. Chris leaves behind the role of chief digital and product officer for Service NSW, which itself was only created […]
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