Telstra expands muru-D accelerator to Melbourne and launches open IoT lab

Four years on from launching its muru-D accelerator program in Sydney and taking it to Singapore, Brisbane, and Perth, Telstra has announced its expansion to Melbourne, setting up a program out of its Gurrowa innovation lab.

Having opened Gurrowa in 2015, Telstra also announced the space will come to be housed under the umbrella of its new Telstra Labs initiative, with company CTO Håkan Eriksson explaining this will be a single identity that brings together Telstra’s innovation and tech capability.

Eriksson, who was appointed CTO late last year, said, “It’s a unique environment that allows for rapid experimentation, validation and the implementation of new ideas within Telstra and with our partners and customers.”

Within Gurrowa, Telstra has launched a publicly accessible GSMA Open IoT lab that Eriksson believes is “a definite game changer” for the Australian Internet of Things ecosystem.

It will allow anyone to create, test, and prototype IoT solutions by giving them access to an array of Telstra’s expertise and equipment, including a 3D printer, electronics testing equipment, and fully functional Cat-M1 and NB-IoT networks, with the goal to help foster a community and encourage best-practice sharing of ideas, experience, research, and insights among startups through to global enterprises. Read more

Gina Baldassarre - Startup Daily - 3 May 2017