AIIA’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Durie, looks back on a year of ICT success in 2004.

In our fast-paced, dynamic industry, a lot can happen in a year. 2004 has been a particularly productive and profitable year, for both the ICT industry in general, and the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) in particular.

The year began with a bang, as the Australia US Free Trade Agreement was announced in February. During the FTA negotiation period, AIIA raised several issues affecting the ICT industry including government procurement, intellectual property, e-commerce and movement of people, and ensured the industry-wide support of the FTA was heard by Parliament.

Lobbying was firmly on the agenda in 2004. Two of AIIA’s greatest successes occurred in the lead-up to the federal election. AIIA obtained a firm commitment from the Howard Government to improve the liability provisions in government contracting, as a result of the Association’s widely canvassed report, Better Practices, Better Outcomes. Speaking at the Coalition’s ICT Policy Launch in September, Senator Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, agreed that government agencies “should only require unlimited liability for the riskiest of contracts and liability should be capped at an acceptable level for all other contracts.”

In August, AIIA’s Board of Directors met with key decision makers at Parliament House, including Senator Coonan, to discuss the industry’s most pressing issues. As a result of AIIA’s lobbying, the Coalition committed to changing intellectual property policy, ensuring, in Senator Coonan’s words, “that the option of the supplier retaining or capitalising on IP generated by a government project is given greater prominence.” AIIA is optimistic that the release of IP from government contracts will lead to greater export revenue and growth of Australian ICT companies.

AIIA’s new Board of Directors was announced in October. Charged with leading the ICT business community throughout the next twelve months, the new board consists of 15 directors. John Price, Managing Director of the HR Innovation Centre, was reappointed Chairman for a third year. AIIA has been a source of leadership since the Association’s inception and we’re pleased with the strong leadership qualities the new Board of Directors will bring to the industry.

AIIA has been involved with a number of innovative programmes in 2004. In April, our plan to develop a voluntary industry-driven national computer collection and recycling scheme was welcomed by government and industry. Also in April, AIIA and partner, the IT Skills Hub commenced a contract with the Australian Government to develop an industry programme designed to improve employment opportunities for mature age job seekers and people with disabilities.

In May, AIIA secured a grant of more than $260,000 under the Government Small Business Enterprise Culture Program to develop business skills for ICT entrepreneurs, giving senior managers from local industry companies the opportunity to participate in an innovative training and mentoring programme.

AIIA is committed to Australia’s local industry, and programmes of this nature contribute to the continual development of a vibrant, world-class local ICT sector.

2004 was a positive year for employees in our industry. Results from AIIA’s August 2004 Survey of Salaries and Remuneration Packaging in the Australian ICT Industry showed real salary increases of 1.4% for the past twelve months, demonstrating that ICT sector employees are still being rewarded for their contributions.

The growth of the local industry sector is a key focus area for AIIA, with approximately 70 percent of our members being small-to-medium sized companies. In 2004, AIIA’s state branch committees hosted almost 100 exclusive workshops, seminars and symposia aimed at addressing the raft of issues facing SMEs in the local ICT industry.

Some of the highlights included Export SA, a new annual forum for major players in South Australia, the NSW Branch’s annual Government Solutions Symposium and the Working with Government Workshop in Victoria. At the newly formed Marketing Forum, leaders in ICT marketing shared challenges and success stories with their industry counterparts.

AIIA is proudly associated with a number of world-class events, including Australia’s largest ICT tradefair, CeBIT Australia. Attracting more than 20,000 visitors, the fair presented the next generation of global technologies in May, and offered participants the chance to showcase their leading-edge solutions.

In association with CeBIT, hundreds of Australia’s most outstanding ICT companies vied for recognition at AIIA’s prestigious iAwards. More than 700 of the industry’s most influential local and international powerbrokers were on hand to applaud the 14 award winners.

Later in the year, AIIA was admitted in the Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA) network. Three iAward recipients have submitted their award-winning solutions for international recognition at the APICTA awards programme, which is being held in Hong Kong this week. Admission to APICTA cements the iAwards as the premiere Australian ICT awards programme and provides a further opportunity for iAward winners to profile their success globally.

Just last week, I returned from Sri Lanka, where AIIA led a delegation to the ASOCIO ICT Summit (Asian Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation). Celebrating its 20th anniversary, ASOCIO continues to provide a platform for the ICT industry to come together across the Asia Pacific region to synergise on ICT issues affecting us all.

On looking back at the year, I’m proud of AIIA’s achievements, and I am looking forward to sharing a successful 2005 with the ICT industry.

Chief Executive Officer
Australian Information Industry Association