Paul Walbank, Business Spectator, at Splunk.conf 2014 with Jeff Kelly and Jeff Frick @theCUBE #theCUBE #Splunk #splunkconf #SiliconANGLE @Splunk he Splunk Inc. conference attracted attendees from all parts of the tech industry, and the world. Writer and blogger Paul Walbank flew up from his native Australia to learn more about a company that’s “making a big difference with business.” Primarily focused on Big Data, Walbank was drawn to Splunk because he’s tracking tools that enable businesses to develop in the new economy. Splunk’s ability to leverage its partner ecosystem, Walbank said, makes a big difference in how competitive it is. He also called out Splunk’s emphasis on industrial data and global corporations and a winning characteristic. Citing General Electric as a prime example, he said customers get a lot out of Splunk by using it to collect machine data and make their physical assets more effective. In Australia, Walbank called out that many mining companies are beginning to do the same thing. The challenge, he said is that Australian companies face an uphill battle against “cynical seed investors,” which leaves them with a “lag of five years” in adoption time. Australia, Walbank observed, “is in a funny position” when it comes to its relationship with tech. The current tax laws “penalize startups” so they often end up relocating to Europe, the United States, or East Asia.