Traffic and Internet Usage

• 60 percent growth in small to medium enterprise's internet usage
• Greater access speeds and increased uptake of broadband

Overview

To deduce the current trends of Australian businesses internet usage, NetRegistry divided the traffic through our data centre by the number of live business sites and email accounts we host. This information can be juxtaposed with Australian Bureau of Statistics' businesses internet speed report.

Key Findings in Australia

During the last 12 months, data traffic (through NetRegistry's Data Centre) has grown a staggering 100 percent. This significant traffic increase stems from businesses conducting more online activity. This trend is supported by the Sensis e-Business Report (July 2006), which noted the percentage of SMEs taking orders online has increased from 41 percent in 2005 to 47 percent in 2006.

This graph illustrates 60 percent growth in Australian business's internet usage, in receipt of email communication and visitors to their website.

Conclusions

These findings are reflective of faster internet connections, an increased number of users and considerable growth of the relevance of electronic communications and email for businesses. If availability, speed and convenience continue to improve, business usage will reflect this rise, as will a predicted increase of spam.

In comparison to internet connection data, gathered by Australian Bureau of Statistics, these results show that significantly more businesses are accessing the internet. Online activity is now largely consumed by other companies conducting research across other business's sites, resulting in increased traffic. The business community have also adopted email communication as a valuable, convenient and effective business tool. This increase is supported by recent Australian Bureau of Statistics findings in the Internet Activity Report of Australian Businesses (released in June 2006) which gathered information from a range of ISPs in Australia. They reported that 63 percent of businesses use broadband access whilst 37 percent of businesses use dial up. Broadband is defined as an 'always on' internet connection with an access speed equal or greater than 256Kbps.

[Source: Internet Activity, Australia. Australian Business Statistics, ABS Cat. No. 8153.0, June 2006.]

Non dial-up subscribers increased from almost 1.7 million at the end of March 2005 to over 3.1 million at the end of June 2006, an 82 percent increase over a fifteen month period.

[Source: Internet Activity, Australia. Australian Business Statistics, ABS Cat. No. 8153.0, June 2006.]

External Sources

• AusRegistry EOY Report, Dec 06
• Verisign, Domain Name Industry Brief, November 2006
• Australian Interactive Media Industry Association, Media Release 7th August 2006
• Australian Bureau of Statistics Business Register, Counts of Businesses ABS Cat. No. 8161.0.55.001, June 2004
• Internet Activity, Australia. Australian Business Statistics, ABS Cat. No. 8153.0, June 2006

More Information

Please send all comments or questions regarding this report to pr@netregistry.com.au

About NetRegistry

NetRegistry has been serving over one hundred and fifty thousand Australian businesses since 1997. Since this time, it has become one of Australia's largest and most prominent specialist domain name, web hosting, email, online marketing and eCommerce service providers. NetRegistry specialises in delivering quality, affordable solutions to clients who have chosen to take their business online. Ensuring customers receive the highest level of technical performance and customer service.

For more information about NetRegistry, visit our web site at www.netregistry.com.au