AIIA's commitment to the ICT industry

AIIA's role is to lead and represent the ICT industry in Australia to maximise the potential of the Australian economy. We do this by advocating the collective interests of the Australian ICT industry to government, other industries and the wider Australian community, and by providing information, advice, expertise and business productivity tools to our members.

AIIA will continue to focus on industry growth – driving results that produce the best business outcomes for our members. Our priorities fall across five key areas:

• Growing the local ICT industry
• Developing the ICT workforce
• Building infrastructure
• Shaping the business environment
• Going green.

ICT statistics

• Australian Computer Society ICT Industry Report 2008
• Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Labour Market Statistics, October 2006
• Australian Bureau of Statistics 8126.0 Information and Communication Technology, Australia, 2004-05

Information and communications technology (ICT) is Australia's link to a successful, accelerating economy. Today's modern lifestyle would not be possible without the technologies which the ICT industry delivers. These include:

• computer software and services
• telecommunications equipment and services
• computer hardware
• many consumer electronics
  
• communication - cable and wireless
• recorded and broadcast media
• internet service providers (ISPs)
• other ICT products.

Australia has a strong, innovative and sophisticated ICT industry that is a crucial resource for growing the economy.

The Australian Computer Society's ICT Industry Report 2008 provides the most current overview of the Australian ICT industry. The ICT industry in Australia:

• employs 268,000 people directly
• employs 514,000 people across the Australian economy in vertical industries
• generated revenue of $84.3 billion in 2007
• spent $600 million on R&D in 2007.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ most recent ICT Satellite Account (2002-03) shows that:

• Australia's ICT is responsible for 4.6% of Australia’s gross domestic product
• This contribution is more than the agriculture, forestry and fishing (3.3%) and defence sectors (4.4%), and almost as much as mining (5%).