KEY POINTS:
I was pleased to hear the news from the Government earlier in the week that it's finally decided to step in and set up a representative body to "provide a stronger unified voice for the broader ICT sector".
ICT-NZ, which had this very aim, failed to get off the ground as it was unable to gain the support of all the various ICT interest groups that exist in the industry.
The final blow came when the New Zealand Computer Society opted out of the venture.
It was a flawed strategy from the start and time wasted messing around trying to set it up has cost the industry a few years of useful development time just when it could have needed it most.
Other bodies, such as TUANZ have had to step in and address the IT skills-shortage and push for better broadband that would benefit IT companies looking to do business on a global scale.
Most countries that have a strong ICT sector have a proactive umbrella body representing their interests - lobbying government, attempting to attract investment, drawing attention to the pressing issues. Maybe next year there will finally be some coherent advocacy.
But as this Computerworld article shows, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between the rhetoric put out about the decision to disband ICT-NZ and the reasoning set out in this cabinet paper (pdf download).
Some paragraphs inadvertently left in the document are at odds with the cheery press release put out by communications minister David Cunliffe in which he explained: "Building on the great work of Hi-Growth, ICT-NZ and the Digital Strategy Advisory Group, it is proposed this new advisory body will provide Ministerial advice, provide research and information to the large number of sector groups, and support new digital programmes."
The paper takes a different view of the track record left by Hi-Growth and ICT-NZ:
"Although ICT-NZ was formally established in 2004, it has yet to gain any traction with, or material funding from, key sector players," it reads.
"In addition, overlapping membership of the governing bodies of HiGrowth and ICT-NZ has raised the potential for conflict of interest issues to arise."
Anyway, the ball was dropped, now it's time to pick it back up and start addressing the big issues that are holding back the growth of our ICT industry.
