About Us

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and Microsoft, with the support of the South Australian Government, have established an industry-led initiative to form SA.NET, an ICT industry cluster of companies based in South Australia with a common interest in the Microsoft .net platform. With other stakeholders, it is planned to unite our efforts on local industry development and raise the profile and capability of the SA commercial software industry. Once successful, the longer term strategic intention is for Microsoft and AIIA to extend the .NET cluster framework on a national scale under the banner of Australia.NET. SA.NET has been developed as a business tool to boost the growth of the SA ICT industry.

SA.NET with Microsoft Australia is just one of AIIA’s many initiatives under the national CollabIT program designed to accelerate the growth of a globally competitive ICT industry in Australia. AIIA is already working with Microsoft and other partners facilitating similar clusters of like-minded companies in other states and territories of Australia.

The ICT industry is a driving force behind the Australian economy’s productivity growth, contributing $36.2 billion, or 4.6 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. Small-to-medium businesses (SMEs) are a vital part of Australia’s ICT industry. In fact, SMEs make up nearly 80 per cent of all ICT businesses in Australia.
The philosophy behind SA.NET is simple: that ICT SMEs can work with other complementary companies to overcome limitations, generate new ideas and ways of doing business and ultimately expand their market reach and penetration.

Microsoft’s Windows operating system is the basis of commercial software solutions and services developed by many of the small and medium sized ICT companies in SA. SA.NET is a unique way to assist these companies to develop innovative software and achieve global reach. Members of the SA.NET cluster will be able to:

establish partnerships with like-minded Australian companies
identify skills and synergies
share knowledge
forge alliances with multinational corporations
pool resources
access new markets.

Cross industry and cross business collaboration is one of the most practical ways for organisations to effectively negotiate today's competitive global market place.