BUSINESS USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY


Introduction

The Business Characteristics Survey (BCS) collects key indicators of IT use and innovation in Australian businesses and more detailed information for each of these topics is collected every second year (i.e. in alternating years). The 2009-10 BCS had a focus on IT use and detailed outputs were released in Business Use of Information Technology (cat. no. 8129.0) in August 2011. Only a small amount of summary data are included here and users are advised to view the dedicated IT use release for detailed outputs and commentary. The datacube related to IT use in this release includes selected data items cross-classified by innovator status.

Business Use of Information Technology, selected indicators, by employment size(a)
			0-4 persons	5-19 persons	20-199 persons	200 or more persons	Total
Businesses with:
	internet access(b)	%	87.3	93.7	96.4	99.2	90.1
	web presence(b)	%	29.2	51.5	73.0	94.0	40.0
Businesses with internet access and broadband as the main type of connection(b)		%	96.9	97.2	97.3	98.6	97.1
Businesses which:
	placed orders via the internet(c)	%	39.8	54.4	63.3	72.6	46.5
	received orders via the internet(c)	%	21.0	29.4	33.5	33.8	24.8
Internet income(d)		$b	^9.5	^29.0	^38.2	66.2	142.8
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution
(a) Proportions are of all businesses in each employment size range.
(b) As at 30 June 2010.
(c) During the financial year ending 30 June 2010.
(d) Please refer to Explanatory Note 17.

Nine in ten businesses had internet access as at 30 June 2010. The likelihood of a business accessing the internet was greater for each successive employment size range, from 87% for businesses with 0-4 persons employed, to 99% for businesses with 200 or more persons employed.

At 30 June 2010, 40% of Australian businesses had a web presence. This includes businesses with a website, home page or other web presence but not listed as part of a web directory.

The proportion of all businesses placing orders via the internet during 2009-10 was 46%. The proportion of all businesses reporting receipt of orders via the internet was 25%, with income derived from these orders totalling approximately $143 billion. Businesses with 200 or more persons employed generated just under half of total internet income ($66 billion).