$23 billion says high-tech is smart business in New Zealand – Media release
19 March 2013
High-tech goods and services from New Zealand’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector are worth almost
$23 billion, Statistics New Zealand said today. While this marks a $3 billion increase over just two years, one of the
underlying stories is that more and more goods these days count as ‘information and communication technology’.
Today, high-tech goods include much more than just computers and smartphones, and perhaps the most subtle changes can be
found in the home. Many common devices are now intelligent machines: washing machines and driers, Blu-ray players and
TVs, even our toasters and kettles are now driven by smart technology.
“The challenge is to keep pace with how quickly the definitions and perceptions of these technologies change,” said ICT
manager Hamish Hill. “Each time we’ve run this survey, we’ve had to include more businesses from increasingly diverse
industries. We're seeing new smart products and online services being offered all the time.”
This said, the traditional areas of ICT continue to grow. New Zealand businesses received $5.8 billion in computer and
phone sales in the 2012 year; $800 million more than two years ago. Sales of Internet connections also rose sharply, up
44 percent to $1.3 billion.
“Some of this may appear contrary to expectations, since the cost of many of these high-tech goods have gone down over
the same period. The fact is, more people are buying these items and getting connected. They have become a necessary
part of life,” Mr Hill said.
These results indicate total sales by New Zealand businesses, and include household and business purchases. They come
from the Information and Communication Technology Supply Survey: 2012, which also includes information on exports and
industry breakdowns. More detail on both household and business consumers will be available in April in the Business Operations Survey: 2012, and the Household Use of Information and Communication Technology: 2012.
ENDS
For more information about these statistics:
•
• Open the attached files