In 2006-07, New South Wales was home to approximately 13,000 businesses in information and communications technology (ICT), representing 43% of the Australian total. New South Wales continues to be the largest employer of ICT specialists. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics an average of 111,800 people were employed in ICT occupations in New South Wales in 2008, representing approximately 40% of the national total. This includes approximately 33,500 software and applications programmers, 16,400 ICT support technicians, and 12,600 database and systems administrators and ICT security specialists.

In 2008, New South Wales is also the base for Australia's ICT services exports. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2007-08, New South Wales exports of ICT services were worth nearly $1.1 billion, representing 47% of the national total.

Most of Australia's business R&D in ICT occurs in New South Wales. In 2006-07, New South Wales accounted for almost 40% of the $1.43 billion businesses spent on computer and communication services R&D in Australia. It also contributed 38% of the $272 million allocated nationally by businesses to electronic equipment R&D.

New South Wales is a preferred location for ICT businesses, and is host to many ICT multinational companies. IBM, SAP, Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems have chosen Sydney as the base for their Australian or regional operations.

Footnotes:
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution

1 Business number derived using the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industries survey which includes employing and non-employing businesses. Non-employing businesses were restricted to include only those which contribute to the top 97.5% of total turnover for all non-employers in the ICT sector. ICT businesses are classified to the following ANZSIC06 classes: 2421, Computer and electronic office equipment manufacturing; 2422, communication equipment manufacturing; 2429, Other electronic equipment manufacturing; 3492, Computer and computer peripheral wholesaling; 3493, Telecommunications goods wholesaling; 3494, Other electrical and electronic goods wholesaling; 5420, software publishing; 5801, Wired telecommunications network operation; 5802, Other telecommunications network operation; 5809, Other telecommunications services; 5910, Internet service providers and web search portals; 5921, data processing and web hosting services; 5922, electronic information storage services; 7000, Computer system design and related services; 9422, Electronic (except domestic appliance) and precision equipment repair and maintenance.
2 As at June 2007
3 Multi-state organisations are counted in each state in which they operate. Hence, the counts of businesses for state and territories do not sum to the total for Australia.
4 ICT occupations defined as occupations classified to the following categories of the Australian and New Zealand Classification of Occupations 2006 (ANZSCO2006): ICT Managers, ICT Professionals nfd, Business and Systems Analysts and Programmers nfd, ICT Business and Systems Analysts, Multimedia Specialists and Web Developers, Software and Applications Programmers, Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists, ICT Network and Support Professionals nfd, Computer Network Professionals, ICT Support and Test Engineers, telecommunications Engineering Professionals, ICT and Telecommunications nfd, ICT support Technicians, Telecommunications Technical Specialists, ICT Trainers, ICT Sales Professionals.
5 Average employment over 2008 based on data at February, May, August, November 2008.

Source: ABS Cat. No. 8126.0, 2006-07; ABS Cat. No. 6291.0.55.003