News

Australian kiosk program loses government funding

February 6, 2003

VICTORIA, Australia -- Australian kiosk developer pieNetworks, in its 2002 annual report, says that the continuation of funding by the Victorian Health Minister for a network of pieNetworks 130 kiosks that deliver health information is in question.

Since July 2000, pieNetworks has managed the Internet-enabled public access terminals for the Victorian Department of Human Services. The 130 terminals are located in hospitals,
community health centers, homeless shelters and GP clinics across Victoria, almost half of them in rural locations.

The kiosks were sold, installed and then managed by pieNetworks under a "whole of network" contract with the Victorian Minister for Health. "Whilst the contract with the Victorian Minister for Health was extended to Jan. 31, 2003, a further 'whole of network' renewal of the contract beyond this date has not been forthcoming," according to a news release.

The company is currently lobbying the government, as well as working with individual kiosk sites, in an effort to continue the service.

According to the release, pieNetworks has secured agreements with more than 30 percent of the sites to continue the service on an individual basis, and hopes to contract with more host locations in the coming months.

The company expects that the withdrawal of government monies will result in a $120,000 (about $70,913 U.S.) reduction in gross revenue for 2003, according to the release.