Technology Park enterprises lead the digital age

23 July 2008

Innovative IT enterprises within the University of Ballarat Technology Park (UBTP) have announced leading edge technology advances that have international potential.

Mal Vallance, Director of Business Development, said the mission of the Park was to foster new and innovative technologies that generated economic and social benefits to industry and the community.

The UBTP is the largest technology park in regional Australia. It is the innovative hub to many small to medium sized enterprises, developing new and clever approaches to operating within the digital age.

“The Technology Park is proud to nurture these enterprises as they pursue a promising commercial future,” Mr Vallance said.

One of these IT enterprises, T Garage, recently established Vibe Village – a new on-line community where producers and consumers interact to discuss products.

“As a team of former senior marketers and IT specialists, T Garage was started as we believed there was a more efficient and effective means to engage consumers in the process of a branded discussion than the traditional mechanism of an advertising monologue,” director William Saxton said.

“Vibe Village is a first in Australia and there is really nothing exactly like it around the world. This is partly why we have applied for patents for several aspects of our offer.

“Vibe Village acts as the catalyst for one friend telling another through word of mouth about something they have had first-hand experience with – that is, one friend helping another with information when their friend has a need.”

Mr Saxton said the most powerful way to engage consumers around brands was through an interactive dialogue.

“We call it social network communication or word of mouth. Intuitively everyone knows that word of mouth is the most persuasive means of advertising so we created a concept called Vibe Village,” Mr Saxton said.

“No one in Vibe Village is paid. They share because they have a passion or interest in the area in which we are running a program or party. They share because they have something of value (information, samples, etc) to pass on to their friends, not to sell.

“Vibe Village selects people to participate in Vibe Programs or Vibe Parties based on their demographic and influencer profile,” he said.

“Our profiling tool is something we have spent considerable time and skill developing with psychologists and academics. It is the 'black box' of Vibe Village and stands us apart from similar offers in the USA.

“Once selected, we give our agents or hosts products to experience first-hand. Finally we ask them to 'share the vibe' and then tell us via on-line reports when they do so.”

Another enterprise excelling at the University of Ballarat Technology Park is Gogofrog.

“Our company, Gogofrog, plans to move social internet networks to a whole new dimension,” Mark Willoughby, Chief Operating Officer, said.

“Social networkers - numbering in the hundreds of millions - are the next generation of the internet.”

Mr Willoughby said Gogofrog Holdings are the developers of a 3D social networking tool called Gogofrog.

“Like Facebook and MySpace, Gogofrog users are able to build a webspace where they can post pictures, play games and keep in touch with friends and family via text, voice or video communications,” Mr Willoughby said.

“Unlike regular social networking sites though, this is all done in 3D so that users can build and decorate a virtual room that others can visit.”

Other advantages of Gogofrog are that it is:

* Used from your browser so there is no software download required;

* Easy to access from wherever you are through almost any computer, PDA or mobile phone;

* A secure environment so users can choose who is allowed to visit their webspace;

* Built with educators in mind, allowing teachers to create secure virtual learning centres where they can conduct lessons in unique and interesting ways;

* Free for basic access which provides the user with an avatar (virtual character) and an array of avatar accessories in addition to a Pad (3D web room) where the user can post pictures, video and text, invite friends to visit and have a place of their own to engage in the metaverse.

People can visit Gogofrog’s website at www.gogofrog.com to see the initial test version, however Gogofrog will be fully launched in September.

“We are moving what has to date been a two dimensional experience into a three dimensional experience,” Mr Willoughby said.


“So instead of looking at the internet, you are in the internet which is a completely different experience.

“Others do this today to some extent. The way we are doing it though is not only easier to use and access, it’s secure and comes with a lot more functionality for your everyday user.

“From our perspective, one of the key wow factors is making social networks 3D and with this comes a whole host of other really cool stuff.”

Another enterprise at the Park, Advanced VTOL Technologies (AVT), provides the Australian Defence Force and foreign defence forces with helicopter-ship operating limits using simulation to mitigate the risk of flight and deck crew injury as well as potential damage to helicopters and ships.

“As part of a Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) Concept Technology Demonstrator (CTD) Grant, AVT is developing a new Maritime Helicopter Aid (MHA) to improve safety, operational effectiveness and usage monitoring for helicopters operating from ships,” director David Howe said.

“AVT also provides contract support to DSTO and conducts research into Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Automonous Vehicles (UAVs) and is currently conducting flight trials of its unique Hammerhead platform.”

AVT was established in 1998. Further details about AVT can be found at www.avtolt.com 

Further information can be found at http://www.ubtp.com.au/snapshot.php