Ballarat has experienced moderate growth in ICT in the period since IT2010 was first developed. Many of the fundamentals are now in place, in terms of infrastructure, relationships and the scope of the sector. Since the 2001 census, there has been significant ICT growth through inward investment, notably the expansion of IBM, an extension of the University of Ballarat Technology Park and some organic growth. Twenty-seven percent of companies in the identified ICT Cluster were founded after 2000. Two thirds of the Cluster members reported an annual turnover of less than $500,000, with eight percent over $10 million.

The ICT Cluster study conducted over the period 2005-06 identified a nascent rather than a dynamic cluster in Ballarat. Local labour and capital markets were seen as below average in terms of relating to local needs, although these factors were seen as important to company growth. Thirty-seven percent of the Cluster offered ICT services internationally. In terms of joint working relationships, joint ventures, marketing and supply chain collaboration, most companies had only ad hoc or no collaborative partnerships. One of the respondents remarked:

Another participant remarked:

Local benchmarking in the cluster was only average, although most companies were aware of the others in the Cluster. Looking to the future, there was an above average level of confidence in Ballarat as a productive and innovative location. Much of this sentiment was also reflected in the consultation sessions for ICT 2030. Ballarat, as a regional centre for ICT, has potential but is not yet a dynamic cluster. However, there are many positive signs for the future; the Cluster is growing, levels of collaboration are developing and the rate of organic growth through spin-outs is notable. In addition, the consultation process found that the main institutions in Ballarat are helping sustain growth and support the momentum; Ballarat, among the regional centres in Victoria, has a real reputation for 'action'. This has proved a significant attractor for a number of new initiatives involving various State and Federal bodies.

The following profiles demonstrate just some of Ballarat's successes since the City initiated a co-ordinated strategy for ICT development in the region - Ballarat IT 2010.

Profile 6 - Staley and Associates

Since its beginnings in 1996 as a sole operator small business providing electrical services, Staley and Associates has grown into a leading Victorian provider of total electrical engineering solutions that integrate state of the art ICT applications into manufacturing processes. Staley and Associates devise, design and install Industrial Automation Control Systems (IACS) that utilise Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) technologies to link together Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) in manufacturing and processing environments. These integrated solutions assist companies in the food and beverage, mining and agriculture, and manufacturing sectors increase productivity through effective Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) and custom designed automation processes.

Profile 7 - JustSys

JustSys, located on the University of Ballarat Technology Park was launched in 2002 to commercialise discoveries in the field of artificial intelligence made by company founders at the University of Ballarat and La Trobe University. A world leader in the creation of web-based, intelligent decision-support systems, JustSys provides software tools for giving expert advice and information on highly complex issues. These user-friendly decision aids harness ground-breaking new understanding of how people reason and make decisions. Over its first four years, JustSys (and partners) have achieved sales of almost $1 million and its innovations have been widely reported including articles in The Economist and MIT Technology Review.

Profile 8 - IBM

Our skills infusion program with the University of Ballarat, together with assistance from local government, enable IBM to provide world class application and infrastructure services from Ballarat, supporting both local and international clients, - David Burns, General Manager of IBM's Global Technology Services Unit, 27 June 2006. IBM Global Services is one of the world's largest business and technology services providers. IBM first established services in Ballarat in 1994 to provide data centre and support services to VicRoads and the Public Transport Corporation. The Ballarat facility has rapidly grown to become a major hub in IBM's global delivery network with its offerings for customers in Australia as well as for IBM worldwide including application management services, a customer care management centre, technical software services, database and data communications services, technical consulting services, security services, storage services and project management. In July 2003, IBM opened its Regional Software Solutions Centre in Ballarat, Victoria, working in collaboration with the Victorian State Government, the City of Ballarat and the University of Ballarat. IBM's regional facility in Ballarat has attracted a series of service excellence milestones which in 2006 included the Client Service Centre helpdesk winning a national excellence award, while the Regional Software Solutions Centre gained top CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) appraisal for application development and maintenance.

Profile 9 - Netconnect

Exposure to the Internet through their employment with the University of Ballarat, was a precursor to the establishment of NetConnect Communications Pty in 1994. By the end of 1996 the company's four founding partners were employed in the business fulltime. Netconnect Communications rapidly expanded to become one of the largest Internet Service Providers in regional Australia. It pioneered purchases of wholesale satellite bandwidth from the United State and used this as its primary backhaul device in delivering Internet connectivity to businesses and communities in Western and Central Victoria. By 1999 the company employed more than 40 people in locations including Ballarat, Bendigo and Orange. In December 1999 the business merged with the Adelaide based Chariot Internet Limited. Today this company employees more than 130 people nationally.

Profile 10 - B&D Technologies

B & D Technologies has grown to become a leader in the IT and Communications industries within the Ballarat region. The company started out seven year ago as a two man operation servicing a small local client list. In 2007 B & D Technologies employs 20 staff, covering a wide range of products, services, clients and geographical areas. B & D Technologies aspire to provide every business with the best possible opportunities to grow through technology solutions. In 2005 B & D Technologies was a CGU Business Ballarat Award Winner.