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GLOSSARY

Broadband

Defined by the ABS as an 'always on' internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256kbps.

Cable

Describes those technologies including coaxial cable, fibre optic cable and hybrid coaxial cable which are capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Collaboration

Active joint participation with other organisations which involves some sharing of technical or commercial risk. Straight fee-for-service arrangements are deemed not to be collaborative and are therefore excluded.

Collaborative Arrangements

Businesses were asked to indicate if they were involved in collaborative arrangements with other businesses or organisations during the year ended 30 June 2013. Collaborative arrangements were defined as participation in joint projects with other businesses or organisations (including wider parts of the business enterprise group), irrespective of potential commercial benefit. These included informal collaborative arrangements but excluded straight fee-for-service and franchise arrangements. Businesses were asked to report all of the arrangements that applied.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

More properly referred to as xDSL as this covers several digital technologies (e.g. Asymmetric DSL or ADSL and Symmetric DSL or SDSL) for fast two-way data connections over the public switched telecommunications network.

Financial reference period

Financial year ended 30 June 2013. Business with a different financial year were asked to report for a 12 month period which ended between 1 October 2012 and 30 September 2013.

Fixed Wireless Internet access

Point to point microwave link, generally building to building or tower to building which allows subscribers within the receiving building to access the Internet. Sender and receiver must be within line of sight and no more than 22 kilometres apart, although newer generations of this technology have overcome some of these obstacles. Examples of technologies included as fixed wireless are fixed WiMax, LMDS and MMDS.

Foreign Ownership

Businesses were asked to report their percentage of foreign ownership as at 30 June 2013 by selecting one of the four available options. A definition of foreign ownership was not specified.

Frame Relay

Communications protocol used to ensure that data is delivered correctly over a packet-switching system transmitting at up to 2Mbps.

Franchising Agreements

Businesses were asked whether they were involved in any franchising agreements during the year ended 30 June 2013. Businesses could be identified as a franchisee (i.e. operated a franchise), franchisor (i.e. controlled a franchise system) or both.

Geographic Markets (in which businesses sold goods or services)

Businesses were asked to identify in which geographic markets they sold their goods or services during the year ended 30 June 2013. There were four options: local (the immediate area, town or city in which the business is located), outside of local area but within the state/territory, outside of state/territory but within Australia, and overseas. Multiple responses could be provided.

Innovation

An innovation is the introduction of a new or significantly improved good or service; operational process; organisational/managerial process; or marketing method.

Innovative activity

Innovative activity includes any work that was intended to, or did, result in the introduction of an innovation.

Intellectual property

Refers to the ownership of ideas and control over the tangible or virtual representation of those ideas. Businesses were asked what methods were used to protect their intellectual property during the year ended 30 June 2013. Multiple responses could be provided.

Internet

A world-wide public computer network. Organisations and individuals can connect their computers to this network and exchange information across a country and/or across the world. The internet provides access to a number of communication services including the World Wide Web and carries email, news, entertainment and data files.

Main source of business income

Businesses were asked to identify their main source of income from the sale of goods or services during the year ended 30 June 2013. A list of sources was provided, however definitions for large businesses or organisations and small and/or medium businesses or organisations were not.

Main supplier of goods or services

Businesses were asked to identify their main supplier of goods or services for the year ended 30 June 2013. A list of suppliers was provided, however, definitions for large businesses or organisations and small and/or medium businesses or organisations were not.

Measures of business innovation

Two measures of business innovation are included in this release:

Innovating businesses - businesses which introduced any type of innovation during the reference period.
Innovation-active businesses - businesses which had undertaken any innovative activity during the reference period including: introduction of any type of innovation; and/or the development or introduction either still in progress or abandoned.

Introduced - the business successfully introduced an innovation during the reference period (although the innovation does not need to have been commercially successful).
Still in development - the business was in the process of developing or introducing an innovation during the reference period but work on the innovation was still in progress at the end of the period.
Abandoned - the business abandoned the development and/or introduction of an innovation during the reference period (i.e. work on the innovation ceased without full introduction occurring).

Goods or services - Any good or service or combination of these which is new to a business (or significantly improved). Its characteristics or intended uses differ significantly from those previously produced/offered.
Operational processes - New or significantly improved methods of producing or delivering goods or services of a business (including significant change in techniques, equipment and/or software).
Organisational/managerial processes - New or significantly improved strategies, structures or routines of a business which aim to improve performance.
Marketing methods - New or significantly improved design, packaging, placement, pricing, promotion or sales method aimed to increase the appeal of goods or services of a business or to enter new markets.