![Data is at the heart of today’s government services. This is reflected in the federal government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy (the Strategy), which highlights its goal to use data, analytics, and technology to deliver simple, accessible services for people and businesses by 2030. As noted in the strategy, Australians expect personalised, integrated, and easy-to-use services from government entities they engage with. Such personalisation, especially across digital channels, is heavily dependent on data. Delivering such services becomes more effective when the data is more accurate and up-to-date. This is where real-time data comes into play. Why? Real-time data is more accurate because it is always up-to-date. This, in turn, improves the customer experience by enabling services to be more dynamic and interactive. However, because batch processing still accounts for the majority of data processing in government ranks, even the most recent data may become outdated when used to deliver government services. Engage with data in motion Batch processing is when the processing and analysis happen on a set of data that has already been stored for a period of time. This may be days, weeks, or even months, which just doesn't cut it for delivering dynamic and interactive citizen services. In recent years, data streaming has emerged as the technology that allows organizations to tap into their data in real-time in order to improve citizen engagement and experience. Event streaming, another name for data streaming, describes the continuous flow of data as it occurs. This enables true real-time processing and analysis for immediate insights. Streaming data distinguishes itself from batch processing by delivering the most up-to-date information when required. Apache Kafka, one of the most successful open source projects, is used by over 70% of Fortune 500 companies today and is well recognised as the de facto standard for data streaming. The open-source nature of Kafka lowered the entry barrier for working with streaming data, allowing companies to easily build use cases and solutions. However, as with all open-source software, there are limitations. Companies often end up spending more to efficiently manage, scale, secure, and evolve the streaming infrastructure. Why are we still using batch processing if data streaming is the future? Batch processing is still simpler to implement than stream processing, and successfully moving from batch to streaming requires a significant change to a team’s habits and processes, as well as a meaningful upfront investment. That is why Confluent has rearchitected Kafka to create a complete platform that provides a fully managed, cloud-native data streaming solution with the ability to turn data events into outcomes, enable real-time apps, and empower teams and systems to act on data instantly. Personalised for the people Confluent’s ability to utilise data as a continually updating stream of events rather than discrete snapshots means that public sector organisations can leverage data streaming to improve citizen engagement by offering personalised, data-driven services and insights. Confluent’s data streaming platform also enables real-time monitoring and analysis of government services and infrastructure, allowing public sector entities to quickly respond to critical events such as natural disasters or public health emergencies. At a more mundane level, Confluent supports data sharing and collaboration among government agencies, facilitating the seamless exchange of information to serve the public better and optimise resource allocation. And, importantly for government organisations, Confluent’s data streaming capabilities can enhance cyber security by detecting and mitigating threats in real time and safeguarding sensitive government data—a critical element in maintaining our national security. Indeed, 53% of Australian businesses surveyed in a recent Confluent study cited security and compliance awareness as the most applicable use cases for data streaming. It should come as little surprise, then, that industry analyst firm Forrester views Confluent as “an excellent fit for organisations that need to support a high-performance, scalable, multi-cloud data pipeline with extreme resilience.” Streamlining service improvement Data streaming is driving greater efficiency in more than three of four companies across Asia Pacific, according to Confluent research. Meanwhile, 65% of IT leaders polled see significant or emerging product and service benefits from data streaming. With this in mind, the potential for the government to do more with its data is clear, and personalisation is top of mind. Personalising citizen service experiences requires knowing who a customer is at any given moment. This is made possible by accessing data in motion, especially across multiple touchpoints. At the very least, this can help citizens avoid having to provide the same information over and over again as they interact with government agencies. And now, with Confluent assessed under the Australian Information Security Registered Assessors Programme (IRAP), government agencies with an Information Security Manual PROTECTED level requirement can use Confluent Cloud across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Australian government agencies will then be able to gather and share data across departments, offices, and agencies securely and at scale. This means even more government agencies will be able to tap data in motion to integrate information across their applications and systems in real time and reinvent employee and citizen experiences for the better.](https://publicspectrum.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Confluent-Advertorial.png)
A major financial services provider in Australia has recently made the decision to go cashless at its offices. However, the company has assured its customers that they will not incur any fees for cash withdrawals from ATMs.
Australia’s largest financial institution has recently made the decision to stop accepting cash transactions at its offices, further fueling the ongoing trend towards a cashless society. Starting 20 May, Macquarie Bank will be transitioning to a digital-only payment system as part of their strategic initiative to gradually eliminate cash and check services across all their products.
Starting next week, Macquarie offices will no longer offer over-the-counter services to customers. Additionally, customers will no longer be able to deposit or collect checks or order new chequebooks at these offices. From 1st November, customers will no longer have the option to write or deposit personal checks, deposit or request bank checks, deposit cash or checks over the counter at NAB branches, or make super contributions or payments via check.
Macquarie, in contrast to the “big four” banks—Westpac, NAB, Commonwealth Bank, and ANZ—operates without a traditional branch network. The adjustments will impact its three offices located in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. The projected impact of the changes is minimal, affecting a small fraction of the bank’s customer base.
Customers are still able to conveniently access cash through ATMs using a Macquarie card, and the bank has made a commitment to cover any associated ATM cash withdrawal fees. Financial businesses are increasingly limiting their involvement in cash transactions.
Westpac, ANZ, CommBank, and NAB have decided against transitioning to a cashless system. However, these banks have closed branches in various parts of regional Australia, preventing certain customers from accessing cash banking services. Westpac recently announced the closure of four subsidiary Bank of Melbourne branches in Victoria. The affected branches are located in Broadmeadows, Airport West, Werribee Plaza, and South Morang.
The closures come as a result of the bank’s recent announcement to shut down approximately 20 branches in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and South Australia. According to Ross Miller, the chief customer engagement officer at Westpac, the bank has taken steps to enhance its customers’ access to cash transactions, even in light of the closures.
“We’ve digitally connected our brands and branches meaning Westpac, St George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA customers can now use any of our more than 500 branches for cash and cheque deposits and cash withdrawals,” he said.
In April this year, NAB made the decision to close two branches in the small North Queensland towns of Sarina and Proserpine due to low customer use figures. A majority of customers, around 56 percent, visited the NAB branch in Sarina only once in 2023, according to the bank. Similarly, about 64 percent of customers used the Proserpine branch just once throughout the year. The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee is currently investigating the branch closures that have affected regional Australia. They anticipate releasing their final report in May.
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