PicNet Users Group

PicNet stands for 'People, Information and Collaboration Network'. We strongly believe in the importance of strategic long term relationships that add value over time. To facilitate this, we host the PicNet User Group (PUG), an opportunity for users of PicNet services to get together and informally exchange ideas and experiences about specific IT subjects.

Participation in the User Group is exclusive to PicNet clients and partners.

Cloud Computing

User Group #5 at the IBM Centre

Guest Speaker: Glenn Casarotto, DMS Maritime

Glenn Casarotto, IT Manager for DMS Maritime gives us an overview of his experience with cloud computing. We share experiences, discuss the benefits and the drawbacks to this young but promising approach to IT.

Gadgets and their impact on Corporate IT

User Group #4 at the Hilton Hotel

Guest Speaker: Trevor Long, Technology Commentator for 2UE

Trevor Long, Technology Commentator for 2UE, A Current Affair, 2GB and Sky News introduced the discussion on Gadgets and how they affect the corporate workplace, employees and specifically, our roles as IT managers and CIOs.

IT Security

User Group #3 at the Four Seasons Hotel

Guest Speaker: Simon Whitie, Director Global Business Operations, Milestone Group

Simon Whitie of Milestone Group takes a detailed look at two security management models while sharing his experiences using them. Milestone Group is a specialist supplier of next generation fund processing and investment analytic software to Investment Managers, Banks, Life Companies, Custodians and Hedge Fund Administrators and as such carries a significant security burden.

Business Continuity and Resilience

User Group #2 at Reckitt Benckiser

Guest Speaker: John Doran, Regional IS Director, Reckitt Benckiser

Continuing on from the first User Group, Business Continuity and Resilience was discussed, with Reckitt Benckiser sharing how Business Continuity Planning used at the world's largest producer of household products. Other related topics covered included Business Continuity Planning, IT Validation and BCP Maintenance.

Read the full Meeting Outcome

Disaster Recovery

User Group #1 at the Four Seasons Hotel

Moderator: Marco Tapia, Managing Director PicNet

The first PicNet User Group focused on the topic of disaster recovery, particularly the business, technology and people issues involved.

Key Takeaways

• DR in isolation is dead
• BCP must be entrenched in the company culture.
• IT infrastructure and systems must be designed for resilience and continuous operations.
• Concluded that Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) longer than "always available" and "data lost" are no longer accepted by corporations.
• Believes that solutions need to be focused on revenue and the cost impact to each organisation.

Read the full Meeting Outcome