-- Internode Systems Pty. in Adelaide, Australia, has inked a three-year deal valued at 2.2 million Australian dollars ($1.7 million U.S.) to provide Internet services to the state government of South Australia. The deal covers 70,000 workers and includes the development of redundant 1Gbit/sec. fiber-optic links to the state's Internet Gateway portal.

-- The Philippine government is pushing for the adoption of newer Internet technologies, particularly IP Version 6. Angelo Timoteo Diaz de Rivera, a member of the Philippines Commission on Information and Communications Technology , said IPv6 will first be adopted in government offices, which currently lack any IP infrastructure. It will then be aimed at businesses, he said.

-- Cisco Systems Inc. and T-Systems International GmbH in Hamburg, Germany, have agreed to jointly develop smart-tag systems for logistics and retail companies. Cisco and the IT services provider said they will first work with German companies and later expand to the rest of Europe. They didn't disclose when the systems will be available.