Melbourne, Thursday 10 June 2004

From the Minister for Information & Communication Technology

ICT Cluster Signs Up 100th Member Organisation

A cluster of ICT companies designed to create a critical mass of activity around the .NET computer language has signed its 100th member to the organisation.

Victorian Minister for Information and Communication (ICT), Marsha Thomson, said the Victoria.NET cluster - the first of its kind in the world- is providing opportunities for Victorian companies to share information and benefit from each other’s experience and networks.

 “It’s tremendous to see the Victoria.NET cluster getting off to such a good start, with 100 member companies coming together to share ideas and experiences,” Ms Thomson said.

“There are more than 600 known .Net projects in the State with an estimated value of more than $179 million.”

Ms Thomson said the Bracks Government had contributed seed funding and was working in partnership with the Microsoft Corporation and the local industry to develop the cluster.

“We are working together to develop a world-leading, industry-led .NET Web Services software cluster that will generate increased revenue locally, increased export revenue and attract increased ICT investment to the state of Victoria,” said Ms Thomson.

Web services are Web-based applications that interact dynamically with other Web applications using open standards. These applications typically run behind the scenes, with one program ‘talking’ to another (server to server). Microsoft's .NET and the Java-based J2EE are the two major development platforms that support these standards.

Ms Thomson said .NET was a great example of the enabling effect of information and communication technology (ICT) across a range of industry sectors.

“The establishment of the Victoria .NET cluster follows State Government support for similar Victorian clusters for the computer game, photonics and micro-electronics industries,” Ms Thomson said.

“The Victorian Government is providing strong support and helping transform emerging industries into globally recognised clusters of excellence. We will continue to explore opportunities for growth in emerging ICT sectors,” she said.

For information about other ICT clusters operating in Victoria click on industry information at www.mmv.vic.gov.au