BUSINESS INTERNET ACTIVITIES

Businesses accessing the internet were asked which activities they used the internet for during 2009-10. Businesses were able to identify more than one activity from a list which focused on activities more likely to improve business efficiency, productivity or facilitate innovation.

Overall, 90% of businesses with internet access used the internet for at least one of the activities listed below.

Selected business internet activities, by employment size(a)(b), 2009 - 10
		0-4 persons	5-19 persons	20-199 persons	200 or more persons	Total
		%	%	%	%	%
Financial including online banking, invoicing, making payments		81.7	88.4	90.7	95.5	84.8
Enabling persons working for this business to:
	work from home	30.0	32.4	49.0	79.8	32.8
	work from other locations	19.9	27.4	44.9	80.9	25.0
Information gathering or researching for:
	assessing or modifying this business's range of products, services, processes or methods	36.4	41.2	50.0	53.4	39.3
	development of new or improved products, services, processes or methods	21.6	24.4	30.5	42.1	23.5
	monitoring competitors	22.1	28.3	36.3	46.7	25.6
	identifying future market trends	18.4	19.7	26.4	39.5	19.7
Online training/learning		19.3	27.3	35.7	69.4	23.8
Information sharing or data exchange (e.g. EDI, FTP) with:
	customers or clients	16.5	18.2	24.5	38.6	17.9
	businesses or organisations (which were not customers or clients)	10.4	13.3	19.9	35.9	12.4
(a) Proportions are of all businesses with internet access in each employment size category.
(b) Businesses could identify more than one activity.

Aside from financial activities, using the internet for information gathering or researching for assessing or modifying this business's range of products, services, processes or methods was the most common (39%). This activity was most prominent among businesses with 200 or more persons employed (53%). Large businesses were also the most likely to undertake innovation related activities via the internet, i.e. the development of new or improved products, services, processes or methods (42%).

Across the listed activities, the proportions increased with each successive employment size category. For example, businesses with 200 or more persons employed were four times more likely to use the internet for enabling persons working for the business to work from other locations than businesses with 0-4 persons employed (81% and 20% respectively).

By industry, the proportion of businesses undertaking financial activities on the internet ranged from 74% in Transport, postal and warehousing, to 92% in both Electricity, gas, water and waste services and Information media and telecommunications. The proportion of businesses enabling persons working for the business to work from home ranged from 16% in both the Agriculture, forestry and fishing and Other services industries to 60% in the Financial and insurance services industry.

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