5259.0 - Australian National Accounts: Information and Communication Technology Satellite Account, 2002-03

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/03/2006 First Issue

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Glossary Abbreviations Framework and Concepts (Appendix) Classifications and Scope (Appendix) ABS Classification of ICT Products (Appendix) Data Sources (Appendix) Methodological Issues (Appendix) Quality of the Estimates (Appendix) Relationships with other ABS Series (Appendix)	APPENDIX 7 RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER ABS SERIES UPDATED NATIONAL ACCOUNTS ANNUAL BENCHMARKS Investigations conducted in the course of producing this satellite account have driven revisions to time series data on gross fixed capital formation of computer hardware and computer software contained in ASNA 2004-05. These revisions are explained in the feature article 'Updated National Accounts annual benchmarks' available on the ABS web site at www.abs.gov.au (Ausstats - Publications - 5204 (2004-05) - Main features). Nevertheless, the current price industry details published here for gross fixed capital formation on computer hardware and computer software represent an update on those published in ASNA 2004-05. Timing constraints meant that it was not possible to finalise the industry details in time for the 2004-05 ASNA estimation round but this alignment will be done as soon as practicable. While industry details differ between the two publications, totals for Australia, in both current price and chain volume measures, are consistent for all capital measures. IMPORTS OF PACKAGED SOFTWARE Estimates of imports of packaged software in the satellite account are higher than those published in ICTIS and implicit in current BOP and International Trade and ASNA publications, though all ABS collections employ the same product definition for packaged software. The nature of software means that it can be traded in a variety of media, it can be transmitted electronically, it can be bundled and it can be copied multiple times within the importing country. This adds complexity to the measurement of transactions. The satellite account, while using the sources of direct information mentioned above, also involved a degree of cross checking of information with major ICT wholesalers reporting to ICTIS on the origin (foreign or domestic) of their packaged software acquisitions. This has resulted in higher estimates of imports of packaged software in the satellite account than in BOP and International Trade and ICTIS. The data contributing to the alternative estimates are subject to ongoing investigation by confronting and reconciling data reported by significant businesses in the Survey of International trade in Services and ICTIS. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.