ACS Drives Industry Initiative to Inform ICT Policy

Thursday 21 March 2002 - As part of an initiative to develop an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy Report for submission to Government, the Australian Computer Society (ACS) staged a high level forum this week to draw ideas and input from across the industry.

Over 30 high profile figures from industry associations, government bodies, ICT vendors, research firms and the business community gathered in Sydney on Monday to discuss ICT industry issues and what policy decisions were needed to help grow the industry.

Views expressed during the forum will be included in the report - ICT Development in Australia - A Strategic Policy Framework - being prepared for the ACS by Professor John Houghton of the Centre for Strategic Economic Studies in Canberra.

The document, to be delivered to the ACS Council early in April 2002, will review all the major ICT-related reports in recent years. It will distil the major messages from these reports and provide a list of detailed recommendations that encapsulate the current thinking of the industry in relation to its future and the role of Government in driving growth.

ACS Chief Executive Dennis Furini said the meeting on Monday attracted a significant pool of industry experience and knowledge to feed into the policy development process through the Government's ICT Policy Framework Committee.

"We were delighted with the number and calibre of people who attended, representing a wide range of interests within the industry. The discussion ranged from issues like R&D tax incentives through to the need for better commercialisation and sales expertise.

"There was a general consensus amongst attendees that it wasn't just up to Government to set the agenda. Most felt that the industry itself needed to show greater leadership and come up its own vision for the future and develop specific proposals for the Government to consider. That's what we are trying to do with this initiative," he said.

The report's author, Professor John Houghton, is perhaps best-known for his bi-annual Houghton Reports which are sponsored by the ACS and provide detailed analysis of ICT industry measures like international trade and job statistics. His ICT Trade Update 2001 Report released in October last year highlighted Australia's ICT trade deficit reached almost $15.8 billion in 2000-01.

"There was strong support for a greater emphasis on linkages to help build bridges with user communities and vertical markets, as well as the sense that more needs to be done to improve local commercialisation capabilities," said Professor Houghton.

"The comments made at this week's meeting will be combined with input from other industry stakeholders to help crystallise a range of recommendations that will ultimately go to Government for consideration," he said.

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/210302.htm

ENDS

About the Australian Computer Society: The ACS is the recognised association for information technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry and providing a wide range of services to its 16,000+ members. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the public voice of the IT profession and the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT.See the ACS Home Page for more information. Media Enquiries:

Dennis Furini, ACS Chief Executive, Tel: (02) 9299 3666 or (0418) 963 980, Email: dennis.furini@acs.org.au

Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9555 1986 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au