Mining boom flowing through to ICT sector: Australian resource sector ICT spending to reach $3 billion by 2015

Australia’s mining boom is producing flow-on benefits for Australia’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector, with resource sector ICT spending reaching $2.51 billion in 2011, according to an IDC report.

The report, titled Resources ICT Market Forecast and Analysis 2011 to 2015, reveals the resource sector accounts for 6% of all Australian enterprise ICT spending, with cost management, productivity improvements and organisational efficiency being key deciding factors in resource sector ICT spending.

“The sector will be increasingly challenged by the requirement to manage costs within a global environment of moderating growth, and within a local context of high labour and energy costs in Australia,” says IDC research manager Emilie Ditton.

“As the sector starts to experience moderate growth, it is very heavily focused on improving operational efficiency and improving productivity to drive up margins.”

Resource sector ICT spending is forecast to reach $3 billion by 2012, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.8%, well above the market average of 2.7%.

However, resource sector spending on ICT remains significantly behind the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector,  which spent $9.6 billion in 2011, expected to grow to around $11.1 billion by 2015, accounting for 22% of enterprise ICT spending.