11,000 more IT industry jobs by 2011

More than 11,000 extra jobs and 300 new businesses will be created within New Zealand's information technology industry over the next four years, taking employment within the industry to 66,000, according to a Microsoft-funded study carried out by research firm IDC.

It said spending on IT will reach $5.4 billion this year, and will then rise 4.3 per cent a year till 2011.

Part of IDC's brief was to gauge the effect of Microsoft on the industry.

IDC estimated that Microsoft-related businesses would generate $13 in sales for every $1 booked by Microsoft this year.

IDC has carried out similar studies on behalf of Microsoft, but this is the first time the research has been extended to New Zealand.

Worldwide, 7.1 million jobs and 100,000 businesses would be created in the industry by 2011, IDC said, with 42 per cent of jobs Microsoft-related.

- © Fairfax NZ News