Aussies worth watching

LOOP9 has developed an SMS concierge service for international travellers. Travel Messenger enables travel agents to provide up-to-the-minute personalised services delivered to customers' phones via SMS. Agents have an opportunity to enhance their offerings and develop client loyalty for repeat bookings and commissions. The service provides travel information, tips, and advice as soon as needed in 200 countries and 3000 cities around the world.

EVOCONNECT'S publication platform provides marketers with consumer insights that help boost sales. Suitable for magazines, newsletters, and other applications, the EVO Brochure adds voice, animation, and video to the e-brochure, as well as delivering business intelligence back to the marketer. Initial customers include CS Bank and Allphones. The EVO Brochure is being taken to market in the US, the UK, and Australia.

AURA is a mobile marketing technology provider that specialises in interactive Bluetooth proximity marketing and location-based services. The company offers a suite of solutions including Blue Zones (Bluetooth hotspots), which enables brands and event promoters to engage and interact with their customers by providing free and rich mobile content such as video, audio, vouchers, and mobile games to enhance their branded entertainment experience.

SCENTRAL delivers business solutions for corporate and government clients. Its offerings include professional services, application and database development and support, systems integration, hosting and data centre services, technical services, and VoIP telephony. Clients include Coles Myer, ANZ Bank, Priceline, Rio Tinto, Mercedes Benz, and Telstra.

PTYAUCTIONS provides live Webcasts of real estate auctions, allowing sellers to access potential buyers from interstate and around the world. The company's auctions have attracted bidders from all around Australia as well as Dubai, Hong Kong, London, and the US. The PtyAuctions software allows people who want to bid to provide proof of identity, which is fully checked, and then follow the prompts to find the auction that they are interested in.

ELECTRIC OPTIC SYSTEMS (EOS) develops and produces products that incorporate advanced electro-optic technologies for the aerospace market. EOS products are developed through internal research and development programs based on the company's core technologies in software, lasers, electronics, optics, gimbals, telescopes and beam directors, optical coatings, and precision mechanisms. EOS operates centres in Australia, the US, and Germany, and has production facilities in Australia and the US.

Len Rust is publisher of The Rust Report