It is an exciting time in the Australian ICT industry and I am pleased to be leading the peak representative body at this time.

2006 has been a very positive year for AIIA.  As our industry continues to evolve, so too does the Association. 

In 2006, AIIA has grown to represent more than 450 member companies that generate combined annual revenues of over $40 billion, employ 100,000 Australians and have exports of more than $2 billion.

This year, the Association has focused on issues of government procurement, environmental management of e-waste and the treatment of intellectual property.  We have refined our suite of programs and products for members and championed the interests of local industry by fostering collaborative networks, training budding ICT entrepreneurs and providing research and recommendations on emerging risks and opportunities for the local ICT industry.

Just some of the many highlights of 2006 include:

• The launch of ValueICT: which demonstrates that ICT is not only a significant industry in its own right but also plays an important role as a key enabler of many other industries across the economy.
• Capping liability in government contracting: In August, after sustained pressure from AIIA, the Australian Government released a new policy which recommends that suppliers' liability be capped when selling ICT goods and services to the federal government.  This represents a major policy victory for AIIA and will enable AIIA member companies to develop more globally competitive businesses.  The Commonwealth, Victorian and West Australian governments now have default capping policies and AIIA will be working in other jurisdictions to introduce similar policies. 
• Unleashing our IP potential: this report, released in August, analyses how governments can develop policies and practices that support all stakeholders on the issue of IP ownership.  AIIA is working with governments across Australia to develop policies and practices that support all stakeholders.  For example, AIIA worked closely with the Victorian Government in the lead-up to the implementation of their new policy in July and continues to monitor its application in practice.
• The iAwards: awards were presented in 19 categories to winners across Australia and from many different sectors of our industry.  Online hotel booking service wotif.com was presented with the Inspiration iAward for the ‘best of the best’ in ICT innovation.  Craig Winkler, the founder of MYOB, was acknowledged with the CSIRO Tony Benson Award for Individual Achievement in ICT.
• International alliances: In 2006, AIIA continued to promote the capabilities of Australian ICT companies in international and national forums, briefings, events, AIIA publications, and key policy briefings.  Two highlights were participating in the ASOCIO Summit, held in Tokyo in November, and joining the world’s ICT leaders at the WITSA 2006 World Congress in Texas in May. 
• Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA): AIIA’s iAward winners were the exclusive Australian representatives at the prestigious APICTA awards program, which was held in Macau in November.  Australian technology company, SRA Information Technology, took home a prestigious merit award.
• Realising the potential of the ICT industry: AIIA’s research report revealed that SMEs want to build capacity, gain entrepreneurial training, access marketing intelligence and collaborate with other like-minded companies to win business.  The findings support the raft of SME-based initiatives that have been developed by AIIA to complement the Association’s policy work in support of SMEs. 
• CollabIT: was launched in Victoria, Western Australia and Northern Sydney throughout 2006.  This unique partnering program offers like-minded companies the opportunity to form collaborative networks, or clusters, to source new markets and increase sales. 
• Developing Business Skills for ICT Entrepreneurs: the first class graduated from the inaugural program in May, providing the next generation of ICT entrepreneurs with the opportunity to work on their businesses, rather than just in their businesses. 
• Encouraging diversity: In August, AIIA launched a resource toolkit for ICT employers and Indigenous students to increase Indigenous employment and cultural diversity in the Australian ICT industry.

AIIA has a challenging and exciting year ahead as we continue to put in place the building blocks to ensure our members’ businesses and our industry continues to thrive.

The ICT industry represents 4.6 per cent of GDP - or as much as 6 per cent if we recognise the contribution of software developed for in-house use, according to a recent UK study - and the Association will continue to raise the profile of our industry so that supporting and developing ICT becomes a national priority.

As the world becomes smaller, AIIA will continue to expand.  As the Australian ICT industry becomes more globally competitive, and Australia becomes more dependent on ICT for jobs, exports and national prosperity, AIIA’s place as the peak association representing this vital industry remains assured.

On behalf of the AIIA Secretariat, I would like to wish everyone in AIIA member companies a happy and safe Christmas break and prosperous New Year.

Sheryle Moon
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Information Industry Association

AIIA today launched its new online directory, FindICT.

FindICT is business matching service that links ICT buyers to software, hardware and services suppliers in a few simple clicks. 

Customers can access an online database and search for companies based on a range of criteria including location, service or product type and budget. The database will then match the criteria with any number of AIIA’s 450+ member companies.

www.findict.com.au

For the past three years, AIIA has been working closely with member companies to develop a voluntary industry-driven product stewardship strategy to address the environmental management of e-waste at the end of life stage of the product lifecycle. 

On 5 December 2006, the Federal Parliament passed the Copyright Amendment Bill that had been introduced to Parliament on 19 October 2006. The Bill implements the outcomes of several copyright law reviews during 2005-2006 and also implements Australia’s remaining obligations under the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement by implementing a new liability scheme for the circumvention of technological protection measures (TPMs).