Australia Yearbook - 2001

840 Year Book Australia 2001
24.8 SELECTED IT&T USE, By Industry—June 1998
Businesses at end June 1998
Personal computers LAN/WAN Internet access Email access
Industry
%
%
%
%
Mining 78 38 46 45
Manufacturing 69 21 31 29
Electricity, gas and water supply n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Construction 54 7 17 16
Wholesale trade 74 30 38 38
Retail trade 54 17 17 17
Accommodation, cafes and restaurants 45 8 14 12
Transport and storage 54 15 20 19
Communication services(a) 73 *17 45 45
Finance and insurance 74 27 39 37
Property and business services 78 30 44 43
Health and community services 69 20 33 32
Cultural and recreational services 64 18 33 33
Personal and other services 42 12 20 20
Total 63 20 29 28
(a) Includes telecommunication services, and postal and courier services.
Source: Business Use of Information Technology, Australia, 1997–98 (8129.0).
IT use by size of business
The proportion of businesses using PCs increased
with the size of the business. At the end of June
1998 all businesses with 100 or more employees
used PCs, and 86% of businesses were connected
to a LAN or WAN (table 24.9). In contrast, only
55% of businesses employing 1–4 persons used
PCs, with a fifth of these businesses connected to
a computer network (11% of all businesses of this
size). Larger businesses were more likely to have
Internet and email access. Of businesses
employing 100 or more persons, 87% had
Internet access. This compares with 24%
of businesses employing 1–4 persons, 32% of
businesses employing 5–19 persons and 56% of
businesses employing 20–99 persons.
Government use of information
technology
At the end of June 1998, almost all government
entities used PCs (97%) (table 24.10). An
estimated 73% of all government organisations
had access to the Internet and 37% had an
Internet site/home page. Rates of Internet use
and Internet presence were considerably higher
for the larger Commonwealth and State entities.
While 89% of Commonwealth entities and 77% of
State entities employing 20 or more persons
reported an Internet presence, the proportion for
local government was 28%.
Of government organisations without Internet
access at 30 June 1998, 57% intended to obtain it
within the next 12 months. Of those organisations
without an Internet site/home page, 52% intended
to establish one by 30 June 1999.
24.9 SELECTED IT&T USE, By Employment Size of Business—June 1998
Employment size
1–4
persons
5–19
persons
20–99
persons
100 or more
persons
Employing businesses with
%
%
%
%
%
Personal computers 55 75 91 100 63
LAN/WAN 11 32 50 86 20
Internet access 24 32 56 87 29
Email access 23 31 54 85 28
Source: Business Use of Information Technology, Australia, 1997–98 (8129.0).
Total